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: Formatting Text in Custom Document Properties.
Mark asked if there is a way to apply character-level formatting (bold, italic, etc.) to text that is stored in a custom document property. The short answer is that there is no way to do this. There is, however, a way to apply formatting the field used to insert the document property into the body of your document. Follow these steps:
The above steps result in the document property being formatted with the same characteristic that you applied to the first character in step 3. If the document property has more than one word in it, you should realize that the formatting will only be applied to the first word in the result.
This, of course, won't help you if you need a more granular level of formatting. For instance, if the document property is a single-word company trademark and the first four characters are in regular type and the last five are in bold, then that level of formatting cannot be done through either document properties or in the field used to insert the document property.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (13259) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, and 2013. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Formatting Text in Custom Document Properties.
Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2021 or Microsoft 365. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word Step by Step today!
Click the Save button and you expect your document to be saved, right? What if you later discover it wasn't really saved? ...
Discover MoreWhen you are using Word, it normally saves temporary AutoRecover files that reflect the latest state of your document. If ...
Discover MoreYour macro may need to know if a particular file exists. This is easy to figure out using the Dir command, and even ...
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.
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