how do I change the color and font of text

[Guest]

I have received a survey form which is black text on white paper, and times
roman font.

I would like to complete the form, and insert my answers in with blue text,
and arial font.

How do I set up Word so that everytime I enter text, it's blue and arial
(it's too time consuming to have to make that selection each and every time I
insert text in a different place). Thank you!

 

[Graham Mayor]

Modify the paragraph style used for your entries for that document.
--
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Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

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[Guest]

I'm not sure what "paragraph style" is. Under the drop down menu for
"Format" we find "paragraph" (but no opportunity to modify fonts), and
"styles and formatting" but it's difficult to understand what's going on
there.

I tried this:
Format > font > font color > (select a color) > default > yes
and the results are wildly unpredictable.

What I'm trying to do, is "set" my pen to a desired color and font, so that
wherever I place the insertion point, I can start typing and the text I enter
will be in that color and font - without changing any existing text in the
document.

I'm sure it's something simple, and my mind isn't working the right way to
figure it out. Thankyou microsoft world for being patient with me.
Erik

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

There's no way to do that. You can set the font color in Format | Font, but
it changes the setting only at the insertion point (or for selected text).
When you move the insertion point to a different place, the color in effect
there prevails.

Assuming you have the Font Color button on your Formatting toolbar, you can
change the font color once, and it will stay in effect until you change it
again, so whenever you want to select that particular font color to apply at
the insertion point (or to selected text), you just click the button.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

 

[Jay Freedman]

Word doesn't have any concept of a "pen color" that's independent of where
you start typing. The new text *always* inherits the color of the existing
text at that location, unless you change the color after clicking and before
starting to type. (Or you can type in the inherited color, then select the
new text and change its color.)

When you click the Default button in the Format > Font dialog, you're
setting the color associated with the Normal style in the current template.
That will change the color of other text already formatted in that style,
and may change the color of text formatted in other styles if they're based
on the Normal style.

As long as you don't understand styles, you won't understand much that
happens in Word, and everything will be wildly unpredictable -- because
you'll lack the basis for understanding how Word works. Please read at least
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/styles/TipsOnStyles.html and
http://www.microsoft.com/office/previous/xp/columns/column14.asp, and
preferably http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/styles/HowStylesCascade.html and
the other articles Shauna has provided.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

 

[Guest]

Yes, thank you Jay and Suzanne. I searched around when I posted my previous
reply and did read Shauna's articles regarding styles. Most importantly,
Shauna explained that the most used "style" is the one associated with "body
text" and is applied paragraph by paragraph. Thus Suzanne's explanation
"there's no way to do that" applies to my need to make new additions to a
paragraph a different color from the rest of the paragraph. The programmers
assumed that each paragraph would only have one color/font - here I am
rockin' the boat.

I understand the idea of highlighting text and changing the color, or using
the mouse to select a differnt color with a button on the toolbar.
Unfortunately, I'm one of those "anti-gui" people who has learned as many
keyboard shortcuts as possible in order to avoid the bloody mouse.

When I was younger, the mouse was simply inefficient - now that I'm
approaching 50, my right shoulder hurts so badly that I have been using the
mouse with my left hand for the last year. After a few frustrating weeks (it
is quite dehumanizing to be forced to give up one's right hand - if one is
right handed), I have become at least 80% as efficient with my left on the
mouse. It is quite satisfying now to see people first stare at the mouse to
the left of my keyboard, and then be amazed at my near competence in using it.

OK - perhaps the nice people at Microsoft monitor these things, and now
might be interested in addressing the "that's not possible" item. How 'bout
it - it would be simple to associate a color and font with the insertion
point - wouldn't it? And it sure seems logical.

Alternatively - I've seen some documents where successive users have edited
(delete, add, etc) information, and Word does neat things to highlight those
changes. I'm going to search around and see what I can learn about that neat
feature.

Thanks again everyone.

 

[Jay Freedman]

Hi Erik,

You probably should use the Track Changes feature (the editing feature
you described in your last paragraph). See
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/trackchanges/HowTrackChangesWorks.html.

If it turns out that Track Changes doesn't fit your needs, there is
something else. Now that you've explained in more detail what you
want, I can tell you how to set up a procedure that works with only
the keyboard. It'll take a few moments to set up, and then one extra
keystroke each time you enter new text. To underscore what I said
before, it's based on styles.

In the following instructions I'll assume you have Word XP or Word
2003. The first step or two are a little different in earlier
versions.

Click Format > Styles and Formatting to open the task pane. Click the
New Style button to open the New Style dialog.

Enter a name for a new style (I suggest using the color that will be
applied, for example "Red"). Change the Style Type dropdown from
"Paragraph" to "Character". (The difference between paragraph styles
and character styles is explained in the second of the articles I
cited before.) Use the font color picker (the A button on the far
right under Formatting) to choose the color you want. Leave the "Style
based on" box set to "Default Paragraph Font". Put a check in the "Add
to template" box, and click OK.

Now click Tools > Customize to open that dialog, and click the
Keyboard button at the bottom to get the Customize Keyboard dialog.
Scroll down the Categories list and click the Styles item. Then scroll
down the Styles list and click the name of your new style. Put the
cursor in the "Press new shortcut key" box. Press the key combination
you want to assign to your style. (If the combination you choose is
already assigned to a command, the dialog will show that, and you can
decide whether you want to reassign it to the style or choose a
different combination.) Click the Assign button and then close both
dialogs.

The next time you exit Word, if you're prompted to save changes to
Normal.dot, answer Yes. Both the style and the keyboard shortcut are
saved in that template (unless you went to some trouble to define them
in a different template or in one specific document).

Now, you can move the cursor to some spot in the text, press the key
combination to apply the character style, and start typing. When you
move to another location, you'll have to press the combination again.
Alternatively you can select some text and press the combination to
apply the style to it.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the
newsgroup so all may benefit.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

One shortcut to Jay's procedure: While you're in the New Style dialog, click
Format. The last item on the menu is "Shortcut key...," and you can assign
the shortcut key directly from that dialog.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

 

[Jay Freedman]

Thanks. I keep forgetting that one. After all, a shortcut key isn't
formatting, is it??

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Not logically, no. But do you ever have those dreams where you discover that
your house has rooms you'd forgotten about? Sometimes I think Word is like
that. <g>

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

Thanks. I keep forgetting that one. After all, a shortcut key isn't
formatting, is it??



--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup

so all may benefit.

 

[asif00]

Thanks Jay, I had the same situation as the OP and your suggestion
helped.

Asif.

 

[Guest]

I like it! I like it a lot!
Thank you.
Erik

Hi Erik,

You probably should use the Track Changes feature (the editing feature
you described in your last paragraph). See
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/trackchanges/HowTrackChangesWorks.html.

If it turns out that Track Changes doesn't fit your needs, there is
something else. Now that you've explained in more detail what you
want, I can tell you how to set up a procedure that works with only
the keyboard. It'll take a few moments to set up, and then one extra
keystroke each time you enter new text. To underscore what I said
before, it's based on styles.

In the following instructions I'll assume you have Word XP or Word
2003. The first step or two are a little different in earlier
versions.

Click Format > Styles and Formatting to open the task pane. Click the
New Style button to open the New Style dialog.

Enter a name for a new style (I suggest using the color that will be
applied, for example "Red"). Change the Style Type dropdown from
"Paragraph" to "Character". (The difference between paragraph styles
and character styles is explained in the second of the articles I
cited before.) Use the font color picker (the A button on the far
right under Formatting) to choose the color you want. Leave the "Style
based on" box set to "Default Paragraph Font". Put a check in the "Add
to template" box, and click OK.

Now click Tools > Customize to open that dialog, and click the
Keyboard button at the bottom to get the Customize Keyboard dialog.
Scroll down the Categories list and click the Styles item. Then scroll
down the Styles list and click the name of your new style. Put the
cursor in the "Press new shortcut key" box. Press the key combination
you want to assign to your style. (If the combination you choose is
already assigned to a command, the dialog will show that, and you can
decide whether you want to reassign it to the style or choose a
different combination.) Click the Assign button and then close both
dialogs.

The next time you exit Word, if you're prompted to save changes to
Normal.dot, answer Yes. Both the style and the keyboard shortcut are
saved in that template (unless you went to some trouble to define them
in a different template or in one specific document).

Now, you can move the cursor to some spot in the text, press the key
combination to apply the character style, and start typing. When you
move to another location, you'll have to press the combination again.
Alternatively you can select some text and press the combination to
apply the style to it.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the
newsgroup so all may benefit.

 

[Damian]

I have 2007, I cannot see Format | Font on my tool bar, I am editing English
essays, and wish to change words in a new colour for my students. Give me
some help I am 74 and trying to my best. Thank You. Damian

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

There is a Font Color button in the Font group on the Home tab, or you can
use the dialog launcher to open the Font dialog or right-click and choose
Font... from the context menu. If you have the mini-toolbar enabled, the
Font Color button is on it as well.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[Damian]

Yes I see that, however I have to click on the font colour each time I wish
to change or edit, very time consuming. Can I retain the colour and keep
working ?

 

[grammatim]

You can add the Font Color button to your Quick Access Toolbar. Right-
click on the button in the Ribbon and choose that option. It will then
give you the last color chosen, or the little arrow beside it will
give you all the choices.

And put your QAT below your Ribbon, for easier access.

 

[Klaus Linke]

Yes I see that, however I have to click on the font colour each time I
wish
to change or edit, very time consuming. Can I retain the colour and keep
working ?

You can also use F4 (Redo):
Select text, apply color, select text, F4, select text, F4...

Regards,
Klaus

 

[Damian]

Yes, I have tried your suggestion and works very well. Thank You.

Damianolbar. Right-