Symbols, or icons, are everywhere, from menus to legal documents–they're even in ordinary documents now. They add together functionality in a visual way, and fortunately, they're easy to insert. In this article, I'll illustrate how easy it is to add these visual tools to a document by calculation checkmarks to a simple to-do listing.

I'm using Word and Excel 2016 (desktop) on a Windows 10 64-bit arrangement. Although I'm using the checkmark graphic symbol in my example, Office has a comprehensive library of symbols that you'll add the aforementioned way. In addition, I'm working with Word and Excel, but symbols are available in most Role apps. Nosotros'll piece of work with the symbol characters specifically; nosotros won't utilise content, legacy, or ActiveX controls. Click here to download the sample files for this article.

1. Bones how-to

You may already be familiar with entering symbols. Information technology'south like shooting fish in a barrel and virtually users learn how to exercise this early on:

  1. Insert your cursor where you want to insert the symbol.
  2. Click the Insert tab and then click Symbol in the Symbols group.
  3. If you've recently inserted the symbol, it will be on the dropdown–simply a click away. If it'due south non in that location, click More Symbols.
  4. In the resulting dialog, choose Wingdings from the Font dropdown.
  5. Use the thumb to browse through the many symbols; when y'all detect the one you want, select it (Figure A).
  6. Click Insert and then Close. Figure B shows the resulting symbol. I added a Tab to separate the symbol and the text. If Word indents the symbol and the text, utilise the smart tag to turn off automatical bullets.

Effigy A

Select the symbol.

Effigy B

You tin employ the inserted checkmark as whatever other graphic symbol.

Give-and-take treats this character similar any other textual graphic symbol. You can increase or reduce the checkmark'due south size by changing the font size. Yous can also change its color. This method is available in Excel and most other Office apps.

Meet: thirty things you lot should never do in Microsoft Office (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

two. Bullet library

Symbols are sometimes available in the bullet library, just Word will treat the resulting character and its text item as a bulleted list–that might matter, it might not, and it might add behaviors you can exploit. (You lot won't employ this method in Excel.) To use this road, position your cursor where y'all want to insert the symbol (bullet) and then click the Bullets dropdown (in the Paragraph group). Select the symbol from either the recently used offerings or the bullet library, as shown in Figure C. Equally you lot can see in Figure D, Word automatically indents the item because that'due south the default setting (you lot tin can alter this setting) for a bulleted listing.

Effigy C

Select the symbol.

Effigy D

Word indents the new checkmark and the list detail, equally it would a bullet.

For a quick indent fix, display the ruler (on the View tab) and elevate the left indent for that item to the left margin. However, this isn't something y'all'd desire to practise every time you check an item off your list! If yous want a permanent fix, read How to control spacing and alignment in a numbered list in Microsoft Discussion.

Add together symbols to the library

Not all symbols are in the library, but you lot can easily add together most, as follows:

  1. Click the Bullets dropdown and cull Define New Bullet.
  2. Click Symbol to launch the Symbol dialog.
  3. Use the instructions above to select the appropriate symbol.
  4. Click OK twice. As you tin can run into in Figure E, I added the boxed checkmark to the library.

Effigy E

Add symbols to the bullet library.

At this signal, you have one item that Discussion treats equally a normal graphic symbol–the one in the start list. The two following items, Word is treating equally a bulleted listing. I'yard not suggesting you mix and match; it'due south a contrived example and I'chiliad showing you lot how to apply the features available. I'm non illustrating how to create a useable to-practice listing. Then, don't ley the discrepancies bother you. Yet, it's easy to forget you lot're using bullets, and might crusade a fleck of frustration when the listing doesn't respond to other tasks the style you wait.

iii. Paste

Once you accept the symbol in your document, you lot can avoid the interface route and but paste the existing symbol. Select it, press Ctrl+c, position your cursor where you want the new symbol and press Ctrl+v. Information technology's that simple. You can use this method in whatsoever Function app.

SEE: How to use Excel's what-if tools to analyze business organization scenarios (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

4. Alt central

My to the lowest degree favorite way to enter a symbol is to utilize the Alt shortcut because yous need to know the symbol'southward grapheme code and so you must format the cell–information technology'due south besides much work. Still, it'due south a helpful solution if yous want to enter a symbol that you lot can't notice in Discussion'south symbol library. To use this method, practice the following:

  1. Position the cursor where you lot want to insert the symbol.
  2. Hold downward the Alt fundamental and use the number keypad to enter the character code–that's 0252 for the evidently checkmark and 0254 for the boxed checkmark. Discussion will display an odd character (Figure F) to display the checkmark. (You lot might need to printing Num Lock on your keyboard.)
  3. Highlight the new character and apply Wingdings from the Font dropdown.

Similar to the symbol in #1, y'all can change font properties for this checkmark. You can use this method in any Office app.

Figure F

Give-and-take inserts an odd-looking character, non the checkmark you expected.

five. Formula

The offset four methods will work similarly in nigh Office apps, including Excel. Let's switch gears a flake to run into how y'all can use a formula in Excel. Now, with our elementary example, this technique would be overkill, but it's a good technique to know just the same. Unlike Word, it takes a bit of setup, merely with all the pieces in place, it works without any boosted effort on your part.

We'll illustrate this method using the same simple listing (Figure Chiliad). The first stride is to apply the Wingding font to the checkmark cavalcade (Complete) as follows. Select B3:B7 and choose Wingdings from the Font dropdown. Next, enter the post-obit formula in B3 and then copy information technology to the remaining data gear up (column B):

=IF(D3<>"",CHAR(252),"")

Now y'all're ready to use the list. But enter a completion date in cavalcade D and watch Excel automatically display a checkmark, as shown in Figure G.

Figure G

The formula displays a checkmark when you enter a completion date.

Ship me your question virtually Office

I respond readers' questions when I tin, just there's no guarantee. Don't transport files unless requested; initial requests for help that arrive with attached files will be deleted unread. You can send screenshots of your data to assistance clarify your question. When contacting me, be as specific as possible. For example, "Please troubleshoot my workbook and fix what's wrong" probably won't go a response, but "Tin can you tell me why this formula isn't returning the expected results?" might. Please mention the app and version that you lot're using. I'm not reimbursed by TechRepublic for my time or expertise when helping readers, nor do I ask for a fee from readers I help. You can contact me at susansalesharkins@gmail.com.

Also see:

  • How to control spacing and alignment in a numbered list in Microsoft Word (TechRepublic)
  • How to use Excel's Data Model to plough related data into meaningful information (TechRepublic)
  • 5 ways to alter and customize styles in Microsoft Discussion (TechRepublic)
  • How to utilize COUNTIFS() to compare multiple data sets (TechRepublic)
  • Office Q&A: An easy Word Replace trick for a big trouble and exposing duplicate records in Excel (TechRepublic)