Word Font and Text Formatting Notes

Font and Text Formatting Basics

• Word provides many features to customize the appearance of text within a document. You can change:

  • font and font size

  • add font styles such as bold, italic, and underline

  • change case

  • apply font and text effects

  • adjust the scale, spacing, and position of text

  • change default font settings

• Ways to apply formatting: use the Font group on the Home tab, the Font dialog box, and the mini toolbar (appears when you select text or right-click).

Font Families: Serif vs Sans Serif

• Serif fonts have structural details (flair) at the top and bottom of most letters. Common serif fonts include:

  • Cambria

  • Times New Roman

  • Courier New

• Sans serif fonts have no structural details on the letters. Common sans serif fonts include:

  • Calibri

  • Arial

  • Century Gothic

  • Note: The transcript lists an item "M" which appears to be a transcription error; typical sans serif examples include Calibri, Arial, and Century Gothic.

• Glossary note: Serif vs Sans Serif definitions are often introduced as foundational font categories for readability and tone in documents.

Font Size and Defaults

• Font size is measured in points: $ext{pt}$. Example: default font size is $11 ext{ pt}$.

• Common document practice: most documents use font sizes between $10 ext{ pt}$ and $12 ext{ pt}$. Titles and headings are larger.

• Default settings in Word: $11 ext{ pt}$ on the default font, Calibri. The default font is Calibri and the default size is $11 ext{ pt}$.

• When you create a new document, the chosen font and size apply to the entire document unless you apply changes to specific text.

• To change font or size for existing text:

  • Step 1: select the text to format

  • Step 2: click the Font drop-down to display available fonts (themes, recently used, and all fonts)

  • Step 3: select a font

  • Step 4: click the Font Size drop-down to display available sizes

  • Step 5: select a font size to apply; you can also type a size directly in the font size box

• Additional sizing options:

  • Increase/decrease font size buttons for small increments

  • Keyboard shortcuts:

  • Increase: Ctrl + Shift + >

  • Decrease: Ctrl + Shift + <

• Mini toolbar (contextual): appears when you select text or right-click; provides quick access to common formatting (bold, italic, underline, etc.).

• The mini toolbar adapts to the current selection and mirrors options available in the Font group.

Bold, Italic, and Underline; Other Font Styles

• Common font styles:

  • Bold (Ctrl + B)

  • Italic (Ctrl + I)

  • Underline (Ctrl + U)

• How to apply: select text and click the corresponding button in the Font group on the Home tab, or use keyboard shortcuts above. Click the style button again to turn it off.

• Underlining considerations:

  • Underlining is not always preferred for accessibility

  • Underlined text can be mistaken for hyperlinks

  • The transcript notes underline as a teaching example and acknowledges accessibility concerns for underlined text.

• Other font styles and effects present in the Font group and Font dialog box include:

  • Strikethrough

  • Double strikethrough

  • Subscript

  • Superscript

  • Small caps

  • All caps

  • Hidden text

  • Text highlight color

  • Font color (see Font Color)

• The Font dialog and the Font group also include additional styles and effects shown in the related tables (example entries: Bold, Italic, Underline, Double Underline, Subscript, Superscript, Small caps, All caps, Hidden, and various highlight/font color options).

Font Color and Underline Color/Style

• Font color: default is black; you can change the color of selected text via the Font color options.

• How to change font color:
  1) select text to format
  2) click the Font launcher in the Home tab -> Font dialog box opens
  3) click the Font Color drop-down to view colors; options include Theme Colors, Standard Colors, and More Colors
  4) choose a color and click OK to apply

• Underline color and style:

  • Underline style: various options (solid, wavy, dotted, etc.)

  • Underline color: choose a color for the underline

  • These options are available in the Font dialog box, with a preview showing in the dialog box

  • You can also apply underline via the Underline button drop-down on the Home tab

Text Effects and Advanced Formatting

• Text effects add features like outline, shadow, reflection, and glow; available via the Text Effects button in the Font group.

• The Format Text Effects dialog box provides:

  • Categories: Shadow, Reflection, Glow, Soft Edges, etc.

  • Presets and custom options for each category

• The Font dialog box integrates font color, underline style/color, and effects; the Preview area shows the current selection.

• Advanced tab in the Font dialog box includes character spacing options:

  • Scale (horizontal scaling of characters)

  • Spacing (normal, expanded, condensed) with point values for expanded/condensed

  • Position (raised/lowered by points)

  • Kerning (adjusts space between specific character pairs)

• The advanced options are shown in the Font Dialog Box under the Advanced tab (e.g., scale and spacing with a sample preview).

• Notes: The transcript mentions that the Format Text Effects dialog box and the Format Painter are connected to these options, with step-by-step usage in Word.

Special Formatting Tools: Highlight, Preview, and Theme Integration

• Text highlight color and font color are both accessible from the Font dialog box and the mini toolbar; highlight is separate from font color and applies a background color to text.

• Theme colors: the font color drop-down includes theme colors that align with the document’s theme; these are tied to the overall styles and themes system in Word. See related material on styles and themes for more context.

Format Painter

• Format Painter copies text formatting from selected text and applies the same formatting to other text in the same or a different document.

• What it can copy: font, font size, line spacing, indents, bullets, numbering, style, and other formatting features.

• How to use:
  1) select the formatted text to copy
  2) click the Format Painter button (Home tab, Clipboard group)
  3) select the text to format; for multiple nonadjacent selections, double-click the Format Painter button and then select each target text

• The Format Painter remains active until you turn it off (click the button again or press the Escape key to deactivate).

• Note: The transcript mentions pressing the S key to turn off; in practice, Esc is commonly used to deactivate the Format Painter.

Clear All Formatting

• Clear All Formatting removes all formatting from the selected text and returns it to plain text.

• Use when multiple styles have been applied and you want to reset to default formatting instead of deselecting each option individually.

• Important caution: This also clears line and paragraph spacing, numbering, bullets, and style formatting.

Change Default Font and Font Size

• Default settings: "Calibri" font at "11 pt"; these defaults apply to each new blank document based on the Normal template (normal.dotm).

• Global default changes affect all future blank documents; you can change defaults for the current document only or for the Normal template to affect all new documents.

• How to change the default font and font size:
  1) select the text you want to format
  2) click the Font launcher in the Home tab (Font group) to open the Font dialog box
  3) click the Font tab if not already selected
  4) choose the desired font and font size to set as default
  5) click the Set as Default button at the bottom left of the dialog box
  6) a confirmation dialog appears with options (e.g., This document only or All documents based on the Normal template)
  7) select the appropriate option and click OK to close the dialog and then OK to close the Font dialog box

• Important note: Be cautious when changing default settings in the Normal template; changes affect all new documents based on that template.

• Term references: Normal template stores default settings for documents (font, font size, line spacing, paragraph spacing, alignment, and style).

Practical and Real-World Relevance

• Consistency: Using Format Painter and default styles helps maintain consistent document formatting across a project or organization.

• Accessibility: Font choices (serif vs sans serif) and underline usage impact readability and accessibility.

• Theming: Theme colors and styles ensure color and typography stay cohesive with document branding.

• Efficiency: Quick access tools (mini toolbar, font dialog, keyboard shortcuts) speed up formatting tasks during drafting and editing.

Quick Reference: Keyboard Shortcuts and Tips

• Bold: Ctrl + B

• Italic: Ctrl + I

• Underline: Ctrl + U

• Increase font size: Ctrl + Shift + >

• Decrease font size: Ctrl + Shift + <

• Font dialog box: Ctrl + D (opening shortcut mentioned in the transcript; commonly Ctrl + D opens Font dialog in many Office contexts)

• Clear formatting: (access via Clear All Formatting in Font group)

• Format Painter: click once to copy, double-click for multiple uses, Esc to turn off

Notes on Terminology and Pointers from the Transcript

• The transcript uses several placeholders like "Glossary term" to introduce definitions (e.g., serif fonts, sans serif fonts). These are included here as defined concepts.

• Several figure references (e.g., Figure one to 30/31/32/33/34/35/36/37/38/39/40/41/42/43/44/45) indicate UI visuals from the source material. The essential concepts remain the same regardless of the exact figure numbers.

• The transcript occasionally contains typographical errors (e.g., "pints" instead of "points" and "Calibre" instead of "Calibri"). For exam preparation, prefer the standard industry terms: points (pt) and Calibri as the default font in Word.

Summary of Key Formulas and Numerical References

• Font size is measured in points: $ext{pt}$ (e.g., $11 ext{ pt}$ default, range typically $10 ext{ pt} ext{ to } 12 ext{ pt}$ for body text)

• Font scaling and spacing are adjustable with percentages and point values in the Font dialog’s Advanced tab (e.g., scale, spacing, position, kerning) with numeric inputs in points and percentages.

• Examples mentioned:

  • Default font size: $11 ext{ pt}$

  • Typical body text size: $10 ext{ pt} ext{ to } 12 ext{ pt}$