Using Styles Within Microsoft Word

Styles are a set of predefined mix of size, color, and format that are employed on any document in your word processing application. Styles can assist your documents attain a much more professional appearance and feel. Styles also enable you to make quick changes in your document at once. There are many different styles, each contributing a certain amount of elegance to your document; however, when using styles, be sure to choose the correct one.

There are three main types of styles: BIPAN, STYLES, and GRIPMAPS. If you’re not sure what any of these terms mean, keep reading. BIPAN stands for balanced impression, which is the term used to refer to a document with an elegant and smooth appearance. STYLES, on the other hand, will give you a preview of what this term means by showing you a preview picture of your finished work.

A small example of using styles is when you write in Microsoft Word. Right-click on the headings of the document or selection you’re working on, and choose Properties. In the property section, click on the Styles tab, which lists the different styles available for this selection. Click a style you like and choose it from the drop-down menu.

This example is done after selecting Font. Notice the drop-down menu next to the Font type choice, where you can select Times New Roman, Arial, or Palatino Linotype; notice how the font is now selected and its formatting is now different than before. Using styles like this will allow you to quickly change the formatting without having to re-select your entire selection area.

You also have the option to select other properties of the font, such as the size, justification, line spacing, and color. Each of these formatting options is available on the Styles drop-down menu. Using the Properties of the headings on the left-hand side of the page in Microsoft Word allows you to see the full formatting definition for the selected heading. You can see here the exact formatting options available for the selected heading; once you see this, it will become clear just how flexible using styles can be within Microsoft Word.

When you’re finished using the styles, notice that nothing has changed except for the headings. All formatting for that particular selection remains intact. When you save your file, you will notice that the new style looks exactly the same as the previous one. Now, you know that using styles in Microsoft Word allows you to easily modify your text without having to re-draw everything every time!