A digital signature is used to authenticate digital documents by using computer cryptography. A digital signature not only validates the sender’s identity, but also ensures that the document’s contents have not been altered. Digital signature is based on digital certificates. Digital certificates are verifiers of identity issued by a trusted third party, which is known as a certification authority (CA). This works similarly to the use of standard identity documents in a non-electronic environment. It verifies that the source and integrity of the document is not compromised since the document is signed. A digital signature provides the following assurances: Authenticity, Integrity, and Non-repudiation.

Compatibility Checker is one of the most useful features in Word 2007. Word will analyze the document and check for compatibility issues with earlier versions of Word. It’s a good idea to run Compatibility Checker before sending the document if you are not sure whether the recipient uses Office 2007.

For example, if your document contains SmartArt (which is a feature that is not supported in earlier versions of Word), when a colleague using Word 2003 opens your document, the SmartArt graphics will be converted into a single object that cannot be edited.

Before a final version of a document is shared with other people, the Mark as Final option can be used to make the document read-only. The Mark as Final option is used to prevent changes to the final version of a document. When a document is marked as final, its typing, editing commands, and proofing marks are disabled and the document becomes read-only. We cannot say that Mark as Final option is a security feature because anyone can edit a document that is marked as final by turning off Mark as Final.

Before an important is shared document with colleagues or clients, one would probably take the precaution of proofreading or reviewing the contents of the document to ensure that everything is correct and the document does not contain anything that is not to be shared with other people. If an electronic copy of a Microsoft Office document has to be shared, it is recommende to check the document for hidden data or personal information that might be stored in the document itself or in the document properties.

This hidden information might contain details about an organization or about the document itself that is not to be shared publicly. Therefore this hidden information must be removed the document is shared with other people.

Document Inspector is used to remove hidden data and personal information from documents before an important document is shared with other persons.

The data that a Document Inspector can inspect are as follows:

1. Comments, Revisions, Versions, and Annotations: It inspects for comments, revision marks, versions, and link annotations.
2. Document Properties and Personal Information: It inspects for hidden metadata and personal information stored in the document.
3. Custom XML data: It inspects for custom XML data stored with the document.
4. Headers, Footers, and Watermarks: It inspects the document for information stored in headers, footers, and watermarks.
5. Hidden Text: Word documents can contain the text that is formatted as hidden text.

Drop cap is used to create a large initial capital letter to spread over multiple lines. The letter expanded in this way is said to be dropped. It adds interest to a newsletter or an article. Drop cap can be used to drop a single letter or word(s) and expand it to multiple lines in a paragraph.

An example of drop cap is shown in the image given below:

Drop caps are often seen at the beginning of novels, where the top of the first letter of the first word lines up with the top of the first sentence and drops down to the four or fifth sentence.

A template is a tool that is used to create a standard layout and the look and feel across multiple pages. A user creates a template when he wants to apply the same layout to multiple pages in a document. When he makes a change in the template, all the pages associated with it are affected and the corresponding change is reflected in all the pages.

Quick Style is a set of stored formats that are applied all at once anywhere in the document. Rather than choosing different types of formats every time and applying them, a user can create a Quick Style and apply it at other places in the same document or in other documents.

A theme is used to create a professional and well-designed document. It is a set of formatting choices such as a set of theme colors, theme fonts, and theme effects. When a theme is applied to a document, the following are customized: hyperlink colors, body and heading styles, lists, table border colors, and background colors.

Microsoft Office Word 2007 helps in producing professional-looking documents by providing a comprehensive set of tools for creating and formatting the documents. The new environment of Word has been designed in such a way that its powerful features are easier to find and use. In Word 2007, the commands are displayed on the Ribbon. The Ribbon is an area where all the most frequently used commands are placed.

The new features of Word 2007 are as follows:

1. Microsoft Office Button: It is placed on the upper left-hand corner of the screen. This button replaces the File button in the previous versions. It holds all the commonly used commands such as New, Open, Save, Print, and Recent Documents. It also contains the Word Options commands that were previously located in the Tools menu in the previous versions.
2. Ribbon: Ribbon is an area at the top of the screen below the Title Bar where almost all the frequently used commands are placed. It makes it easier to see and find the commands to format a document. The Ribbon groups buttons for common tasks together in tabs on a graphical interface. For example, when a user clicks the Insert tab, a Ribbon appears with buttons for items that he can insert into a document, such as clip art, a hyperlink, a picture or a table. The Ribbon can be reduced to a single line of tabs by pressing Ctrl+F1.
3. Tab: Tab is an area on the Ribbon that contains buttons organized in groups. The default tabs are Home, Insert, Page Layout, Reference, Mailings, Review, and View.
4. Quick Access Toolbar: It is a customizable toolbar placed beside the Microsoft Office Button. By default, it displays the Save, Undo, and Repeat buttons. It provides easy access to frequently used commands. The toolbar can be customized by clicking on the dropdown arrow and selecting the commands to be used.
5. Title Bar: It is a horizontal bar at the top of an active document. This bar displays the name of the document and application. Minimize, Restore, and Close buttons are placed at the right end of the toolbar.
6. Group Categories: It is a group of buttons on a tab that is exposed and easily accessible.
7. Dialog Box Launcher: It is a button that launches a dialog box containing options for refining a command.
8. Status Bar: It is a horizontal bar at the bottom of an active window that gives details about the active document.
9. View Toolbar: It is a toolbar that enables, adjusts, and displays different views of a document’s content. It is placed beside the Zoom Button.
10. Zoom Button: It is placed at the bottom right corner of the window. It is used to magnify or reduce the view of contents in the document window.