Microsoft Word®
Video: using Microsoft Word by Laura Worthington
Activating kerning, ligatures and contextual alternates
Microsoft Word® does NOT have kerning, ligatures or contextual alternates activated by default; these features must be enabled by the user and are vital to making fonts look their best.
Here's how: In the menu bar, click on FORMAT>> FONT. Click on the ADVANCED tab in the dialog box and check the boxes for kerning and contextual alternates. From the drop down menu for ligatures, select ALL.
Accessing Swashes & Alternates
With Microsoft Word® and Powerpoint®, you can access the swashes using the Insert menu. First, make sure that the font you want is selected from the font menu. Then, go to the Main menu, and click on the Insert tab and then Symbols. (In Word, you will also click on More Symbols at the bottom of the drop-down menu.) The menu arrangement may be little different depending on what version you are using, but generally it will be found as Insert>>Symbol (More Symbols) somewhere in the menu items. In the pop-up Symbol window, double-click on a letter or click on Insert to insert the swash. With Microsoft Word 2010® or later versions, you may access some OpenType features in the application as well. Magpie Paperworks has an excellent tutorial here.