Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, and 2013. 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: Talking to Yourself.
If you are like me, when you write you make notes to yourself so you don't forget parts of the manuscript that may need more work or so you can jog your memory. Hidden text is great for this purpose, because you can hide your notes at any time so that others don't see them on the screen or in a printout. I found that I added enough notes that I wanted to create a macro that would insert a paragraph prior to the one in which I am working, and then format the paragraph as hidden text so I can enter my note. The result is the AddNote macro, which creates a red-text hidden paragraph:
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, and 2013. 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: 
Sub AddNote()
Selection.MoveDown Unit:=wdParagraph, Count:=1
Selection.MoveUp Unit:=wdParagraph, Count:=1
Selection.TypeParagraph
Selection.MoveLeft Unit:=wdCharacter, Count:=1
Selection.Style = ActiveDocument.Styles("Normal")
With Selection.Font
.Name = "Arial"
.Size = 11
.Bold = True
.Italic = False
.Underline = wdUnderlineNone
.StrikeThrough = False
.DoubleStrikeThrough = False
.Outline = False
.Emboss = False
.Shadow = False
.Hidden = True
.SmallCaps = False
.AllCaps = False
.ColorIndex = wdRed
.Engrave = False
.Superscript = False
.Subscript = False
.Spacing = 0
.Scaling = 100
.Position = 0
.Kerning = 0
.Animation = wdAnimationNone
End With
Selection.TypeText Text:="Note: "
End Sub
I assign this macro to a shortcut key, which makes it very easy to use. You could, if you prefer, assign it to the Quick Access Toolbar.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (12888) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, and 2013. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Talking to Yourself.
The First and Last Word on Word! Bestselling For Dummies author Dan Gookin puts his usual fun and friendly candor back to work to show you how to navigate Word 2013. Spend more time working and less time trying to figure it all out! Check out Word 2013 For Dummies today!
A common editing task is to transpose two adjacent words, so that their order is changed. While the task is common, there ...
Discover MoreWant to jump to a particular page in your document? Word makes it easy; just pull up the Go To tab of the Find and ...
Discover MoreWhen editing a document, Word normally replaces whatever text you select with whatever you start to type. Here's how to ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
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.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2018 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments