How to Make a Time Line in Microsoft Word 2007

Video Transcript

"Hi, I'm Tracy Prentiss of Montague, Massachusetts, and I'm going to show you how to make a timeline in Microsoft Word 2007. Timelines show the passage of events over time so usually they are quite wide. As such the first thing I am going to do is I'm going to change my paper from being portrait or tall and skinny to being landscaped which will be wide. I do that by clicking on page layout in the ribbon, going to the orientation button and choosing landscape. Now I'm ready to insert my timeline. On the insert ribbon in Microsoft Word there is a feature called Smart Art. The Smart Art feature gives you access to a number of different types of diagrams. A timeline is a process diagram so I'm going to click on process at the left and within the process group I will find a diagram type called basic timeline. I'm going to to click on it to select it and click o'kay. This brings a timeline into my document. The easiest way to add text to a timeline is with what's called the text pane. At the left edge of my timeline graphic there is a little icon with two arrows. When I click on it it brings up a text pane where I can type in the text that I want in my timeline. All of the sample text will be replaced with my typing. As I continue to type the text will be automatically made smaller to fit the text I have typed in. I don't have to worry about sizing at all. When I get to my last preset bullet I haven't run out of room I can simply press enter at the end of my last bullet and I can keep typing. Word and its Smart Art feature will automatically resize the timeline to fit the additional information that I have entered. When I'm done I simply click off of my Smart Art item and there is my timeline in my document and that is how you make a timeline in Microsoft Word 2007."