To all but the most discerning of typesetting specialists there is no
perceivable difference. From a technical standpoint, a font that includes
Bold has that variant designed within it. Those which don't have that
variant can still be made bold by using the program's formatting features
which apply a "generic" algorithm to impose the bold attribute. However, my
understanding is that if the font includes the Bold variant that Word
selects it regardless of which method you opt for.
The important thing for compatibility isn't a matter of how you choose to
apply the attribute, it's a matter of making sure you're using exactly the
same version of the font on each system where the document will be
displayed. Also, differences in printer drivers & other factors can affect
text flow from one system to another - even within the same version of the
same operating system.
HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac
