Formatting Captions

Word includes a captioning feature that allows you to manually or automatically add captions in your document. These captions are typically placed with tables or other objects (such as figures) to identify them. For instance, you might have a caption such as "Figure 2" that appears below a figure.

When you use the captioning feature, Word automatically formats the caption using the Caption style. By default, the Caption style uses the same typeface as your Normal style, except it is bold. If you want to use a different set of attributes for your captions, all you need to do is change the Caption style. Follow these steps:

1. Display the Home tab of the ribbon.
2. Click the small icon at the bottom-right of the Styles group. Word displays the Styles pane at the right side of the desktop.
3. Click Options at the bottom of the Styles pane. Word displays the Style Pane Options dialog box. (See Figure 1.)



Figure 1. The Style Pane Options dialog box.

4. Using the Select Styles to Show drop-down list, choose All Styles.
5. Click OK to close the Style Pane Options dialog box.
6. In the Styles pane, scroll through the list of styles until you see the Caption style.
7. Hover the mouse pointer over the Caption style name. Notice that a downward-pointing arrow appears at the right side of the style name.
8. Click on the downward-pointing arrow and choose the Modify option from the resulting menu. Word displays the Modify Style dialog box.
9. Click on Format and choose the portion of the style you want to change. The options available through the Format button utilize dialog boxes with which you are already familiar.
10. Click on OK to save your modifications.
11. Close the Styles pane, if desired.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (13267) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Word in Microsoft 365, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Formatting Captions.