Word 2013 – Text Formatting
Formatting Characters
Character formatting is the technique used to change the
appearance of text in a document. Changes can be made to just
one individual character (a single letters or number, etc.), a
complete word, a sentence, a paragraph or the entire document.
To apply character formatting, you must first select the required
text. See our Word 2013 – Basic skills and proofing quick
reference guide for selection methods.
The Font group on the Home tab of the Ribbon provides the more
popular options for character formatting. These are:
 Change font name
 Change font size
 Increase font size (2pt at a time)
 Decrease font size (2pt at a time)
 Change capitalisation – quickly converts selected text to:
o Uppercase;
o Lowercase;
o Sentence case (capitalises first character of a sentence only)
o Toggle case (converts fORMAT TEXT to Format text)
o Capitalize each word (capitalises the first character of each
word)
 Clear formatting
 Embolden text
 Italicise text
 Underline text
 Strikethrough text
 Subscript – used where you want H2O or CO2 to be H2O or CO2
 Superscript – used where you want create arithmetical notation
3
so that m3 (cubic metres) becomes m or, x2 = y3 + z4 becomes
2
3
4
x =y *z .
 Add text effects
 Highlighter
 Change font colour
Many of the above-mentioned commands act as ‘toggles’,ie. you
click to turn on and click again to turn off.
Applying character formatting
If you wish to apply character formatting to just one word, it is
sufficient to position the cursor (insertion point) anywhere in the
word. There is no need to select the word completely.
To format more than one word, click and drag over ALL the words.
If you want to format just one character in a word, select just that
one character.
1. Select the text you wish to format as described above.
2. Select the Home tab.
3. Click the required command in the Font group.
4. If a menu is displayed, select the required option (eg. font
name, font size, underline style, font colour).
5. Deselect the text.
Or...
1. Click on a blank part of the document (eg. an empty line or a
space in-between words.
2. Repeat steps 2 & 3 above.
3. Start typing the required text.
NB: an exception to this rule is Change Case or Text Highlight
Colour. These can only be applied to selected (visible) text.
Editing character formatting
Some character formatting cannot be removed, it can only be
changed. For example, every piece of text in a document must have
a font name, a size and a colour. Even a space or a blank line are
formatted although the formatting only becomes visible when you
add text at that point.
Popular character formatting that cannot be removed is:
 Font Name
 Font Size
 Font Colour
 Change Case options
Popular character formatting that can be removed is:
1
 Bold
 Italic
 Underline
 Strikethrough
 Subscript
 Superscript
 Text effects
 Highlighting
If you wish to change or remove character formatting for just one
word, it is sufficient to position the cursor (insertion point) anywhere
in the word. There is no need to select the word completely.
To change or remove character formatting for more than one word,
click and drag over ALL the words.
If you want to change or remove character formatting for just one
character in a word, select just that one character or select the whole
word.
1. Select the text that you want to change or remove the formatting
from.
2. Select the Home tab.
3. Click the required command in the Font group to either
 change the formatting (eg. font name, size, etc.) or,

remove the formatting (eg. bold, italic, highlight text).
4. Deselect the text.
Alternatively, to remove formatting completely and reset the text to
the ‘Normal’ style.
1. Select the required text.
2. Select the Home tab.
3. Click Remove All Formatting in the Font group
.
NB: Remove All Formatting will also remove any paragraph
formatting (eg. indents, bullet and numbering). See our Word 2013 –
Paragraph Formatting quick reference guide.
Alternatively, to remove character formatting only:
1. Select the required text.
2. On the keyboard, hold down [Ctrl] and press Spacebar.
NB: This will not work if the formatting is applied as part of a style.
Only ‘manual’ formatting is removed.
Word 2013 – Text Formatting
Advanced character formatting
Although the previous sections of this guide cover the most
popular character formatting options, more options and settings
are available in the Font dialog box.
1. Select the text you wish to format as described previously.
2. Select the Home tab.
3. Click the Dialog Launcher in the bottom right corner of the
Font group
.
4. Select the Font tab for ‘general’ options and settings (most of
these replicate commands in the Font group of Ribbon).
Copying Character Formatting
You can use the Format Painter copy the character formatting of
specific text and apply it to other text. This saves time when
multiple settings and options have been applied and you can’t
remember precisely what they all are.
When the Format Painter is active, the mouse pointer changes to a
paintbrush with an I-Beam to its right
.
1. Select the text containing the formatting you want to copy.
2. Select the Home tab.
3. Click the Format Painter button
in the
Clipboard group.
4. Click and drag the I-Beam over the text where you want to
replicate the formatting.
Tip: To copy selected formatting to multiple locations - double-click
the Format Painter button, ‘paint’ the formatting to text elsewhere
and then click the Format Painter button again (or press Esc) when
finished.
NB: The format painter will also replicate any paragraph formatting
(eg. indents, bullets and numbering, etc.).
Copying Text without the Formatting
5. Select the Advanced tab for ‘specialist’ options and settings.
See Word Help for more information about these.
6. Click OK.
NB: If you have applied ‘Hidden’ character formatting and you
wish to remove it, you need to be able to see it first!
a) Select the Home tab.
b) Click the Show/Hide command in the Paragraph group
.
Hidden text will appear with a fine line of dots underneath it.
c)
d)
e)
f)
Select the hidden text.
Display the Font dialog box.
Untick the Hidden check box.
Click OK.
g) Click the Show/Hide command in the Paragraph group
Sometimes, you may wish to cut or copy text without the
formatting. This is especially useful if copying from a Word
document where advanced formatting has been used that may be
difficult to change or remove.
For detailed information about cutting, copying and pasting text,
see our Word 2013 – Basic Skills and Proofing quick reference
guide.
1. Select the required text.
2. Hold the mouse pointer over the selected area.
3. Press the right mouse button.
4. In the shortcut menu, select Copy.
5. Hold the mouse pointer at the point where you want to paste
the copied text.
6. Press the right mouse button.
7. In the shortcut menu, click the Keep Text Only under Paste
Options:.
.
2
Tip: The author of this document highly recommends using this
technique if copying and pasting into a Word document from a
webpage or pdf document.
Character Formatting Shortcut Keys
To do this
Open the Font dialog box to change
the formatting of characters.
Change the case of letters.
Format all letters as capitals.
Apply bold formatting.
Press
CTRL+D
Apply an underline.
Underline words but not spaces.
Double-underline text.
Apply hidden text formatting.
Apply italic formatting.
CTRL+U
CTRL+SHIFT+W
CTRL+SHIFT+D
CTRL+SHIFT+H
CTRL+I
Format letters as small capitals.
Apply subscript formatting
(automatic spacing).
Apply superscript formatting
(automatic spacing).
Remove manual character
formatting.
CTRL+SHIFT+K
CTRL+EQUAL SIGN
SHIFT+F3
CTRL+SHIFT+A
CTRL+B
CTRL+SHIFT+PLUS SIGN
CTRL+SPACEBAR