Microsoft Word 2003

Working with Text Options

You can format the text in your Word documents by changing the font, size, color, character formatting, and text alignment. This document provides instructions for many different formatting options that can give your document a unique look. For more information, refer to Paragraph Formatting Options and Fonts Overview.

Formatting Text
Changing Font, Size, and Color
Changing Character Formatting

Formatting Text

Some rules to remember when formatting your text include the following:

If you know what formatting options you want, you can enable them before you type. After you finish typing the section, you can disable them.
When formatting text that is already typed into the document, the first step is to select it. Only selected text will take on the format that you are applying. For instructions, refer to Selecting Text.
Using too many fonts, sizes, and other formatting in one document often looks cluttered and is hard to read. Try to limit yourself to no more than two or three fonts, sizes, and formats per document.
Once the text is formatted, deselect the text by clicking away from the text or pressing an arrow key. Selected text is vulnerable and may be deleted or changed unintentionally!

Changing Font, Size, and Color

Word allows you to change the font, size, and color by using the Formatting toolbar or the Font dialog box. The toolbar option is an easier and faster way of changing the look of your text. However, the Font dialog box provides more options and allows you to preview your text through the Preview box. For more information, refer to Fonts Overview.

Changing Font, Size, and Color: Toolbar Option

Select the desired text
To select a different font, on the Formatting toolbar, from the Font pull-down list, select the desired font
To select a different size, from the Font Size pull-down list, select the desired font size
To select a different color, click thenext to FONT COLOR» select the desired font color

Changing Font, Size, and Color: Menu Option

Select the desired text
From the Format menu, select Font...
The Font dialog box appears.
HINT: A sample of the selected font appears in the Preview section.
In the Font text box, type the desired font name
OR
From the Font scroll list, select the desired font
In the Size text box, type the desired font size
OR
From the Size scroll list, select the desired size
From the Font color pull-down list, select the desired font color
In the Effects section, select any additional font effects
EXAMPLE: Small caps, Superscript, Subscript
Click OK

Changing Character Formatting

Word allows you to format text characters using the toolbar, menu, or keyboard options. The toolbar and keyboard options are faster; however, the menu option offers more options. Some of the styles you can apply are boldface, italics, underlining, shadow, superscript or subscript, single or double strikethrough, small or all caps, and color.

Changing Character Formatting: Toolbar Option

Select the text to be formatted
On the Formatting toolbar, click one or more of the appropriate formatting buttons
HINT: To deselect character formatting, select the text and click the formatting button a second time.

Changing Character Formatting: Menu Option

Select the text to be formatted
From the Format menu, select Font...
The Font dialog box appears.
In the Font style text box, type the desired style
OR
From the Font style scroll list, select the desired style
If necessary, in the Effects section, select additional formatting options
EXAMPLE: Small caps, Shadow
Click OK

Changing Character Formatting: Keyboard Option

Select the text to be formatted

Press the appropriate key(s):

Enhancement	Keystroke
Italics	[Ctrl] + [I]
Bold	[Ctrl] + [B]
Underline	[Ctrl] + [U]