Google Docs Additional Features
Carol LaRow
Work more effectively with Google Docs. Use some of the great features that allow you and your students to customize and format documents quickly. Edit images, use Add-Ons, do research, utilize formatting commands, add custom fonts, add bookmarks, use the Draw Tool, and much more. Below are a few quick tips.
Edit Images Inside Docs
No need to leave the document itself and use a 3rd party software to edit images and pictures. Now, you can change images right inside the document itself.
Select the image/picture within the document and:
Use the toolbar
Format Menu
Right-click the image and use the drop down menu
You can:
crop
rotate
re-color
adjust brightness
change contrast
add transparency
add borders
change to a different image
This feature can be very helpful and save time.
Editing Images - Image Options
Use the "Image Option" feature to change colors of images, adjust transparency, brightness, and contrast. You can also choose negative colors. A nice feature is that the image is changed, not the background.
Select the image/picture within the document and:
Click, "Image Options"
Sidebar opens
Click, "No Recolor" to see color choices of selected image
Click on different choices to change color of image
To adjust transparency, brightness, and contrast:
Click, "Image Options"
Sidebar opens
Click on the sliders for each choice
Note: You can reset the adjustments at the bottom of the sidebar
• At the bottom of the "No Recolor" window, there is a choice to
make the image a negative color.
• It's at the bottom of the "No Recolor" dropdown menu.
Revert Back To Original
You can always revert back to your original image.
Click on the image
Choose, "No Re-Color" in the Image Option sidebar.
Export Docs As EPub's
Use the "Download As" feature to export Docs as EPub's for students to use.
Makes digital copies of documents
Useful for longer documents
Allows students to view documents on wide range of screen sizes and devices
Works with smart phones, tablets, eReaders, iPads, Androids, Kindles, etc.
Export to EPub Format Using Google Docs, "Download As" feature
Shows in Google Drive as ePub
File on Desktop
Reader can use Controls in Device Reader
Reader can adjust font size, search, bookmark etc.
EPub Reader on iPad.
EPub Reader on Chromebook
In EPub readers, users can scroll through pages and use the device controls such as highlight, bookmark, define, etc.
Searching On The Drive Homepage
Useful to find files you've created yourself or shared with you by others.
Great when you can't remember the name of a file
Search by title, or part of a title
Also search by person's name within document, email address, owner of the file, topic inside the file,
text in the document, etc.
Search By Title
Search Text Within A File