Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 23, 2022)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365
Dave would love a way to print a full-featured style sheet for his documents. He knows that he can choose to print "Styles" in the Print dialog box, but he would rather have a style sheet that shows the actual styles, such as color, size, font, etc.
Unfortunately, there is no such capability in Word. You can, however, create a style sheet of your liking by using a macro. For instance, the following will insert, in the current document, the names of all the styles available in the document. Each style name is on its own line (paragraph) and is formatted using the various styles.
Sub ListStyleNames() Dim s As Style For Each s In ActiveDocument.Styles With Selection .Style = s .TypeText (s.NameLocal) .TypeParagraph End With Next s End Sub
Such an approach, while handy for a concise list of styles, isn't much more informative than what can be printed using the "Styles" designation in the Print dialog box. It does, however, provide a basis upon which one can build to create a more full-featured style sheet.
The problem with creating a detailed style sheet using macros is that styles can contain a ton of information. The object model used by Word (and accessible in VBA) quickly becomes quite complex when testing styles to see what they contain. Here's just a simple example to give you the flavor:
Sub SimpleStyleSheet() Dim s As Style Dim sOutput As String Dim sTemp As String Dim StyleTypes(4) As String StyleTypes(1) = "Paragraph" StyleTypes(2) = "Character" StyleTypes(3) = "Table" StyleTypes(4) = "List" For Each s In ActiveDocument.Styles sOutput = s.NameLocal & vbCrLf sOutput = sOutput & " Style type: " & StyleTypes(s.Type) & vbCrLf sTemp = s.BaseStyle If Len(sTemp) > 0 Then sOutput = sOutput & " Based on: " & s.BaseStyle & vbCrLf End If sOutput = sOutput & " Font: " & s.Font.Name sTemp = "" If s.Font.Bold Then sTemp = sTemp & "Bold, " If s.Font.Italic Then sTemp = sTemp & "Italic, " If Len(sTemp) > 0 Then sTemp = Left(sTemp, Len(sTemp) - 2) sOutput = sOutput & " (" & sTemp & ")" End If sOutput = sOutput & vbCrLf & vbCrLf Selection.TypeText (sOutput) Next s End Sub
The only thing this macro does is to list all the styles, what type of styles they are, whether they are based on a different style (and if so, what that style is named), what font is used by the style, and whether the font is bold or italic. Anyone familiar with styles will immediately understand that these few items are only a small sampling of what can be defined within a style. To check all possible style formats and print them in the style sheet would make the macro very long, indeed.
Even so, this macro might be useful as it provides an idea of how to put together your own style sheet. You just need to figure out what you want to see in the style sheet and then add the macro code to determine that information and print it out.
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 (13365) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Printing a Full Style Sheet.
Discover the Power of Microsoft Office This beginner-friendly guide reveals the expert tips and strategies you need to skyrocket your productivity and use Office 365 like a pro. Mastering software like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is essential to be more efficient and advance your career. Simple lessons guide you through every step, providing the knowledge you need to get started. Check out Microsoft Office 365 For Beginners today!
If you routinely need to print more than one copy of a document, you'll love the ideas presented in this tip. There's ...
Discover MoreIf you need to send a command directly to your printer, then you need to use the PRINT field. It allows you to send ...
Discover MoreTired of your page borders not printing out as you expect? The problem could be due to any number of settings or ...
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