Microsoft Word XP

Style Options

Using style options can help to ease your workload and improve consistency within and across documents. With these options, you can format with styles automatically, create a style based on an existing style, apply a new style to a paragraph, and display or hide style names. For more information about styles, refer to Styles: An Overview and Style Basics.

Formatting with Styles Automatically
Creating a Style Based on an Existing Style
Applying the Next Style to a Paragraph
Displaying or Hiding Style Names

Formatting with Styles Automatically

After you create a document, you can use the AutoFormat command to quickly apply an attractive format to your document. Word automatically formats each paragraph by applying a built-in style. Once Word has formatted text with a style, you can modify any of the style applications by reviewing the changes individually in the AutoFormat dialog box. You may also redefine the styles by using the Styles and Formatting task pane. For more information on formatting styles, refer to Advanced Style Options.

WARNING: Remember to save your document before you make any changes in case you are dissatisfied with the results.

Formatting with Styles Automatically: AutoFormat

To format the entire document, position the insertion point anywhere in the document
To format a section, select the text you want to format
From the Format menu, select AutoFormat...
The AutoFormat dialog box appears.
Select AutoFormat now
Click OK
Word automatically formats the document.

Formatting with Styles Automatically: Reviewing AutoFormat Changes

To format the entire document, position the insertion point anywhere in the document
To format a section, select the text you want to format
From the Format menu, select AutoFormat...
The AutoFormat dialog box appears.
To review changes individually, select AutoFormat and review each change
Click OK
Word displays the second AutoFormat dialog box.
To review and revise changes one by one,
1. Click REVIEW CHANGES...
  The Review AutoFormat Changes dialog box appears.
2. Click FIND NEXT or FIND PREVIOUS to select individual changes
  HINT: A description of each change appears in the Changes section.
3. If you do not like the change that AutoFormat has made, click REJECT
  You may also modify a style.
  NOTE: If you accidentally reject a change you wanted to keep, click UNDO.
4. When done reviewing the changes, to close the Review AutoFormat Changes dialog box, click the X in the upper right hand corner
To accept the changes in the AutoFormat dialog box, click ACCEPT ALL
To discard the changes, click REJECT ALL
If you do not like the changes Word made,
1. Click STYLE GALLERY…
  The Style Gallery dialog box appears.
  HINT: For more information about switching style definitions to another template, refer to Style Gallery.
2. From the Preview section, select a preview format for your document
3. From the Template scroll box, select a template style you would like to preview
4. To apply the template style, click OK

Formatting with Styles Automatically: AutoFormat Options

You can customize the built-in AutoFormat styles before using the AutoFormat command. For example, you might not want to replace ordinals with superscript or apply the automatic bullet style that Word applies to bulleted lists. You can choose which built-in automated features to apply in the AutoCorrect dialog box.

To format the entire document, position the insertion point anywhere in the document
To format a section, select the text you want to format
From the Format menu, select AutoFormat...
The AutoFormat dialog box appears.
To customize AutoFormat built-in styles, click OPTIONS...
The AutoCorrect dialog box appears.
On the AutoFormat tab, select the options to apply
Click OK
You are returned to the AutoFormat dialog box.
Select AutoFormat now
Click OK
Word automatically formats the document including the updated styles.

Creating a Style Based on an Existing Style

You may need a group of styles that are similar to each other but have slight variations. You can create a "family" of styles based on one foundation style. Using the Styles and Formatting task pane, you can access the New Style dialog box to base one style on another style. For instructions, refer to Creating a Style Using the Styles and Formatting Pane in Style Basics.

Applying the Next Style to a Paragraph

Often a paragraph formatted with a particular style is routinely followed by a paragraph with another specific style. When you press [Enter] to end the first paragraph, Word can apply a specific style to the following paragraph. For example, headings are usually followed by Normal text.

On the Styles and Formatting task pane, under the Pick formatting to apply section, move your pointer over the style you wish to use for the initial paragraph
An arrow for a pull-down list appears.
From the pull-down list, select Modify...
The Modify Style dialog box appears.
In the Properties section, from the Style for following paragraph pull-down list, select the style you want to apply to the next paragraph
Click OK

Displaying or Hiding Style Names

To see which paragraph styles are applied to text, you can display style names at the left side of the document window. Word displays the style names in Normal and Outline view only.

From the View menu, select Normal or Outline
From the Tools menu, select Options…
The Options dialog box appears.
Select the View tab
To display style names, in the Style area width text box, type 1"
To hide style names, in the Style area width text box, type 0"

HINT: You can also hide the style area by dragging the style area boundary to the left until the style names are no longer visible. You must be in your document in Normal or Outline view to hide the style area in this manner.
Click OK