Changing Text Color Quickly

[amhayes19]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

I use a lot of different text colors and need to switch between text colors rapidly (from green text to blue text to black text and back, in rapid fashion). Is there some way to assign a keyboard shortcut to each color so I don't have to mouse over to the toolbox whenever I need to change?

 

[CyberTaz]

Sure...

Go into Tools> Customize Keyboard, select Format in the list of Categories
then select Color: from the Commands list. A Color button will appear in the
upper right corner providing a [limited] list of colors. Select & assign a
keystroke to as many as you wish, one after another.

Alternatively, create character styles which are identical except for color
& assign keystrokes to each one. That would also provide more flexibility as
well as more options for updating & revising.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[dow]

Sure...

Go into Tools> Customize Keyboard, select Format in the list of Categories
then select Color: from the Commands list. A Color button will appear in the
upper right corner providing a [limited] list of colors. Select & assign a
keystroke to as many as you wish, one after another.

Alternatively, create character styles which are identical except for color
& assign keystrokes to each one. That would also provide more flexibilityas
well as more options for updating & revising.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

I use a lot of different text colors and need to switch between text colors
rapidly (from green text to blue text to black text and back, in rapid
fashion). Is there some way to assign a keyboard shortcut to each colorso I
don't have to mouse over to the toolbox whenever I need to change?

I've also been struggling with the same problem, and was intending to
post a query - so delighted to read the solution.

I'd also never thought of using Character styles, so thank you for the
lateral thinking on that one.

 

[John McGhie]

That's not "laterals" thinking, that's "mainstream" thinking

Styles is how Word works best. Trying to remember "What shade of green I
assigned 20 pages ago" is too hard.

Applying the "Green Highlight" style is a single click... And all the green
text in the document will then be the exact same shade of green

Cheers

Sure...

Go into Tools> Customize Keyboard, select Format in the list of Categories
then select Color: from the Commands list. A Color button will appear in the
upper right corner providing a [limited] list of colors. Select & assign a
keystroke to as many as you wish, one after another.

Alternatively, create character styles which are identical except for color
& assign keystrokes to each one. That would also provide more flexibility as
well as more options for updating & revising.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

I use a lot of different text colors and need to switch between text colors
rapidly (from green text to blue text to black text and back, in rapid
fashion). Is there some way to assign a keyboard shortcut to each color so I
don't have to mouse over to the toolbox whenever I need to change?

I've also been struggling with the same problem, and was intending to
post a query - so delighted to read the solution.

I'd also never thought of using Character styles, so thank you for the
lateral thinking on that one.

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

--

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[amhayes19]

Great stuff, now if I could only figure out how to make the default formatting for pasted text the format of the document being pasted into (rather than the document / website being copied from) I will have increased my productivity by 15%!

Thanks!

 

[Clive Huggan]

Here's a quick way to apply them. There are some ideas on applying character
styles (as for paragraph styles) by using an abbreviated suffix and using
Command-Shift-s -- at pages 96, 97, 117 and 128 of some notes on the way I
use Word for the Mac, titled "Bend Word to Your Will", which are available
as a free download from the Word MVPs' website
(http://word.mvps.org/Mac/Bend/BendWordToYourWill.html).

[Note: "Bend Word to your will" is designed to be used electronically and
most subjects are self-contained dictionary-style entries. If you decide to
read more widely than the item I've referred to, it's important to read the
front end of the document -- especially pages 3 and 5 -- so you can select
some Word settings that will allow you to use the document effectively.]

Cheers,

Clive Huggan
Canberra, Australia
(My time zone is 5-11 hours different from the Americas and Europe, so my
follow-on responses to those regions can be delayed)
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That's not "laterals" thinking, that's "mainstream" thinking

Styles is how Word works best. Trying to remember "What shade of green I
assigned 20 pages ago" is too hard.

Applying the "Green Highlight" style is a single click... And all the green
text in the document will then be the exact same shade of green

Cheers

Sure...

Go into Tools> Customize Keyboard, select Format in the list of Categories
then select Color: from the Commands list. A Color button will appear in the
upper right corner providing a [limited] list of colors. Select & assign a
keystroke to as many as you wish, one after another.

Alternatively, create character styles which are identical except for color
& assign keystrokes to each one. That would also provide more flexibility as
well as more options for updating & revising.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

On 8/30/09 8:45 PM, in article [email protected]9absDaxw,

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

I use a lot of different text colors and need to switch between text colors
rapidly (from green text to blue text to black text and back, in rapid
fashion). Is there some way to assign a keyboard shortcut to each color so
I
don't have to mouse over to the toolbox whenever I need to change?

I've also been struggling with the same problem, and was intending to
post a query - so delighted to read the solution.

I'd also never thought of using Character styles, so thank you for the
lateral thinking on that one.

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

--

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[John McGhie]

Go into the Word Preferences>Edit>Cut and Paste Options>Settings... And have
a play with the settings in there.

Word 2008 does not get the ones you are really looking for, that's another
Word 2007 feature they cut... But you will be able to improve the result
slightly with those.

Generally, however, you need to use Edit>Paste Special>Unformatted Text.

Sadly, there is no way to make THAT the default in Word 2008. In Word 2004
or Word 2010 when we get it, you can use a simple macro to override the
Paste command (and I do...)

In Word 2008, you have to select it every time.

Sorry...

Great stuff, now if I could only figure out how to make the default formatting
for pasted text the format of the document being pasted into (rather than the
document / website being copied from) I will have increased my productivity by
15%!

Thanks!

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

--

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]