Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated January 31, 2025)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021
Word allows a rich set of formatting attributes for text in a document. You can control the bold attribute for selected text in a VBA macro by using the Bold property. The syntax is as follows:
Selection.Font.Bold = toggle
where toggle is either False (turns off the bold attribute) or True (turns on the bold attribute). If you simply simply want to change the current setting of the bold attribute—bold text becomes non-bold and vice-versa, then you can use a statement such as the following:
Selection.Font.Bold = Not Selection.Font.Bold
The Font object doesn't just belong to the Selection object; it can belong to a Range object, as well. This means that you can also modify the Bold property for a range of text as well as a selection.
Note:
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (11894) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Controlling the Bold Text Attribute.
Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2013. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word 2013 Step by Step today!
You can make running macros very easy if you assign a shortcut key to the macro. This tip demonstrates how easy it is to ...
Discover MoreNeed to know if the user selected some text before running your macro? Here’s how to make that check.
Discover MoreWhen working with macros, you can often speed up processing by turning off the updating of the screen. Best news is that ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2025-02-01 06:20:26
Barry
Another very helpful tip thank you. Often need to toggle something .
However, as I use Styles as a preferred method of formatting I use something like this:
Sub MyBoldText() 'apply Strong style to selected text
Selection.Style = ActiveDocument.Styles("Strong")
End Sub
Which I run from a QAT button. Most of the time it is just fine - select the text, click the button, move on.
If I change my mind/make a mistake and want to reverse that action, then replacing the one code line above with the following does NOT work...
If Selection.Style = ActiveDocument.Styles("Strong") Then
Selection.Style = ActiveDocument.Styles("Normal")
Else
Selection.Style = ActiveDocument.Styles("Strong")
End If
It is Ok the first time but; although it resets the document formatting it does NOT change the underlying style!! (Then the text is shown as not conforming to its style).
Any help will be very much appreciated, thanks.
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.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments