So for hed1, I selected byline1 to follow, and for that style I selected subhed1, which is followed in turn by graf1.Īfter I select my preferred font style and size, spacing, and other options, I check "Add to template" at the bottom of the dialog box in Word 2003, and "New documents based on this template" in Word 2007 to make the styles available in all the files I open. In the spirit of keeping things simple, I leave Normal selected in the "Style based on" dropdown menu, but I suggest changing the option in "Style for following paragraph" menu to anticipate what's going to come next in the file. From what I've read on the Internet, this feature is buggy, so it is recommended that you avoid linked styles. This option lets you link paragraph and character styles, so you can apply a paragraph style to just a portion of the paragraph by creating a hidden character style. Word 2007 brings back the linked paragraph styles that were available in Word 2002 but removed from Word 2003. Reformat Word documents in a jiffy by applying custom styles. I'm using only paragraph styles in this example, but you can also create custom styles for characters, tables, and lists you'll find more information on Word styles on Microsoft's Word training site. For instance, I called my top heading style "hed1," my author byline style "byline1," my secondary headings "subhed1," and my primary paragraph style "graf1." After you enter the style name, select its attributes.
In both versions, give the new style a name that differs from any of Word's built-in styles. In Word 2007, click the arrow in the bottom-right corner of the Styles box under the Home tab, and select the New Style icon in the bottom-left corner of the drop-down box. In Word 2003, click Format*Styles and Formatting to open that pane on the right side of the screen, and then choose the New Style button. Just four custom paragraph styles let me reformat the fonts, spacing, and other attributes of their documents in seconds. Another writer I edit insists on double-spacing every Word file he sends me, which has worn my Page Up and Page Down buttons to nubs. The favorite font style of one of the tech writers I work with regularly is 10-point Bookman Old Style, which I find close to unreadable. I created a handful of styles that let me make the changes in an instant via custom keyboard shortcuts. The first thing I do after opening their files is to reformat them so they're easier for me to work on. I frequently edit Word documents created by other people.
One feature in Microsoft Word has saved me more time than all the other doodads in the program put together: Styles.
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