Using Styles for Formatting Efficiency

Paragraph styles are useful paragraph-based formats. They are essentially what to paragraphs as what templates are to files. Just put your cursor on a paragraph that you want to apply this style, then click the style that you want from your word processor, and the computer will change all aspects of that paragraph based on the settings of that style.

Styles not only help you format your document more efficiently (you do not need to do the same sequence of configurations to different paragraphs multiple times because they are replaced by one-click to the style), it will help you when you want to create Table of Contents. We will discuss this next week.

Creating a Style in Word

To create a style, type a line of text first. Then, format it according to how you want it to appear. Take note of the font size, font style, font type, paragraph justification, bullets or numbering (if any), color of the text, space before or after the paragraph, line space, etc.

After you do that, select the whole text that you will use as basis of your new style. Click the arrow pointing to the lower right below "Change Styles," like below:

It should open a new window of controls, called Styles, like below:

Since you have selected the paragraph, you can click the button, "New Style," like above. When you click that, it will open a dialog box which uses the settings of your selected text, like below. You can check other settings in this window.

In this window, you can also configure what style Word will use for the next paragraph in "Style for following paragraph." For other configurations, such as paragraphs, spaces before and after, you can click on the "Format" button at the lower left side of the dialog box. It should display a menu for other configurations, like below:

After configuring all options, make sure to click "OK."

Your new style should appear in the list of Styles.

Creating a Style in LibreOffice Writer

Like Word, you can type a sentence first and format it before selecting the sentence as base of the new style. But first, you have to enable the Paragraph Styles window. Click Format, like below:

It should open the Styles window:

To create a new style, highlight the text that you want to use as base of the new style, then click the "New Style from Selection" button in the Styles and Formatting window, and select "New Style from Selection," like below:

It would not open a new style window like in Word. To configure the style further, you can right-click the newly created style in the list, and select "Modify." It will display a window like the one below:

Make sure to click OK to save your changes in the paragraph style.

Creating a Style in Google Docs

The procedure is pretty much the same. If you need details, you click go here:

https://support.google.com/docs/answer/116338?hl=en

Applying the Style

As mentioned earlier, just put your cursor anywhere in that paragraph, (or select numerous paragraphs if you will apply the style to many paragraphs), then click the style in the Styles list in your word processor. For LibreOffice Writer, you need to put the cursor in the paragraph where you want to apply the style, then double-click the style from the Styles list.

Do you have clarifications? Feel free to comment.