Change the look of text

You can change how text looks by changing its font, size, or color, or by adding bold, italic, or other formatting. You can also add color behind text to highlight it.

Change text using the keyboard

You can use buttons above the keyboard to quickly change the font. Text formatting buttons appear on the left and right of the predictive text fields.

If your keyboard doesn’t show predictive text, you can turn it on in Settings > General > Keyboard.

The text formatting buttons above the keyboard, starting on the left with indent, font style, three predictive text fields, font size, alignment, and insert.

Do any of the following:

If your document needs to use Chinese government standard font sizes, change your computer’s region to China. Then, regardless of the language you use to enter text, you see the Chinese sizes in addition to the point sizes.

Change text using the Format controls

  1. Select the text you want to change—or tap a text box, shape, or table cell—then tap Format button.

    If you don’t see text controls, tap Cell or Text.

  2. Do any of the following:

    • Apply a different paragraph style: Tap the style name below Paragraph Style, then tap a new paragraph style (scroll to see more).

    • Change the font: Tap Font, then tap a new font. To see more options for the font, tap Info button next to the font name, then tap a format (condensed, light, or semibold, for example).

    • Apply bold, italic, underline, or strikethrough: Tap any of the buttons below Font.

    • Change the size: Tap one of the buttons next to Size to decrease or increase the font size.

      Text controls in the Format menu for setting paragraph and character styles, font, size, and color

Change the color of text

  1. Select the text you want to change—or tap a text box, shape, or table cell, then tap Format button.

    If you don’t see text controls, tap Cell or Text.

  2. Tap Color, then choose one of the following:

    • A color that coordinates with the template: Swipe to the color choices to the left of the grayscale options, then tap a color.

    • Any color: Swipe to the color grid to the right of the grayscale options, then tap a color.

      To preview text in various colors, touch and hold a color, then drag across the grid. A color label appears for each previewed color to help you reproduce an exact match. Release your finger to select a color.

    • A color from elsewhere in the document: Swipe to the color wheel, then tap Eye dropper button below it. Touch any color outside of the selected text.

      To preview colors in the text, touch and hold a color on the document, then drag across the page to touch other colors. Release your finger to select a color.

    • A custom color: Swipe to the color wheel, then drag the slider around the wheel.

      To change color brightness, drag the top horizontal slider. To change color saturation, drag the bottom slider. To revert to the previous color, tap the circle in the center of the color wheel. (The previous color is shown in the left half-circle in the center of the color wheel.) As you drag a slider:

      • The right half-circle in the center of the color wheel also reflects your changes. You can compare your changes to the previous color, which is shown in the left half-circle.

      • A value appears above the slider to help you reproduce an exact color.

    • A recently created custom color or a recently selected color from elsewhere in the document: Swipe to the color wheel, then tap a color well to the right of Eye dropper button.

Add a background color to text

You can add color behind any selection of text—individual characters, words, or entire paragraphs—to create a highlight effect.

  1. Select the text you want to change—or tap a text box or shape—then tap the Format button.

    If you don’t see text controls, tap Text.

  2. Tap the More button in the Font section of the controls.

  3. Swipe up then tap Text Background.

  4. Swipe left or right to see color options, then tap one to apply it.

    If you need more information about the color options, see the task above this one.

To remove the background color, tap No Fill after the black and white options.

SEE ALSOApply paragraph stylesAdd and manage comments