Compiled by: John Kariuki
Office manuscripts are foundational in professional communication within Kenyan offices, serving as formal records, instructions, and evidence of business activities. Preparing these manuscripts with proper formatting ensures clarity, professionalism, and ease of understanding among recipients. This chapter focuses on the meticulous preparation of office manuscripts, emphasizing formatting techniques that enhance readability and presentation. Mastery of these skills is essential for office administrators working in diverse sectors such as law firm registries, stationery wholesalers, and printing shops.
A manuscript is the original text of a document, handwritten, typed or drafted on screen, before it is printed, published, presented or filed. Formatting is everything that decides how that text looks on the page: the weight and slant of the letters, their size, how lines line up at the margins, how much white space surrounds the text and whether the page carries a frame. Good formatting does not change what a manuscript says. It decides whether the reader finds the meaning quickly, reads comfortably to the end and trusts the person who prepared it.
An office typist rarely formats at random. The instruction sheet, the organisation's style sheet or the author's marked draft says what is wanted, and the typist applies it the same way from the first page to the last. The sub-topics below cover each formatting choice in turn, the page set-up choices that sit behind them and the main types of manuscript an office is asked to prepare.
Bold makes letters heavier and darker than the text around them, so that a word or line stands out at first glance. In Microsoft Word and Google Docs the shortcut is Ctrl + B, and the Bold button sits in the Home tab or the toolbar. Bold is a signal, so it works only while it is scarce: when a whole paragraph is bold, nothing stands out any more.
Select the text first, then apply bold, and switch it off again after the last bold word so that the following text is normal. Keep to one meaning for bold throughout a manuscript: if bold marks headings, it should not also mark every important sentence. Do not combine bold with underlining and capital letters on the same words, because three kinds of emphasis on one word look crowded and no longer emphasise anything.
Italic slants letters to the right. It is quieter than bold, so it separates one kind of text from another without shouting. The shortcut is Ctrl + I in most word processors.
Select the text and press Ctrl + I, or use the Italic button on the toolbar. When the same kind of text appears many times, such as every title of a report in a long manuscript, apply italics through a character style so that all the items can be changed at once. Before printing, scan the pages for accidental italics left on after a title and for titles that were missed.
Consistent italics show the reader which words are titles, foreign words or stressed words, and so reduce the effort of reading. They also show care: a typist who italicises every title of a publication in the same way is clearly working from a standard. Overused or inconsistent italics have the opposite effect and make a manuscript look careless.
Underline draws a line beneath characters. The shortcut is Ctrl + U, and Word offers several line styles, such as single, double, dotted and wavy, through the arrow beside the Underline button. On a typewriter, underlining was the only way to emphasise a word, so many older manuscripts underline titles and headings that would be bold today.
On a screen, underlined words are usually read as links to a web page, so a manuscript that will be read on screen or sent as an email is better served by bold or italics. Underlining also cuts through the lower parts of letters such as g, j, p, q and y, which makes long underlined passages hard to read. Underline single words or short headings only, never whole paragraphs, and do not underline text that is already bold unless the instructions ask for it.
Font size is the height of the characters, measured in points. The size must suit the reader and the purpose: too small tires the eyes and too large wastes paper and makes a page look childish.
Change the size by selecting the text and choosing a value in the font size box on the Home tab. Ctrl + ] and Ctrl + [ raise and lower the size by one point. Use as few different sizes as possible: a manuscript with a size for the title, one for headings and one for the body is easier to read than one with six sizes.
In left alignment every line starts exactly at the left margin and the right edge is uneven, or ragged. The shortcut is Ctrl + L. It is the default in word processors and the alignment used for most body text, because the even starting point makes it easy for the eye to find the next line and the word spaces are all equal.
Left alignment is the natural choice for memos, agendas, lists, instructions and the body of most letters and reports. It is also used for all the lines of a block-style document, where nothing is indented. When a column of words must be read down, such as a list of names, left alignment keeps the first letters in a straight line.
To apply it, place the cursor in the paragraph, or select several paragraphs, and press Ctrl + L. If a paragraph refuses to align as expected, check that it has not been given an indent, a tab or a run of spaces at the start. Spaces typed to push text across should never be used to align lines, because they shift when the font or size changes. Use alignment buttons, indents and tab stops instead.
Right alignment lines every line up against the right margin, leaving the left edge uneven. The shortcut is Ctrl + R. Text read in this way is harder to scan, so it is used only for short items.
Never right-align a long paragraph. Because the starting point of each line changes, the eye has to search for the beginning of every line, and the reader tires quickly. When right alignment is needed for part of a line, a right tab stop does the job without moving the rest of the paragraph.
Centring places each line so that the space on its left and right is equal. The shortcut is Ctrl + E. It gives a formal, balanced appearance and is used for items that stand alone.
Centred text suits the title of a manuscript, the heading of a notice, the lines of an invitation, the letterhead of an organisation and the lines of a certificate. It does not suit paragraphs of text or long lists, because both edges are uneven and the eye cannot find a steady starting point.
Centring horizontally is done with the Centre button or Ctrl + E. Centring the whole block of text vertically, so that the space above and below is equal, is done in Layout: click the small arrow at the corner of the Page Setup group, open the Layout tab and set Vertical alignment to Center. Centre with the alignment command and not by pressing the space bar, because typed spaces move when text is edited, and a title centred by spaces is no longer centred after a word is changed.
In block style every line of every paragraph begins at the left margin. No paragraph is indented, and a clear blank line separates one paragraph from the next. The typist only needs the left alignment command and a consistent gap between paragraphs, which makes block style quick to type and tidy to read.
Block style is widely used for memos, business letters, notices, reports and emails. Headings, addresses, the date and the closing lines also start at the left margin. Because paragraphs are not indented, the blank line between them is essential: without it, the paragraphs run together and the reader cannot see where one ends.
To keep the spacing even, set the space after each paragraph in the Paragraph dialogue rather than pressing Enter twice. Pressing Enter twice leaves empty paragraphs that disturb the layout when the text is edited. Block style looks best with left alignment, and it can be used with justification if the style sheet requires even margins.
In indented style the first line of each paragraph begins a set distance to the right of the left margin, as in a book. The other lines start at the margin. The usual indent is the width of one tab, which in Word is 1.27 cm unless it has been changed. No blank line is needed between paragraphs, because the indent shows where each paragraph begins.
There are three kinds of indent:
Set indents in the Paragraph dialogue or on the ruler. Do not use the space bar to indent, because the paragraphs will look uneven. Use indented style consistently within a manuscript: some paragraphs indented and some blocked suggests carelessness.
A display is a part of the manuscript set apart from the running text so that it catches the eye. The lines are usually arranged with clear space above and below them, and they may be centred or indented from the margins. Headings, subheadings, quotations, numbered or bulleted lists, tables and formulae are all displayed items.
When a display is typed, leave one clear line above and below it so that it does not run into the paragraphs around it. Keep related lines together on the page, and do not leave a heading at the bottom of a page with its first paragraph on the next. Use the same layout for the same kind of display everywhere in the manuscript: if one numbered list is indented 1.27 cm, all of them should be.
Example: a clerk preparing a procedure manual for a freight office displays each safety instruction as a numbered line, indented from the left margin with a blank line above and below, so that the instructions stand out from the explanation around them. Displays as stand-alone special purpose documents, such as posters and programmes, are covered in the unit's chapter on special purpose correspondence.
An inset is a piece of text moved in from the left margin, or from both margins, so that it stands apart from the paragraphs around it. A quotation, a numbered item, a definition or an example is commonly inset. Insetting is the act of moving the text in; the amount is the same for every inset in the manuscript, often 1.27 cm.
To inset, select the lines and use the Increase Indent button, or set a Left indent in the Paragraph dialogue. To inset from both margins, as is often done with a long quotation, set both a left and a right indent. Never inset by pressing the space bar or the Tab key at the start of every line, because the lines will not stay aligned after editing.
An inset is not the same as an indented first line. An indent affects the first line of a paragraph only. An inset moves the whole block. Example: a typist retyping an article extract for a staff newsletter insets the quoted passage by 1.27 cm from both margins, with the source on a line below it, so the reader can see at once which words belong to the original author.
Justification adjusts the spaces between words so that every line reaches both the left and the right margins, leaving straight edges on both sides. The shortcut is Ctrl + J. It gives a formal, block-like page that is common in printed books, reports and legal documents.
The cost of justification is uneven word spacing. On a narrow line, or one with a long word, the gaps may become wide and form white channels running down the page. These can be reduced by switching on automatic hyphenation, by using a slightly smaller font size or by widening the column. The last line of a justified paragraph is left-aligned, which is normal.
Use justification only when the style sheet asks for it or the document is a formal one with a line length of a full page width. For short lines, narrow columns, notices and speeches, left alignment reads more evenly. Whichever alignment is chosen, it is applied to the whole body text of the manuscript, not changed from paragraph to paragraph.
Page size is the dimension of the sheet on which the manuscript will be printed. It is set before the text is typed, so that the line lengths and page breaks are correct from the start. In Word, open Layout, then Size, and choose the paper. Check this setting even when the software opens with a default, because some installations open on a different size from the one the office uses.
| Size | Width × height | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| A3 | 297 × 420 mm | Posters, wall displays, large charts |
| A4 | 210 × 297 mm | Reports, memos, letters, manuscripts |
| A5 | 148 × 210 mm | Small booklets, cards, reply slips |
A4 is the page size most offices use for typed manuscripts. A5 is half of an A4 sheet. If the page size in the software does not match the paper loaded in the printer, the text will be cut off or the margins will be wrong when printed. The reasons for using the standard sizes are covered under Use of standard paper size e.g. A4 portrait in the production topic.
Margins are the blank spaces between the text and the four edges of the page. They keep the text from running into the edge, give the eye a rest, leave room for binding or punching and provide space for the reader's notes. Set them in Layout, then Margins.
Left and right margins decide the line length. A very long line is hard to read, and a very short one breaks sentences too often. Keep the same margins on every page of the manuscript. Remember that many printers cannot print right to the edge of the paper, so a very small margin may be cut off.
A page border is a line or frame drawn around the edge of a page. In Word, open Design, then Page Borders, and choose a box, shadow or three-dimensional setting, a line style, a colour and a width. You can apply the border to the whole document, to one section or to the first page only.
Borders suit documents that are meant to look decorative or ceremonial, such as certificates, invitations, menus and programmes. They are not used on formal reports or ordinary memos, where a frame looks out of place and may be cut off by the printer. When a border is used, keep it away from the paper edge so that it prints in full, and check that the text inside is not touching it.
Offices prepare many kinds of manuscript, and each has its own layout expectations. A typist who knows the type of manuscript can predict what the author needs: how the pages are laid out, how the text is spaced, how sources are shown and how the document is finished. The four types below are the ones an office typist meets most often. Reports, memos and proposals as filed office manuscripts are covered in the filing topic, under the types of office manuscripts.
An article extract is a passage taken from a published article, newsletter or journal, to be reproduced in another document. Example: a training manager in a transport company asks for a short passage from a trade journal to be typed into a staff circular.
A research manuscript reports a study: what was investigated, how, what was found and what it means. Example: a researcher at a training institute gives an office typist a draft report on how trainees use mobile phones for learning.
A speech manuscript is typed to be read aloud. The reader looks up and down between the page and the audience, so the layout serves the speaker's eyes, not the reader's.
Example: the managing director of a small manufacturing company asks the office for the welcome address for an open day, typed in 14 points with double spacing and each paragraph limited to a few lines.
A technical manuscript explains how something works or how to do something: a user guide, a set of specifications, a maintenance procedure or a safety instruction. The reader follows it while doing a task, so accuracy and clear structure matter more than appearance.
Example: a small business office types a user guide for a new photocopier, with numbered steps for loading paper, a warning set in bold before the step on clearing paper jams and a table of the paper sizes the machine accepts.
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Create a free accountThis chapter explored the comprehensive process of preparing office manuscripts, beginning with the various formatting techniques such as the use of italics, bold, and underlining to emphasize text appropriately. It detailed the importance of font size and alignment styles including left, right, centered, block, indented, and justified text to enhance document readability and presentation. The production phase emphasized the use of high-quality paper and standard paper sizes like A4 portrait, alongside the critical role of proofreading to ensure accuracy, supported by an understanding of common proofreaders' marks. Formatting elements such as drop caps, watermarks, column layouts, and page numbering were also examined to improve the manuscript's professional appearance. Saving and printing the final copy were highlighted as essential steps to preserve and disseminate the document effectively. The chapter concluded with guidance on office manuscript filing, discussing its purpose, types of manuscripts commonly used in organizations, and the importance of effective filing systems including alphabetical, chronological, and numerical methods. Preparation and procedural steps for filing manuscripts were outlined to ensure documents are organized and easily retrievable.