Chapter 4 · 4.1
Formatting text: font, size, colour and alignment
On the Home tab, you'll find everything you need to format text. It works just like you're used to in Word: first you select the text, then you choose the formatting.
How to format text
- Select the text: drag your mouse over the text, or double-click a word. Click three times to select an entire paragraph.
- Choose the font (1) and the font size (2). Use the buttons with the large and small A next to them to make the text bigger or smaller step by step.
- Make text bold, italic or underlined (3). Next to these are strikethrough, superscript and subscript.
- Give the text a colour with the Font color button (4), or give it a coloured background like with a highlighter, with Highlight color (5).
- Choose the alignment (6): left, centred, right or justified.
Choosing colours
Click the arrow next to the font colour button. You can choose from theme colours, standard colours or a custom colour. Use the eyedropper to pick up a colour that already appears somewhere in your document.
Handy keyboard shortcuts
| What | Windows and Linux | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Bold | Ctrl + B | Cmd + B |
| Italic | Ctrl + I | Cmd + I |
| Underline | Ctrl + U | Cmd + U |
| Left, centre, right, justify | Ctrl + L, E, R, J | Cmd + L, E, R, J |
| Clear formatting | Ctrl + Space | Cmd + Space |
Tip: want to use the same formatting again? Place the cursor in the formatted text, click the button with the paintbrush (Copy style) and then select the text that should get the same formatting.
Using the same formatting for all headings? It's better to use styles instead. You can read how that works in Using styles and headings.