This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
17 Use a Style
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Before You Begin
See Also
Edit Text
Use a Theme
About Styles, Themes, and Templates
Use a Template
Using a style is simple. You can apply a style to selected text to format that text with the style’s character and paragraph formatting. Word comes with several styles, and you can add your own. Applying a preexisting style is far easier than formatting text repeatedly with the same formatting characteristics.
Suppose that you routinely write résumés for other people. You might develop three separate sets of character and paragraph formats that work well, respectively, for the title of a résumé and an applicant’s personal information and work history. Instead of defining each of these formats every time you create a résumé, you can format a paragraph with each style and store the styles under their own names (such as Résumé Title, Résumé Personal, and Résumé Work). The next time you write a résumé, you need only to select a style, such as Résumé Title, before typing the title. When you then type the title, the title looks the way you want it to look without your having to designate a character or paragraph format.
You can easily apply a style to selected text by clicking to select the style you want to apply from the list of styles. Word supplies styles, and over time, you will add your own.
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Select the Text for the Style
When you want to apply a predefined style to text, first select the text. Most of the time you’ll select a paragraph to format with a style, so if nonprinting characters are showing, be sure to include the paragraph mark when you select the text if you want the style to apply to the entire paragraph. The format of the text will completely change depending on which style you apply, but the text itself will not change.
Display the Available Styles
Point to one of the three styles on your Home ribbon to see how those styles will format your selected text. As you point to each style, Word’s live preview changes the selected text to reflect the current style.
Click the down arrow to the right of the three styles to display the collection of styles already defined.
Select a Style
Click to select the style you want to apply to your selected text. Your text changes to reflect the style’s formatting characteristics.
If you want to try a different style, select another from the Styles section of your Home ribbon.
Apply Styles
Word names each style that it supplies, and you will do the same when you create new styles. To select a style by name, select Apply Styles from the list of styles that appear in the Styles area of your ribbon. The Apply Styles dialog box appears, from which you can select a style by name. When you select a style, your selected text changes to that style.
Click the Styles button inside the Apply Styles dialog box to display the styles in a list from which you can choose. Click the Show Preview button to see what each style looks like inside the Styles window.
Create Your Own Style
You can easily create your own styles. You’ll add styles to Word by example. Format text to match a style you want to create, and then tell Word to create a new style based on that formatted text.
To add a new paragraph style, for example, format and then select an entire paragraph (including its paragraph mark if nonprinting characters are showing). Display the Apply Styles dialog box (Ctrl+Shift+S). Type a new name in the Apply Styles dialog box in the text box labeled Style Name, and click New. Word adds the style to its collection. The next time you display your Apply Styles dialog box, your new style will appear under the name you gave it.