How to Add Special Characters in Microsoft Word and Other Tricks

Microsoft’s Office 365 suite is considered the industry benchmark. Products such as Word, PowerPoint, Excel and OneDrive have a long list of powerful features and functions to meet the needs of students, professionals and casual users. In particular, Microsoft Word, which users commonly call a writing tool, is more capable of simple text, images and videos.

The software even allows you to add special characters, math equations, 3D characters, etc.

Microsoft wants to centralize Word as the ultimate place to brainstorm ideas and concepts with various graphics, Wiki integration, researcher, intelligent research, etc.

In this article, we are going to talk about how to add symbols, special characters, smart art, watermark and more to a Word document for better customization. Let’s start.

1. Insert special characters and symbols

When writing a document, you may find it difficult to add special characters that are often lacking on a traditional keyboard. Fortunately, Microsoft has added support for this.

You can go to the Insert> Advanced Symbol menu and add a bunch of symbols and special characters from the menu.

Some of the most common symbols include trademark, registration, paragraph and copyright symbols.

As for symbols, you can also choose from different fonts. In short, there is something for everyone, and you will have no problem finding this special character.

2. Add mathematical equations

Office applications are also popular in schools and colleges. Students are one of the Microsoft discussion groups. And that is why you will find the integration of mathematical equations in OneNote and Word.

Go to Insert and press the down arrow on the Equation menu to reveal the built-in equations and add them to the document. They include the most famous ones, such as the area of ​​a circle, the Fourier series, the Pythagorean theorem, etc.

You can also add an equation by pressing the Pie icon in the Insert menu. It includes Matrix, Radical, Script, Integral and more.

3. Add icons

Microsoft has integrated a dedicated icon section to enhance the appeal of the document. Just go to Insert> Icons and the sidebar will allow you to add various icons to the document.

They are organized by categories and have a search bar to find an icon without scrolling through it. You can drag and drop an icon, then change the characteristics of the icon by changing the color, border size, color fill, etc.

4. Add 3D characters

I’m using Microsoft Word on macOS. And to add a personal touch to a document, I sometimes use the universal keyboard shortcut (Control + Command + Space) to open a selection menu of emoji.

Microsoft went ahead and added the 3D models to be implemented in Word software. They look and feel better than a standard two-dimensional emojis.

Just press Insert> 3D Models, and the side menu will allow you to choose from hundreds of 3D models.

They are organized by categories such as Emoji, chemistry, physics, furniture, avatars, etc. The search bar makes the process of finding the perfect model even easier.

5. Insert a SmartArt

Microsoft Word already supports a plethora of charts and tables for analyzing data. It also offers a lot of ways to present data through the process, cycles, pyramids, etc.

You can go to Insert> SmartArt and choose from options such as List, Matrix, Relationship Charts, etc.

You can add them to a document according to the requirement. Normally, people use SmartArt in PowerPoint, but in rare cases, you can also implement SmartArt in Word.

6. Apply a watermark

Are you preparing an NDA or confidential document? You may want to add the Copyright icon (from step 1) and the watermark with a confidential label.

Microsoft Word offers the possibility of adding a watermarked document with dozens of personalization options.

In the ribbon bar, go to Design and tap the Watermark menu in the upper right corner.

Users can choose an image or text as the background in the Word document.

You can just choose a computer image. In terms of text, you can play with font style, color, position, transparency, etc. The company nailed the customization here.

7. Use the Wikipedia add-in

When writing a research paper or essay, users may want a helping hand from Wikipedia. Switching between Microsoft Word and Wikipedia in the browser can slow productivity and overall flow.

Fortunately, Microsoft has integrated a Wiki add-in to quickly find detailed information.

The Add-Ins section of the Insert menu allows you to access the built-in Wikipedia to access information at your fingertips.

It will open the side menu and allow you to search for the term. The results are the same as those that appear on the web. You will not have to switch between windows to add information.

Use Microsoft Word like a pro

As you can see from the list above, Microsoft Word is more than just a document creator. It allows you to add math equations, special characters, icons, 3D models, watermarks and much more. The company also integrated Wikipedia and LinkedIn CV Assistant to quickly create professional looking CVs. In short, there is something for everything. Tell us which feature are you most looking forward to using in Microsoft Word?