Word Processing and Spreadsheet
Primary 6 · Science and Elementary Technology
Word Processing and Spreadsheet
Lesson 2 of 6
14 min
Let's begin
Habimana is making an invitation card for the P6 end-of-year party. He wants the title to be big and colourful, so people notice it from across the room, and the details to be small, neat and easy to read.
Three settings will do all of this: the font type, the font size and the font colour.
A font (or typeface) is the design, or shape, of the letters. Some fonts have tiny "feet" at the ends of the letters, such as Times New Roman or Liberation Serif. Others have plain ends, such as Arial or Liberation Sans. Some fonts look like handwriting or decorations.
To change the font: select the text, click the small arrow beside the Font Name box on the Formatting toolbar, and click a font from the list.
Font size tells you how big the letters are. It is measured in points (pt). The bigger the number, the bigger the letters.
| Size | Good for |
|---|---|
| 11 or 12 pt | Normal reading text |
| 14 to 16 pt | Sub-headings |
| 20 to 36 pt or more | Titles and posters |
To change the size: select the text, click the arrow beside the Font Size box and choose a size, or click in the box, type a number and press Enter. There are also buttons to make the text a little bigger or smaller.
The font colour is the colour of the letters themselves. To change it: select the text, click the small arrow beside the Font Color button (a letter A with a coloured bar under it) and pick a colour.
Do not mix this up with highlighting, which colours the space behind the letters, like a highlighter pen.
Tip
Type = the SHAPE of the letters. Size = how BIG they are (in points). Colour = what COLOUR they are.
And, as always: select first, then change.
Do these on a computer if you can, or answer in your book.
Type the word RWANDA. Make it size 36, then colour it blue.
Answer: Select RWANDA, choose 36 in the Font Size box, then choose blue from the Font Color button.
Which is bigger: text in 10 pt or text in 18 pt?
Answer: 18 pt. The bigger the number, the bigger the letters.
Uwase made the letters of her story yellow on a white page. What advice would you give her?
Answer: Use a dark colour, such as black or dark blue, so the words are easy to read.
What is the difference between font colour and highlighting?
Answer: Font colour changes the colour of the letters; highlighting colours the background behind them.
What you learned today
Sources and credits
Quick check
Match each word to what it changes.
Tap one on the left, then its partner on the right.
