MS-Word / General Formatting

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Changing the Font

The most common way to format text is to change the font. The font defines the uniform style and appearance of letters such as Arial, Arial Black, Courier, Old English, or Stencil. To change the font, follow these steps:

1. Click the Home tab and then select the text you want to change.
2. Click the Font list box. A list of available fonts on your computer appears.
3. Move the mouse pointer over each font. Word temporarily changes your selected text so you can see how the currently highlighted font will look.
4. Click the font you want to use. Word changes your text to appear in your chosen font.

As a general rule, try not to use more than three fonts in a document. If you use too many fonts, the overall appearance can be annoying and distracting.
Not all computers have the same lists of fonts, so if you plan on sharing documents with others, stick with common fonts that everybody's computer can display.

Changing the Font Size

The font changes the appearance of text, but the font size defines how big (or small) the text may look. To change the font size, you have two choices:

• Select a numeric size from the Font Size list box.
• Choose the Grow Font/Shrink Font commands.

You can use both methods to change the font size of text. For example, you may use the Font Size list box to choose an approximate size for your text, and then use the Grow Font/Shrink Font commands to fine-tune the font size. To change the font size, follow these steps:

1. Click the Home tab and then select the text you want to change.
2. Choose one of the following:
   
   • Click the Font Size list box and then click a number, such as 12 or 16.
   • Click the Grow Font or Shrink Font icon.

Changing the Text Style

The text style defines the appearance of text in one or more of the following ways:

Bold:
Press Ctrl+B.

Italic:
Press Ctrl+I.

Underline:
Press Ctrl+U.

Strikethrough:
This formatting draws a line through text.

Subscript:
Use this to create text that falls below the text line, as in the 2 in H₂O.

Superscript:
Use this to create text that sits higher than the top of the text line, as in the 2 in H = NO².

To change the style of text, follow these steps:

1. Click the Home tab and then select the text you want to change.
2. Click a Style icon, such as Bold or Underline.
3. Repeat Step 2 for each additional style you want to apply to your text (such as italic and underlining).

If you select any style change without selecting any text, Word applies your style changes to any new text you type from the cursor's current position.