Applying Quick Format Changes | Microsoft Word Version 2002 Inside Out (Inside Out (Microsoft))

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Word 2002 includes a number of automatic features that help you control the formatting in your document. AutoFormatting, which enables you to add predesigned formats to paragraphs, headings, and tables, is covered in detail in the next section. Here we'll take a look at the Format Painter, which gives you the means to copy formats from place to place, and a new offering that enables you to copy formats without creating new styles to do it.

Automatic? Your Call

If you granted three wishes to experienced Word users, at the top of the list would be improved control over automatic features. Until you understand what's going on behind the scenes with the various tools—including spelling, font choice, leading, and more—you don't often know where to go when Word begins indenting lists you don't want indented, adding numbers you don't want added, or swapping words against your will. Such is the downside of automated functionality.

But the good news is that with Word 2002, you have increased control over auto features. You can turn each of the automatic features on and off and control the items you want Word to change on the fly. This chapter looks at each of these features individually and shows you how you can set them up to work most efficiently for you.

Copying Formats Without Styles

In Chapter 1, you learned about the new task pane, which appears along the right side of your work area, offering options and choices that apply to the procedure you're performing. Now, in Word 2002, you can use the task pane to select and apply formats you've used in other parts of your document (or in other documents). To use the task pane to copy formats, follow these steps:

Start by opening the document you want to work with.
Create (or select) the text with the format you want to copy.
Choose Format, Styles And Formatting. The Styles And Formatting task pane appears, as Figure 6-1 shows.
Select the text to which you want to apply the format.
Click the format you want to use in the Styles And Formatting task pane. The format is then applied to the selected text.

figure 6-1. the styles and formatting task pane lists all the formats used in the current document, whether they've been saved as styles or not.

Figure 6-1. The Styles And Formatting task pane lists all the formats used in the current document, whether they've been saved as styles or not.

Note

Styles sometimes get a bad rap for being difficult to create and use. But styles can save you valuable time and effort, especially when you have specific formats and text treatments you use often. An individual style can include your choices for the font, size, color, style, spacing, and alignment of text. If you need to use a consistent standard for headings, body text, captions, or list items in your document, styles can save you time in applying the same format throughout your work.

Choosing Formats to View

You can change the formats that are available in the Styles And Formatting task pane by clicking the Show down arrow in the Styles And Formatting task pane and choosing one of the following options:

Available Formatting displays all the formats that are currently available to the open document.
Formatting In Use shows only the styles that are currently being used in the open document.
Available Styles shows only the created and named styles available to the open document. This option does not display the unnamed styles you might have added to the entered text.
All Styles displays all styles available in the style sheets available to Word and the open document.
Custom opens a dialog box that enables you to choose the elements used to gather styles displayed in the Styles And Formatting task pane (see Figure 6-2).

figure 6-2. you can control where word looks for styles by changing the selection in the category drop-down list.

Figure 6-2. You can control where Word looks for styles by changing the selection in the Category drop-down list.

For more information about creating, applying, and organizing styles, see Chapter 10, "Using Styles to Increase Your Formatting Power."

Employing the Format Painter

The Format Painter is a quick-use tool that enables you to copy and apply a format you've used by clicking a simple toolbar button. The button is found in the center of the Standard toolbar.

To use the Format Painter, follow these steps:

Select the text with the format you want to use.
Click the Format Painter button.
Click in the text or phrase to which you want to apply the format. The format is automatically applied.

Format Painter Tricks

If you want to apply the format multiple times in your document, double-click the Format Painter to activate it, apply the format as needed, and then click Format Painter again or press Esc to deactivate it.
If you want to apply the format to a single word, click once anywhere in the word to be formatted.
To apply the format to an entire paragraph, click to the left of the paragraph.
To apply the format to a phrase, select the entire phrase you want to be affected by the format.
To cancel a Format Painter operation, press Esc.
To copy and paste the format quickly, use Ctrl+Shift+C to copy and Ctrl+Shift+V to paste.