Catalog / Office Suite Essentials Cheatsheet

Office Suite Essentials Cheatsheet

A comprehensive guide to essential functions and features across popular office suites, including Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and LibreOffice. This cheat sheet provides a quick reference for boosting productivity and mastering common tasks.

Core Applications & File Formats

Application Overview

Word Processors

Used for creating and editing text documents.
(e.g., Microsoft Word, Google Docs, LibreOffice Writer)

Spreadsheet Software

Designed for organizing, analyzing, and storing data in tabular form.
(e.g., Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice Calc)

Presentation Software

Used for creating visual presentations with slides, text, images, and multimedia.
(e.g., Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Slides, LibreOffice Impress)

Email Clients

For managing email correspondence, calendar events, and contacts.
(e.g., Microsoft Outlook, Gmail)

Common File Formats

.docx

Microsoft Word document (Office Open XML)

.xlsx

Microsoft Excel spreadsheet (Office Open XML)

.pptx

Microsoft PowerPoint presentation (Office Open XML)

.odt

OpenDocument Text (Writer)

.ods

OpenDocument Spreadsheet (Calc)

.odp

OpenDocument Presentation (Impress)

.pdf

Portable Document Format (for universal document viewing)

Word Processing Essentials

Formatting Text

Bold

Ctrl+B (Windows) / Cmd+B (Mac)

Italic

Ctrl+I (Windows) / Cmd+I (Mac)

Underline

Ctrl+U (Windows) / Cmd+U (Mac)

Font Size

Use the font size dropdown or Ctrl+Shift+> (increase) / Ctrl+Shift+< (decrease)

Font Color

Select text, then choose a color from the font color palette.

Page Layout

Margins

File > Page Setup (or Layout > Margins in some suites)

Orientation

File > Page Setup (or Layout > Orientation) - Portrait or Landscape

Headers & Footers

Insert > Header/Footer. Add page numbers, dates, or document titles.

Page Breaks

Insert > Break > Page Break (or Ctrl+Enter)

Working with Objects

Inserting Images

Insert > Picture > From File. Adjust size and position as needed.

Inserting Tables

Insert > Table. Specify rows and columns.

Shapes

Insert > Shapes. Choose from various shapes and drawing tools.

Spreadsheet Mastery

Basic Formulas

SUM

=SUM(A1:A10) - Adds the values in cells A1 through A10.

AVERAGE

=AVERAGE(A1:A10) - Calculates the average of values in cells A1 through A10.

COUNT

=COUNT(A1:A10) - Counts the number of cells with numerical values in the range A1:A10.

MAX

=MAX(A1:A10) - Returns the largest value in the range A1:A10.

MIN

=MIN(A1:A10) - Returns the smallest value in the range A1:A10.

Cell Formatting

Number Format

Format Cells > Number. Choose from General, Number, Currency, Date, etc.

Alignment

Format Cells > Alignment. Adjust horizontal and vertical alignment.

Font

Format Cells > Font. Change font type, size, and style.

Borders

Format Cells > Border. Add or modify cell borders.

Data Manipulation

Sorting

Data > Sort. Sort by column(s) in ascending or descending order.

Filtering

Data > Filter. Filter data based on specific criteria.

Conditional Formatting

Format > Conditional Formatting. Highlight cells based on rules.

Presentation Design

Slide Layouts

Title Slide

First slide of the presentation, includes title and subtitle.

Title and Content

Slide with a title and a content area (e.g., bullet points, images).

Section Header

Used to introduce a new section in the presentation.

Two Content

Slide with two content areas side-by-side, useful for comparisons.

Blank

Empty slide for custom layouts.

Animations & Transitions

Animations

Effects applied to individual elements on a slide (e.g., text, images).

Transitions

Effects applied when moving from one slide to the next.

Adding Animations

Select the object, go to the Animations tab, and choose an effect.

Adding Transitions

Go to the Transitions tab and select a transition effect.

Presentation Delivery

Start Slideshow

Slideshow > From Beginning (or F5)

Presenter View

Displays notes, next slide, and timer on a separate screen for the presenter.

Navigation

Use arrow keys, Page Up/Down, or click to advance slides.

Ending Slideshow

Press Esc to exit the slideshow.