Formatting a Company Name

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated November 12, 2022)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365


1

David would like his company name, when typed into a document, to always appear in bold and a color. He wonders if there is an easy way to do that.

There are actually two easy ways to handle this need. The first is to define a Building Block. Follow these steps:

  1. In a document, type and format the company name so it appears as you desire.
  2. Select the company name. (Make sure you don't select anything past the end of the name, such as spaces, tabs, or end-of-paragraph marks.)
  3. Press Alt+F3. Word displays the Create New Building Block dialog box. (See Figure 1.)
  4. Figure 1. The Create New Building Block dialog box.

  5. Replace the contents of the Name field with a short mnemonic you want to use for your company name, such as the company's initials.
  6. Use the Gallery drop-down list to choose AutoText.
  7. Click on OK.

To later use the Building Block entry, all you need to do is type the mnemonic you specified in step 4 and then press the F3 key.

The second technique is to create an AutoCorrect entry for your company name. Just follow these steps:

  1. In a document, type and format the company name so it appears as you desire.
  2. Select the company name. (Make sure you don't select anything past the end of the name, such as spaces, tabs, or end-of-paragraph marks.)
  3. Display the Word Options dialog box. (In Word 2007 click the Office button and then click Word Options. In Word 2010 and later versions, display the File tab of the ribbon and then click Options.)
  4. Click Proofing at the left side of the screen.
  5. Click AutoCorrect Options. Word displays the AutoCorrect dialog box with the selected company name (step 2) already entered in the With box. (See Figure 2.)
  6. Figure 2. The AutoCorrect dialog box.

  7. Make sure the Formatted Text radio button is selected.
  8. In the Replace box type the initials of your company.
  9. Click the Add button.
  10. Click Close to close the dialog box.

Now, anytime you type the initials of your company (what you entered in step 7) and press either the Spacebar or type some type of punctuation, Word replaces those initials with the formatted company name.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (10383) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365.

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. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Measurement of Choice Isn't Persistent

Normally, Word allows you to specify what measurement units you want used for the program; just choose Tools | Options | ...

Discover More

Finding Cells Filled with a Particular Color

Do you need to find cells that are formatted with a particular color? How you accomplish this task depends on your ...

Discover More

Collating Copies

If you are printing more than one copy of a multi-page document, it would be great if Word could print them in complete ...

Discover More

Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 365 applications with VBA programming. Written in clear terms and understandable language, the book includes systematic tutorials and contains both intermediate and advanced content for experienced VB developers. Designed to be comprehensive, the book addresses not just one Office application, but the entire Office suite. Check out Mastering VBA for Microsoft Office 365 today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Squeezing Everything In

Do you have just a line or two of text that 'spills over' onto another printed page? Here are some ways you can compress ...

Discover More

Using Two Characters as a Drop Cap

Want to add drop caps to your layout? They can provide a nice, appealing design element, but how you actually create the ...

Discover More

Changing One of Three Fonts

Once you are done formatting your document, you may want to make changes to part of that formatting without messing up ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is two less than 5?

2022-11-14 09:14:44

Paul Stregevsky

I had no idea Word could replace a character string with formatted text. I just tried it, for H20, and it worked as you described. This will be a game changer. Thanks, Alan.


This Site

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.

Videos
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.