Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access, and some parts of Outlook, use the Ribbon and its different tabs instead of the standard menu structure to access the programs’ commands and features. With the Ribbon, you can switch among the task-oriented tabs and see all the available options. Additionally, many items provide a live preview: You point to something on the Ribbon—a style or a font, for example—and see immediately how it affects the content of your document.
If you see the command tabs but no commands, click a command tab to display the Ribbon temporarily.
Click a button to execute a command.
Click a down arrow to open a gallery, a drop-down menu, or a drop-down list.
Point to an item in a gallery to see its effect on the content of your document.
Click the Office button to see the commands for opening, saving, printing, or otherwise managing your document.
With the Ribbon displayed, click the down arrow at the right of the Quick Access toolbar, and, on the Customize Quick Access Toolbar menu, click Minimize The Ribbon.
When you want to display the Ribbon, click the tab you want to use, and the Ribbon will appear and will remain displayed until you click a command on the Ribbon or click in your document.
To have the Ribbon constantly displayed, click the down arrow at the right of the Quick Access toolbar, and click Minimize The Ribbon again.
With the Ribbon in its displayed state, double-click the active tab to minimize the Ribbon, and then click any tab to display the Ribbon temporarily. Click in your document to minimize the Ribbon again. Double-click the active tab to have the Ribbon always displayed. Press Ctrl+F1 to hide the Ribbon, and press Ctrl+F1 again to have the Ribbon always displayed.