How do I create Styles with character shading?

[karlhar]

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) Processor: Intel I am trying to create Styles with character shading, but the Style I define, modify or match does not seem to remember that feature. I do not see it as an option on the New Style menu. Is there a way to do this?

- Steve

 

[CyberTaz]

I'm not sure what you mean by "character shading". There is a Shading
attribute available for Paragraphs, but nothing by that name for Fonts.

If you mean Font Color, that is definitely available in the New Style &
Modify Style dialogs represented by the same button icon as is used on the
Formatting Palette & Formatting Toolbar, so I don't see how you could have
missed it.

It's also available by clicking the Format button in the lower left corner
of either dialog & selecting Font. That takes you to the Font formatting
dialog where you'll also find the availability of the Shadow attribute as
well as any other character formatting you might want to include.

If this doesn't answer your question please be more exact about what it is
that you're looking for.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[karlhar]

Thank you, Bob. I used the wrong term (shading). I should have said highlighting. I am not speaking about font color.

I am confused over the various methods for manually controlling the color of the screen area immediately surrounding a character. Once I master these manual controls, I will be designing appropriate Styles (I now see where the choice "Border" in the Format menu in Modify Styles leads me to Shading - thank you, Bob). I then will be creating Keyboard Shortcuts for these Styles.

But first things first. I hope my question is not too complex. How do the following manual controls work when using them in combination?

1. The "Highlight (No Highlight)" button (found on the Formatting Palette and on the Formatting Toolbar)
2. The "Clear Formatting" command in the Styles menu on the Formatting Palette
3. The Color button in the Shading section on the Formatting Palette (when used on selected text that excludes the Paragraph marker)
4. The Fill color button in the Shading section on the Formatting Palette (on selected text w/o the P marker)
5. The Clear command in the Pattern menu in the Shading section on the Formatting Palette

As an aside, I don’t seem to be looking in the right location in Help to get answers to these kinds of questions about highlighting, shading, etc. Where should I look?

Thank you,
Steve

 

[CyberTaz]

Four quick answers:

1- You're quite correct in your perception regarding Help I Office 2008 ‹ It
is woefully lacking & much of what is there covers the subject inadequately.

2- The Highlight Tool should not be considered as a "formatting" feature
despite the fact that it is grouped with other features which are. It is a
utility reviewing tool & AFAIK cannot be applied by a Style nor does the
Clear Formatting command remove Highlighting.

3- Borders & Shading is a Paragraph formatting attribute. Although you can
apply Shading to selected text (similar effect as the Highlighter), if you
apply a Border to less than a paragraph the selected text will be bordered
on all 4 sides ‹ none of the other options can be applied.

4- "Clear" in the Patterns list removes any previously applied pattern
without affecting any other formatting attributes. The Fill & Color tools in
that same group modify the coloring of the Patterns themselves.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[karlhar]

Thanks, Bob - your answers are a big help.

Playing with it a little, the highlighting feature seems to be something of a hybrid. It is not included as a formatting feature in Styles, but in other places it acts like one - for example, the CopyFormat and PasteFormat commands (available in Tools- Customizing Keyboard - All Commands, as explained to me the other day) will copy and paste highlighting.

I use highlighting as a study tool for reading academic and other complex writing. I like to highlight passages in the text and color the notes I insert.

I recall that earlier versions of Word some years back offered more colors for highlighting. I miss them. Many of the fewer color choices now offered are too dark to be able to read the text. Sigh.

Thanks again for your help,
- Steve

 

[CyberTaz]

Your most welcome... And your definitely right about the Highlight colors
that are offered. That's something which has been voiced [loudly] to MS

Then I'd suggest you create yourself a set of Styles that employ the shading
colors you want to use from the Borders & Shading features. They can be
defined as Character Styles with no deviation from the defaults other than
the Shading color... Just be sure that the Apply To: list in the Preview
area of the Borders & Shading dialog indicates Text when you define each
style. You can also assign keystrokes to them if you wish. Save them in your
Normal.dotm by checking the Add to Template box in the New Style dialog.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac