The checkbox controls on word that makes it possible to create a checked list or an unchecked list. The checkbox could also be regarded as a fillable form like what you would see in a google form. The two types of checkboxes are the clickable box that you can click on-screen and the box that you can print and fill with your pen. To insert a checkbox in the word, you must decide if you want the printable writing utensil checkbox or the on-screen checkbox. To insert the printable writing utensils checkbox, you need to highlight the list of items you would like to add a checkbox, access the home, click paragraph, and define a new bullet from the available dropdown. In this case, you are only using a circular symbol that could be checked on paper. To insert the onscreen checkbox control, you would need to access the content controls available on the developer tab, which might not be visibly available on your screen. You will have to click the ribbon background to customize the developer option. After you have done that, you would see checkbox content control under the controls group.
Steps to insert a checkbox in word that you can control onscreen.
- Step 1 – Right-click the ribbon background on the top of your screen.
- Step 2 – Click customize from the available options.
- Step 3 – Check the developer box under the customize the ribbon (Main Tabs) and click Ok.
- Step 4 – The developer would now display in your ribbon section. Place your cursor beside the text you would like to add a checkbox.
- Step 5 – Click the developer tab in the ribbon.
- Step 6 – Click the checkbox control under the control section.
Steps to insert a printable checkbox symbol.
- Step 1- Highlight the text you would like to add to the checkbox.
- Step 2 – Navigate to the Home panel.
- Step 3 – Click the bullets dropdown under the paragraph section.
- Step 4 – Click “Define New Bullet” at the bottom of the dropdown box.
- Step 5 – The “Define New Bullet” window would open. Click “symbol” under the “Build character.”
- Step 6 – The “Symbol” window would open, click the dropdown beside “Font” and find Wingdings. Click the Wingdings.
- Step 7 – From the Wingdings window, you will see several boxes that could act as different kinds of checkboxes.
- Step 8 – Click on Ok twice to apply the checkbox from the wingdings.
The Usefulness of the Checkbox
Organizing content is one of the best concepts of readability. Adding things like checkboxes to a text gives more explanation to the reader without explaining the content verbally. For example, consider a situation where you have a couple of options, and you want the user to select a number of the options that apply to them, which could be one, two, numerous, or zero. The checkbox makes it easy for the reader to understand the text and accurately react to it.
Adding an Already Checked Checkbox That You Can Print.
There are situations where you would want to print an already checked list or a partly checked list to show an illustration. For instance, you want to print out a list of ten things with two items on the list already checked. All you need to do is to follow the steps to insert a printable checkbox symbol, then click eight empty boxes for the unchecked with two already checked boxes, all under wingdings.
Where Can You Use a Checkbox?
The use of checkboxes is subjective to the user. There are other alternatives people use in place of checkboxes. For example, if it is a printed list, you could tell the readers to underline any of their choices, and in the case of an onscreen checkbox, you could create a google form that automatically gives you an onscreen checkbox. To use a checkbox in writing, there must be a need for picking options from an available set of data.
For instance, you would like a student to pick their best subjects from a list of 10 subjects. Different students would have different subjects that they like best and different numbers of subjects they like. This is one of the situations in which you can use the checkbox.
When is the Right Time to Use A Checkbox?
There is no right or wrong time to use a checkbox. The use of a checkbox is dependent on the need of the users. If the writer doesn’t see a need to include a checkbox in their text, that would be mainly because it is not needed or a better alternative. For example, a true or false text does not necessarily need a checkbox since the reader could underline either true or false.
Conclusion
The way a checkbox appears in a text solely depends on the writer of the text. The checkbox controls are very good when trying to create different types of lists or sets of choices. The steps above have clearly explained how to create the checkbox on-screen and a checkbox symbol that you would print. The checkbox is a means to make the writer’s work easier regardless of how long the list he is making and give readers full access to their choices.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Where is the developer in Ms word?
- Right-click on the ribbon and click customize Ribbon.
- Check the developer box under the customize the ribbon (Main Tabs) and click Ok.
- Can you add numerous on-screen checkboxes to an entire list at the same time? No, you would have to insert the controls individually to each text.
