1.2Character Formatting: Font
The essentials in 30 seconds
- Ctrl+B (bold), Ctrl+I (italic), Ctrl+U (underline) are the basic formatting shortcuts.
- The formatting brush copies and applies formatting from one text to another with one click.
- Double-clicking the brush locks it for multiple application.
Fil Imane — Character formatting: font
Imane formats a report: titles, important words, references and amounts. She wants a readable and consistent result, without multiplying fonts or colors.
Continuation of the common thread: a logistics SME in Algiers professionalizes its documents.
1. Essential Character Attributes
Character attributes are visual properties applied directly to words or letters. The Font group on the Home tab groups all of these commands:
Font: Typeface. Common fonts are Calibri (default), Arial, Times New Roman, Cambria. The font defines the visual appearance of characters. Choose a readable, professional font for work documents.
Size: Measured in points (pt). Normal text is usually 11 pt. Titles are 14 to 16 pt. Use the A↑ and A↓ buttons to adjust the size quickly.
Bold (Ctrl+B): Makes the text bold. Use it for keywords, section titles and important elements. Don't overdo it: text entirely in bold loses any emphasis effect.
Italic (Ctrl+I): Skews the text. Convention: names of works, foreign terms, emphasis. Do not systematically combine bold + italics.
Underline (Ctrl+U): Draws a line under the text. Reserved for document titles or hyperlinks. Avoid in the body of the text as it harms readability.
2. Color and text effects
Text color: The default color is black. For a professional document, keep it simple: black for the body, accent color for titles or warnings. The “Text color” button (A with a colored bar) allows you to choose a custom color.
Highlighting: The “Highlighter” button (yellow pencil) applies a background color behind the text, like a highlighter. Useful for drawing attention to a passage without changing the color of the text itself.
Text effects: Via the “Text effects” button (blue A), you can add shadows, reflections, bevels, 3D transformations. Use sparingly in a professional context — these effects are intended more for presentations and posters.
Border and shading: The “Text border” button allows you to add an outline around words or sentences. Shading adds a colored background behind the text. Useful for boxes or visual alerts.
3. The Formatting Brush: Duplicate Formatting
The Formatting Brush is one of Word's most powerful time-saving tools. It's located in the Clipboard group on the Home tab.
Simple to use: select already formatted text, click the brush, then hover or click on the text to format. The formatting is instantly copied.
Multiple use: double-click on the brush to lock it. You can then apply the same formatting to several places in the document without having to click on the brush again between each operation. Press Esc or re-click the brush to deactivate it.
The brush copies all character attributes: font, size, bold, italics, color, highlighting, special fonts... It's an extraordinary shortcut for quickly harmonizing a document.
4. Fonts and their typographical importance
The choice of font considerably influences the perception of the document. Serif fonts like Times New Roman or Cambria are considered more formal and traditional. sans serif fonts (sans-serif) like Calibri or Arial are modern and more readable on screen.
A professional document generally uses two fonts maximum: one for headings and one for body text. The Calibri (body) + Cambria (titles) combination is a safe and common choice in the Microsoft environment.
The text size follows a hierarchy: 11 pt for body, 14-16 pt for level 1 headings, 12-13 pt for subheadings. Never go below 10 pt in a document intended to be printed.
The vector: do not confuse font and character. The font is the full set of characters (a-z, A-Z, 0-9, punctuation). A character is an individual letter of this font.
🔎 Concrete example — Worked Example — Harmonize Formatting with the Formatting Brush
1. Select the already well-formatted heading
2. Click the "Format Painter" button (Clipboard group, Home tab)
3. The cursor changes to a paintbrush. Hover over the next heading
4. Click or drag the paintbrush over the target text
5. The formatting is applied instantly
6. Double-click the Format Painter to lock it and apply to multiple headings
7. Press Escape to deactivate the Format PainterYou have formatted a title in bold, italic, blue color and size 14 pt. Here's how to replicate this formatting on other titles:
Brush copies all character attributes at once
Double-click locks the brush for multiple use
Escape disables the brush and returns to the normal cursor
Section vocabulary
- Font
- Complete set of characters sharing the same design: letters, numbers, punctuation and symbols
Simple example: Imane applies “Police (font)” in her professional documents.
What it is not: treat “Font” as a detail with no impact on the document.
Reflex: Does this choice make the document clearer and more reliable?
- Size in points
- Typographic unit of measurement where 1 point ≈ 0.35 mm; the current text is generally 11 pt
Simple example: Imane applies “Size in points” in her professional documents.
What it is not: Treat “Point Size” as a detail with no impact on the document.
Reflex: Does this choice make the document clearer and more reliable?
- Formatting brush
- Tool to copy the formatting of selected text and apply it to another text in one click
Simple example: Imane applies “Formatting Brush” in her professional documents.
What it is not: Treat “Formatting Brush” as a detail with no impact on the document.
Reflex: Does this choice make the document clearer and more reliable?
- Serif (serif)
- Small decorative extensions at the ends of letters in some fonts, such as Times New Roman
Simple example: Imane applies “Serif” in her professional documents.
What it is not: Treat “Serif” as a detail with no impact on the document.
Reflex: Does this choice make the document clearer and more reliable?
In practice — Format a title with character attributes
- Type “Test Title” in a document
- Select text with triple-click
- Apply bold (Ctrl+B), italic (Ctrl+I) and size 16 pt via the ribbon
- Change the text color to dark blue via the Text Color button
- Type a second title “Subtitle” below
- Click the formatting brush, then hover and click the subtitle
Ready-to-say script — Character formatting: font (25 sec)
“Master character formatting to make your documents readable and professional, while using the formatting brush to save time. Concretely, I check this point before distributing the document: ctrl+b (bold), ctrl+i (italic), ctrl+u (underline) are the basic formatting shortcuts. »
Short wording, to be adapted to the recipient and the context of the document.
Copy and paste template — “Character formatting: font” checklist
CHECKLIST — Character formatting: font
1. Ctrl+B (bold), Ctrl+I (italic), Ctrl+U (underline) are the basic formatting shortcuts.
2. Formatting brush copies and applies formatting from one text to another with one click.
3. Double-clicking the brush locks it for multiple application.
4. A professional document uses a maximum of two fonts with a clear size hierarchy.
EXPECTED RESULT: Both titles have the same formatting using the formatting brush. You have mastered essential character attributes.Express version
Apply only the essentials and the first key point, then check the rendering in a short document.
Remote
Share a PDF and check fonts, margins and pagination before sending.
As a team
Lock in the common model and document choices to keep colleagues consistent.
Printed version
Check pagination, headers and contrast before printing.
✓ Best practices
- Never use more than two different fonts in the same document.
- Bold is reserved for keywords and titles: do not use it systematically.
- The formatting brush is faster than manually recomposing the formatting.
- Test your document in print (Ctrl+P) to verify that the colors are visible.
✗ Common pitfalls
- Use underlining in the body of the text: this harms readability and is reserved for titles.
- Apply bold + italic + underline on the same text: it's illegible and unprofessional.
- Forget to check the printed rendering: some colors are invisible in black and white.
- Confusing character size (character attribute) and line spacing (paragraph attribute).
Key takeaways
- Ctrl+B (bold), Ctrl+I (italic), Ctrl+U (underline) are the basic formatting shortcuts.
- The formatting brush copies and applies formatting from one text to another with one click.
- Double-clicking the brush locks it for multiple application.
- A professional document uses a maximum of two fonts with a clear size hierarchy.
48 hour challenge — apply tomorrow
Resume formatting a title with character attributes on a real Imane SME document: Type “Test Title” in a document. Time it for 20 minutes and note what has changed.
- I can explain and apply: Ctrl+B (bold), Ctrl+I (italic), Ctrl+U (underline) are the basic formatting shortcuts.
- I can explain and apply: The formatting brush copies and applies formatting from one text to another with one click.
- I can explain and apply: Double-clicking the brush locks it for multiple application.
Frequently asked questions
How do I go back after applying formatting?
Use Ctrl+Z (undo) to undo the last action. To remove all formatting from text, select it and use Ctrl+Space to reset the attributes.
Can you add custom fonts in Word?
Yes. Download a font in .ttf or .otf format, right-click > Install. It will immediately appear in Word in the list of fonts.
What is the difference between highlighting and text background color?
Highlighting is a quick hand tool; background color (via border and fill) provides more control over opacity and color. Both accentuate the text without changing its color.
How to apply the same formatting to dozens of passages?
Use the double-click formatting brush to lock it, or even better: use styles for a one-click global change.
Which keyboard shortcut activates bold on selected text?