MacMost: Pages

Learn how to use the Table Of Contents function in Mac Pages. This can automatically grab the headings from your Word Processing document body text and place them in a formatted table of contents with page numbers. The table of contents will update as you edit your document, and will be clickable in PDF exports.

You can write in other languages besides you system default while in Pages and other apps. By setting things up correctly, you can have spell check use different languages and accept word variations on a paragraph-by-paragraph basis.

When you add images to a word processing document in Pages, you can choose to have it stay at the exact location on that page, or move with the text. A image can then be anchored to a space in the text, or set to Inline where it acts as a character in the text.

Before worrying about how your finished document should look, concentrate on writing first. Use zoom, fonts, highlights and other writing tools in Pages to write a good book, report, memo or other document and then format it for reading later.

Apple provides a wide variety of shapes in Pages, Numbers and Keynote. You can go way beyond just filling them with a solid color. You can edit the lines of a shape, combine shapes, use gradient fills, creative borders, shadows and much more.

You can use either Pages or Keynote to build a photo collage. Pages is better suited to printing and exporting PDFs. Keynote is best for creating collages to be shared online or viewed on your screen. Both apps have the same tools so building a collage is similar in either app.

If you have a list of items you need to sort, you can do it using what you have on your Mac or some free apps. Learn how to sort in Pages, Numbers, the Terminal, VIM, CotEditor and using a Shortcut.

Using lots of spaces isn't the right way to line up items in Pages or any word processor. Instead, use tabs. Tabs allow you to have columns of information that perfectly line up on each line. You can also have a character or underline fill the space which can be useful to create professional-looking forms.

Learn how to adjust the margins for Pages documents and what document margins really affect. Margins never restrict objects you place, so you can treat them as guidelines not restrictions in most cases.

Text can wrap easily around rectangular images or well-defined image objects. But if you want to control the text wrapping with precision or to create unusual wraps, you can use shapes.

If you use your Mac to write, then here are some tools that can help, including ways to outline, keep notes, check spelling, look up words, collaborate, and much more.

Often users of Mac Pages, or any word processor, find they have extra blank pages at the end of their document. These can be there for a number of reasons, but they are easy to remove if you know the cause.

When you add a space, tab or a return in Pages, you are inserting an actual character, but one you cannot normally see. By using Show Invisibles in Pages you can see these special characters and edit yoru document with precision.

Automatic text substitutions let you type curly quotes and em dashes without worrying about remember the correct keyboard sequence to use. There are also a variety of other options for URLs, addresses, copy and paste and other things to help you be more productive and consistent when typing.

You can easily create password-protected encrypted documents using apps like Pages, Numbers, Keynote and Microsoft Word. Youc an also create a password-protected PDF file from just about any app. There are good reasons to sometimes need encrypted documents, but often it isn't necessary.

You can go beyond basic font changes or bold text by using advanced text options in Pages, Numbers and Keynote. You can make text stand out with spacing, baseline changes, outlines, shadows or adding a background color.

There is a special Reading Mode in Pages, Numbers and Keynote on the iPhone and iPad that allow you to view your documents without accidentally making changes. Pages also include a Presenter Mode for using your iPad as a teleprompter.

Here are 10 Mac Pages tips with ideas for special features you can use in your next Pages document.

Watch as I build a printable PDF newsletter in Mac Pages. I'll use Page Layout mode to add tex boxes, link them, add images, captions, graphic elements and more.

It is easy to create a custom calendar in Mac Pages. By just using one table and some text boxes and graphics, you can make a printable calendar in minutes that is exactly what you need for work or home.