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Macros, tips, and templates for Corel® WordPerfect® for Windows®
© Copyright 1996-2021 by Barry MacDonnell. All Rights Reserved.

There are several ways to do this.

Use a standard Symbol, Check Mark outline, the Checkbox.wcm macro, or WordPerfect's Insert>PDF Forms Control feature

SYMBOL: The standard "x in a box" symbol is 5,25 -- accessible with Insert, Symbol or <Ctrl+W>. There is no corresponding "check mark in a box" symbol. For an empty box, you can use 4,38 or 5,24. But see below for alternate methods to insert the check mark. OUTLINE: The standard Check Mark outline does not produce a box, just a check mark. But if you use it it will automatically put a check mark in front of every paragraph until you turn it off. (Outlines can be toggled on and off as needed with a keystroke, or customized.) Click on Insert, Outline/Bullets & Numbering, Bullets, and select Check Mark, then click OK. You can also instantly create a new outline in the Bullets tab using the More Bullets button, and use the standard "x in a box" symbol of 5,25. Be sure to save it to the default template if you want to use in it new documents (click Options, Copy, Default template, OK, while the new outline is still selected in Bullets & Numbering). MACRO: WordPerfect ships with a macro named checkbox.wcm. It produces a clickable hyperlink text box that changes to a "x in a box." You must have "Activate hyperlinks" toggled on in Tools, Settings, Environment. There is no corresponding "check mark in a box" symbol, just a small "x in a box." It is meant to be an interactive tool, which lets a user turn a box into a checked box, then print the document. WORDPERFECT X7 (and presumably later versions): You can create a checkbox with Insert, PDF Form Controls, Check Box. This inserts a simple graphic box shape at the current cursor location, which can be edited to add borders, change its size, etc.: Just right-click on the graphic, choose Properties, and edit the check box's border, the style of the check mark (see Note 1), or other items. For more information, see the program's Help (<F1>), under "PDF Forms .. adding check boxes." Notes: (1) The box's basic (square but empty) graphic image shape and border (if any) displays on screen and will print, but the internal check mark will not appear until you use File, Publish to PDF. (2) You can display a special "PDF Form Controls" toolbar with View, Toolbars; this contains radio button images as well as a check box. (3)The basic graphic box (Note 1) should also be displayed in documents that are then loaded into earlier versions of WordPerfect.

Use a Text Box around a letter or symbol

TEXT BOX AS A "CONTAINER": This has the advantage of being quick and easy to create. Type an "x" or insert a check mark (e.g., symbol 5,52) into the document with <Ctrl+W>. Select the character or symbol in Reveal Codes. Click Insert, Text Box. This puts a box around the selected character or check mark. Click outside the box to return to the document.

Use Overstrike to create a check mark over a box

OVERSTRIKE THE CHECK BOX: Click on Format, Typesetting, Overstrike. Put the cursor in the Overstrike dialog's field and press <Ctrl+W>. Choose the box symbol (e.g., 4,38). Click Insert. Then choose symbol 5,51 (or 5,52). Click Insert and Close. Then click OK on the Overstrike dialog to return to the document. You can select just the [Ovrstk] code in Reveal Codes and make a QuickWord out of it so that you can create this symbol anytime you need it. See here. Here's a variation that produces a larger check mark in red. Click Format, Typesetting, Overstrike, <Ctrl+W>, (symbol 4,48), Insert and Close. This inserts the box part of the check box. Back in the Overstrike field, click the Codes button and choose Large. The paired relative size attribute codes are inserted next to the box symbol, and you are immediately returned to the Overstrike field. Click Codes again and choose Redline if you want the check mark to be red. Back in the Overstrike field, the cursor should be between the paired codes you just inserted. Press <Ctrl+W>, (symbol 5,51), then Insert and Close. Press OK to return to the document. You should see a large red check mark inside the box. One advantage of the Overstrike method compared to the text box method above (which is very easy to create) is that the combined symbol (box and mark) will resize itself to the current font size. And once created, the [Ovrstk] code can be used as a style or a QuickWord for easy access when needed. Tip: You could copy the [Ovrstk] code and use it as the symbol in a custom Outline, similar to the Check Mark outline that comes with WordPerfect. See here for information about creating custom outlines.