Give audience members at your next performance or event a take-home memory of the evening and a way to follow along with easy-to-make programs. Programs (also known as guides or playbills) may include a description of your presentation, biographies of the people involved, a history of your organization, or pictures and contact information. You can create programs in Microsoft Word, where with just a couple of clicks through one of Word's preset program templates, you'll be ready for the curtain to rise.
Step 1
Open Microsoft Word, click the "File" tab and click "New." Double-click the "More templates" folder under the "Available Templates" section.
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Step 2
Double-click the "Programs" folder to open the collection of Word program templates. Any template may be completely modified, so double-click on one of the options that you like. Within a few moments, the program will open in a new Word window.
Step 3
Click into the program title text box. Highlight the placeholder text and type over it with your own text, such as "Janofsky High School Presents…" Highlight your new headline and use the "Font" section of the toolbar to change the font, text size, color or alignment of the words according to your preferences.
Step 4
Click into the other text boxes on the program--which may include a list of names, the date, an agenda and contact information details--and replace each section with your own text. Change any type of wording on the program to fit your requirements. You can simply transform an agenda, for example, into a list of theater cast member biographies.
Step 5
Add your own photos. Click on one of the placeholder pictures on the program template and press the "Delete" key to remove it. Replace the template photo with your own by clicking the "Insert" tab and clicking the "Picture" button directly below it. Browse through your photos until you find one you for your program. Double-click the file, which will open the picture on the program. Repeat this process to add more pictures in other places of the program.
Step 6
Add other artwork to the program by clicking the "Insert" tab and clicking the "Clip Art" button below it. Type a word or phrase, such as "soccer ball," "microphone," "theater masks" or "wedding rings" into the "Search for" box and click "Go." Scroll through the results and double-click a graphic to add it to the program. Repeat to add more graphics.
Step 7
Give your program a colorful background. Click the "Page Layout" tab at the top of the screen and click the "Page Color" button in the middle of the toolbar below it. Choose one of the colors you like to change the program's pages to the new color.
Step 8
Click the "File" tab. Click "Save As." Type a name for the program and save it to your computer.
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