# Formatting Characters

This section will cover the changes that can be made to individual characters or blocks of characters including:

- Character size

- Font

- Font style (italic, bold, etc)

- Underlines, superscript, subscript, strikeout, etc.

- Character color and background color.

- Character case.

## Changing Size, Font, Font Style, Text color and Background Colors

### Using the Keyboard or Tool-bars

There are several keyboard shortcuts which you can use to make common changes to character formatting. After selecting the text, you can use these key combinations to toggle each attribute.

The Basic Formatting Tool bar also has buttons which you can use to toggle these same attributes.

The following table details each attribute, the tool bar buttons and the keyboard shortcuts.

Attribute | Tool bar Button | Key Combo
--- | --- | ---
Font Size |  | Decrease font size: Ctrl< Increase font size: Ctrl>
Font |  | -
Bold Face |  | &Ctrl;B
Italics |  | CtrlI
Underline |  | CtrlU
Strikethrough |  | -
Superscript |  | -
Subscript |  | -
Font Color |  | -
Background Color |  | -

You cannot change the Character Set or add double underlines using the keyboard or the tool-bar, you must use the dialog box.

### Using the Dialog Box

If you have many changes to make, you can also use a dialog box to set these same attributes.

You can open the Character Formatting Dialog box in one of three ways:

- Select Format Font... from the menubar.

- Click on the selected text with the &RMB;. A small menu will appear. Select Font... from the menu.

- You can use the keyboard shortcut: &Alt;&Ctrl;F

Either method will open a dialog box

Using this dialog box, you can select the font, size, character set, italics and boldface options from the top three list boxes.

The preview box along the middle of the dialog, will show you how your current settings will appear.

If the default preview string is not appropriate, you can change it by clicking once inside the preview box with the &LMB;. A text cursor will appear. You can edit the text to suit your needs.

The sample sentence will revert to the default the next time you open this dialog.

Using the checkboxes located below the preview box, you can select superscript or subscript.

Clicking the button labeled Change Color... will allow you to change the color of the text using the color selection dialog box.

Clicking the button labeled Change Background Color... will allow you to change the color of the background using the color selection dialog box.

If you click the tab labeled Font Effects, the dialog changes to:

The subsection labeled Underlining has two drop down boxes. In the left most drop down box select between no underline (Without), Single, Simple Bold or Double underlining.

Use the right drop down box to select the style of underlining (Solid line, dashed line, etc).

Use the Change Color button to select a color for the underline using the color selection dialog box.

The subsection labeled Strikethrough has two drop down boxes. Use the left drop down box to select between no strikethrough (Without), Single or Double strikethrough. Use the right drop down box to select the line style.

Clicking OK will commit your changes to the document.

Clicking Cancel will abort all changes made.

## Changing Font Case

&kword; can change the case (uppercase or lowercase) of large blocks of text to one of five pre-defined styles. Begin by selecting the block of text you want changed. Select Tools Change Case... from the menubar.

A small dialog box will appear with four options:

Uppercase

  Will convert all characters to uppercase.

  Example: KWORD WILL AUTOMATICALLY CHANGE CASES.

Lowercase

  Will convert all characters to lowercase.

  Example: kword will automatically change cases.

Title Case

  Will capitalize every word.

  Example: Kword Will Automatically Change Cases.

Toggle Case

  Converts all lowercase letters to uppercase and converts all upppercase letters to lowercase.

Sentance Case

  Capitalizes the first character after a period.

When you have selected the option you like. Click OK and &kword; will make the changes.