Reuse Your Custom Formatting

You’ve probably already created custom formatting. For example, suppose you’ve created your own heading format with white text on a black background. Instead of recreating this formatting each time you want to add another heading, just check the Style box. Word automatically saves your custom formats as styles so that you can reuse them.

Want to reformat a built-in style?   First, select a paragraph that has the style you want to change. Then, apply the new formats. Double-click in the Style box and press ENTER. When the Modify Style dialog box appears, select the option to update the style. Word then automatically reformats all other text in your document that has the same style. Don’t want styles to be defined automatically by your formatting?   Click AutoFormat (Format menu), and then click the Options button. On the AutoFormat as You Type tab, make sure that the Define styles based on your formatting check box is cleared.

Copy Formatting in a Flash

If you don’t want Word to create styles based on your formatting, you can still copy character formats and reuse them. Just select text with the formats you want to copy, click the Format Painter button, and then drag over the destination text to “paint” the formats onto it.

Format Painter button

Want to copy formatting to more than one area of text?   Double-click the Format Painter button, and then drag over each area of text you want. When you finish copying formats, click the Format Painter button.

Office Assistant button

Want to know more?   Look up Getting Results - Look of Document in Help.