How to Use Styles in Microsoft Word

Apply a Style

Select the text to stylize, then go to the HOME ribbon. On the right is a Style Gallery—click on the MORE DROP-DOWN button to see a list of character styles. This isn’t all of the styles available, but it’s a great start.

Pick the style, and the text changes accordingly. For example, choosing Heading 1 makes your text 14pt, bold, blue, with 24pt Space Before, Keep With Next, and Keep Lines Together. All that in one click!

Modify an Existing Style

Once you’ve applied a Style throughout a document, modifying that Style updates all instances of it at the same time.

For example, if you change Heading 1 to centered and Page Break Before, all your Heading 1’s instantly jump to the top of a new page and become center aligned.

To trigger this cascading effect, make the changes to the text, then right-click on the STYLE in the Gallery. Choose UPDATE [STYLE] TO MATCH SELECTION.

Alternatively, click on MODIFY… to go into a dialog box and make all the formatting changes there.

The FORMAT button in the bottom left corner allows you to modify the Font, Paragraph, Tabs, Borders, Numbering, Text Effects, and more.

Create a New Style

If you apply a series of character and paragraph formatting to text, and plan to use that appearance again, turn it into a new Style so that you can apply all the settings instantly in just one click.

Select the formatted text, right-click on it, choose STYLES off the shortcut menu, and then click SAVE SELECTION AS A NEW QUICK STYLE.

Give it a name, and the new Style appears in the Gallery for future use.