Using Styles
Benefits of using styles in Microsoft Word 2003:
- Styles help you format your document in a consistent way.
- If you find yourself continuously formatting text, you can establish a Style so that when the text is typed, its format appears automatically the way you want it to in terms of font, size, and font attributes.
- Paragraph, bullet, list, and table styles can also be established to reduce time and effort spent on formatting the appearance of a document.
Establishing and Defining Styles in Microsoft Word
Modifying Existing Styles as Defined by Microsoft Word
- Under the Format menu, select Styles and Formatting.
- The Styles and Formatting toolbar appears on the right-hand side of your document.

Styles and Formatting Toolbar
- To modify an existing style in use, select the style in the toolbar. A drop-down arrow appears next to it. Select the drop-down arrow and select Modify.

- Specify your fonts and font attributes. When you are finished, click OK.

- If you have already started your document, simply highlight the text you would like to apply a style to and select the style either from the Styles and Formatting toolbar on the right of your screen, or from the Styles and Formatting toolbar shortcut at the top of your screen.

Styles and Formatting Toolbar Shortcut: click the down arrow to view styles
- If you have not yet started typing in your document, select a style and begin typing! When you are ready to switch to a different style, simply select the style and continue typing.
Creating New Styles
- Under the Format menu, click Styles and Formatting.
- The Styles and Formatting toolbar appears on the right-hand side of your document.

Styles and Formatting Toolbar
- Click the New Style button.

- Enter a name for your customized style next to Name:

- Select the Type of style (e.g. Paragraph formatting, List formatting, Table formatting).
- Depending on what you selected in Step 5, the New Style window changes to reflect further definitions for the style you need to establish. If you selected Paragraph, for example, you would need to create your font and font attributes.
- When you are finished establishing your new style, click OK.
- If you have already started your document, simply highlight the text you would like to apply a style to and select the style either from the Styles and Formatting toolbar on the right of your screen, or from the Styles and Formatting toolbar shortcut at the top of your screen.
- If you have not yet started typing in your document, select a style and begin typing! When you are ready to switch to a different style, simple select the style and continue typing.
Last modified: May 24, 2007, 14:38 EDT
