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Checklist for Word Files

Requirements for all Documents | General Layout and Formatting Requirements | Image Requirements |
Table Requirements

Requirements for all Documents  
Yes (Pass)  
No (Fail)  
N/A  
Does the document file name not contain spaces and/or special characters?      
Is the document file name concise, generally limited to 20-30 characters, and does it make the contents of the file clear?      
Have the Document Properties for Title, Author, Subject (AKA Description), and Keywords been applied?      
Has the Document Properties for Language been applied?      
Does the document utilize recommended fonts (i.e., Times New Roman, Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, or Calibri)? Is the font 12 points in size?      
Does the document not contain spaces for formatting purposes?      
Have track changes been accepted or rejected and turned off?      
Have comments been removed and formatting marks been turned off?      
Does the document refrain from using flashing/flickering text and/or animated text?      
Is the document free of background images or watermarks?      
Do all images appear crisp and legible?      
Do all images, grouped images, and nontext elements that convey information have meaningful alternative-text descriptions?      
Do complex images (i.e., charts and graphs) have descriptive text near the image (perhaps as a caption)?      
Do all URLs contain descriptive hyperlinks (i.e., avoid generic phrases like “Click here” and, instead, use phrases that let users know about the content of the linked page prior to selecting it)?      
Are all URLs linked to correct Web destinations?      
Is all of the text easy to read in comparison to the background of the document?      
General Layout and Formatting Requirements Yes (Pass) No (Fail) N/A
Has the document been formatted using Style elements (Heading 1, Heading 2) and/or Outline in a hierarchical manner (i.e. Heading 1 to Heading 2 to Body Text)?      
Are page numbering codes used as opposed to manually typed page numbers?      
If footnotes are present, have they been created through Word Footnote linking?      
If color is used to emphasize the importance of selected text, is there an alternate method also used?      
Is the list style being used as opposed to manually typed characters (e.g. Hyphens, numbers, or graphics)?      
When creating columns, were true columns used?      
Document Image Requirements Yes (Pass) No (Fail) N/A
Are multiple associated images on the same page (e.g., boxes in an organizational chart) grouped as one object?      
Have all multilayered objects been flattened into one image and does that image use one alternative text description for the image?      
Do images/graphics appear crisp and legible?      
Document Table Requirements Yes (Pass) No (Fail) N/A
If the document has a tabular appearance, was the tabular structure made using the Insert Table option (as opposed to manual tabs and/or spaces)?      
Do all tables have a logical reading order from left to right, top to bottom?      
Do data tables have the entire first row designated as a ‘Header Row’ in table properties?      
Are blank cells avoided?      
Is the table free of Merged Cells? (If not, but the final format will be PDF or HTML, then merged cells are okay).      
In table properties, is “Allow row to break across pages” unchecked?      
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File Checklist for Word Files - Print Version