Use the Ribbon

When you first start some of the programs in Microsoft Office system, you may be surprised by what you see. The menus and toolbars in some programs have been replaced with the Ribbon.

The above image was excerpted from Training on Microsoft Office Online.

The Ribbon is designed to help you quickly find the commands that you need to complete a task. Commands are organized in logical groups, which are collected together under tabs. Each tab relates to a type of activity, such as writing or laying out a page. To reduce clutter, some tabs are shown only when needed. For example, the Picture Tools tab is shown only when a picture is selected.In this article

Programs that use the Ribbon

Learn more about using the Ribbon

Minimize the Ribbon

Programs that use the Ribbon

The Ribbon is featured in the following Microsoft Office system programs:

• Office Access
• Office Excel
• Office PowerPoint
• Office Word
• Office Outlook (in open items such as Mail, Contacts, and Appointments)

Learn more about using the Ribbon

Click any of the following items for links to topics, training, and demos that can help you get up to speed with the Ribbon.

2007 Office release

• Use the keyboard to work with Ribbon programs
• Use Office 2003 access keys in Ribbon programs
• Customize the Quick Access Toolbar

Microsoft Office Access

• What's new in Office Access
• Guide to the Office Access user interface

Microsoft Office Excel

• Demo: Up to speed with Office Excel
• Training: Up to speed with Office Excel

Microsoft Office PowerPoint

• Demo: Up to speed with Office PowerPoint
• Training: Up to speed with Office PowerPoint
• PowerPoint 2003 to Office PowerPoint command reference

Microsoft Office Word

• Demo: Up to speed with Office Word
• Training: Up to speed with Office Word
• Interactive: Word 2003 to Office Word command reference guide
• Word 2003 to Office Word command reference

Minimize the Ribbon

The Ribbon is designed to help you quickly find the commands that you need to complete a task. Commands are organized in logical groups that are collected together under tabs. Each tab relates to a type of activity, such as writing or laying out a page. To reduce screen clutter, some tabs are shown only when they are needed.

There is no way to delete or replace the Ribbon with the toolbars and menus from the earlier versions of Microsoft Office. However, you can minimize the Ribbon to make more space available on your screen.

Always keep the Ribbon minimized

1. Click Customize Quick Access Toolbar .
2. In the list, click Minimize the Ribbon.
3. To use the Ribbon while it is minimized, click the tab you want to use, and then click the option or command you want to use.
   For example, with the Ribbon minimized, you can select text in your Microsoft Office Word document, click the Home tab, and then in the Font group, click the size of the text you want. After you click the text size you want, the Ribbon goes back to being minimized.

Keep the Ribbon minimized for a short time

• To quickly minimize the Ribbon, double-click the name of the active tab. Double-click a tab again to restore the Ribbon.

  Keyboard shortcut To minimize or restore the Ribbon, press CTRL+F1.

Restore the Ribbon

1. Click Customize Quick Access Toolbar .
2. In the list, click Minimize the Ribbon.

   Keyboard shortcut To minimize or restore the Ribbon, press CTRL+F1.

Tip You can still use the keyboard shortcuts while the Ribbon is minimized. For more information about keyboard shortcuts, see Use the keyboard to work with Ribbon programs.

See also:

• Use the keyboard to work with Ribbon programs