Google Docs is the word processor component of Google’s
online office suite. It’s a free alternative to Microsoft Word. It also has
more features than you think and than you might realize. Google Docs is a part of a comprehensive package of online applications offered by and associated with Google.
In Google Docs you can create, edit, and also share documents online and access them from any computer with an internet connection. Then you can update documents and spreadsheets in various fonts and file formats, combining texts with formulas, lists, tables, and images. Google Docs is compatible with most presentation software and word processor applications.
Create a Google Docs
How
to Sign Up for an Account
The
first thing you’ll need to do before you can use Google Docs is a sign up for a
Google account (an @gmail account). If you already have an account, feel free
to move on to the next section. If not, we’ll go over the simple way to create
a Google account and get you set up with Docs.
How to create a Blank Document
Once you’re on the Google Docs start page, you can
create a blank new document or choose a template. From within an existing
Google Doc, you can also go to File
> New > Document or File > New > From template to do the same.
Start working
Once you've created a document, you can get to work. Click untitled
document in the upper-left corner to add a title to your
document. You can also adjust the font type, text size, and much more via the
toolbar at the top of the page. Clicking the three horizontal dots near the
right side of the page will bring up some additional formatting options. If you
can’t see your title or the menu bar at the top of the page, those options may
be hidden. If that’s the case, click the downward-facing arrow in the
upper-right corner to display them.
Since you’re working within your browser, any changes made to
your document will be saved automatically. If you look to the right of the Help option at the top of the
screen, you should either see saving or all changes saved in Drive.
How to share your stuff
To share your documents with
other people, click the blue Share button
in the upper-right corner of the doc you wish to share. The button will be
wedged between your picture assuming you've added one to your Google account and the comments icon. Afterward, invite other users by entering the
appropriate email address in the resulting window.
People you share with can either edit, view, or
comment on a document depending on what permissions you grant them. If you click the advanced button in the
lower-right corner of this window, you can also share the file via Gmail,
Google, Facebook, or Twitter, but this will require you to make your document
public.
How to Download Google Docs
Google stores your documents
on Google Drive. To download a Google Doc to your computer instead, go to File >
Download as and choose your desired file
format.
How to Email a Google Doc
If you want to download the document because you want to email
it, you can do that directly from the document. Go to File > Email as attachment, choose the file format you want to attach, and fill in the
standard email details
Try out a different
document type
Google
Drive has more to offer than just text documents. Slides, for instance, is
Google’s version of Microsoft PowerPoint, while Sheets is the company’s take on
Microsoft Excel. While not always as extensive as Office 365 in terms of
functionality, the G Suite is a useful and convenient way to create content
online, and is free to use once you have a Google account.
Then in using this Google Docs you can also use other documents that under of this docs. Like for example:
Google Sheet
Google Slides
Google Forms
