Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Highlighting Information Using Shading.

Highlighting Information Using Shading

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated December 23, 2023)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365

Word provides a way you can shade the information in your document. This shading can be added in conjunction with any border you may specify for the paragraph. Word allows you to precisely control the degree of shading, as well. To add shading to a paragraph, follow these steps:

Position the insertion point in the paragraph that you want to shade or select the text to which the shading should be applied.
Make sure that the Home tab is selected for the ribbon.
In the Paragraph group, click the down-arrow to the right of the Shading tool. (This tool looks like a tilted paint bucket, spilling paint to the right.) Word displays a shading palette.
Select one of the theme colors at the top of the palette. There are ten colors, and each option under the colors represents a different percentage of shading for that color.

You can also apply shading to whatever text you select (instead of to an entire paragraph) by simply selecting that text in step 1.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (8711) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Highlighting Information Using Shading.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

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What is 6 + 3?

2023-12-27 02:00:36

GFIN Sunny

I hope following helps others.
How to get a Command by approximate name?
Word is powerful but for someone not having formal Word Training, I often find it difficult to find the Command.

Example of my use case is "Highlighting Text with Color different from standards of my organization or Microsoft".

I need to do following:

learn "Highlight Text with Customized Color" is actually Shading.

find exact name in Customize the Quick Access Toolbar dialog. Shading is not listed as Paragraph Shading nor Shading.

Is it possible I search with approximate name like "Highlight Text with Customized Color" to get to a command?

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/how-to-get-a-command-by-approximate-name/4f87fc9d-ec88-4f26-bec0-9e001e4b4ca8

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Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.