Changing the Font

Last Updated: May 7, 2003

• Changing Font Size or type in Word
• Changing Font Size or type in Word Perfect
• Coping with font size changes made without your permission
• An Introduction to Fonts (off site) [takes a while to load] Added Aug 22, 2005

MS Word

Select the part of the document for which you wish to have the font size or type face changed. On the Menu Line click on Format>Font From the pop-up window Size - Under size drop down the box and select the appropriate size. Type face - Drop down the box under Latin Text font. Note that this is a large box, be sure to scroll to see more choices. As you select a type face a sample of how the text will look are in the bottom of the pop-up window. If you wish this size to be the default for all your documents, click on Default in the lower left corner of the window. Click on OK when the size and type face meet your needs.

NOTE: You can perform the above before you start typing the document and the text in the document will then be in that size and type face.

Some quick tricks:

To increase the font by one point, after selecting the text, tap Ctrl+]
To decrease by one point, Ctrl+[

Word Perfect

1. Select the part of the document for which you wish to have the font size changed.
2. On the Menu Line click on Format>Font
3. To change :
   1. Size - under the size box select the appropriate size by clicking on it.
   2. Type face - Select the appropriate font. A sample of how the text will look in a given font can be seen at the bottom left of the screen.
4. To make your choices the default for all future documents click on the Settings button and "Select face and point size for all documents."
5. When you are happy with the text style click on "OK"

NOTE: You can select a font, size or both before beginning to type the document.

Coping with font size changes made without your permission

As some of you have discovered, MS Word has a bad habit of wanting to change your font size at the most inopportune times. Unfortunately, it takes too much energy to keep fighting this while you are writing. There is, however, a quick cure.

1. Don't pay any attention to it while you are writing.
2. When your document is fully edited and you are ready for the final save do the following.
   1. Tap Ctrl-A. All your document will suddenly have white text on a black background indicating that the entire document has been selected.
   2. Follow the information above for changing the font (type face) and size.

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Copyright 2003/2008 Linda Q. Thede
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