Assign a Shortcut to a Style
Applying styles to format text keeps formatting consistent and prevents file corruption unlike formatting “manually” using the icons in the ‘Home’ tab. This means opening the style pane, finding the style, then applying it. There is the option of using the style gallery in the ‘Home’ tab, but that still requires going to each style in the style pane and adding it to the style gallery, and sometimes there is a disconnect between the style gallery and the style pane.
What if there was a way to avoid the style pane or style gallery?
Well, there is! You can assign a shortcut key to the styles you use the most. This still requires opening the style pane, but once you have done this for your commonly used styles, you don’t need to open it again!
To assign a shortcut to a style:
- Open the style pane and navigate to a style.
- Click on the drop-down arrow for that style and select modify.
- In the ‘Modify Style’ window, click on the Format button for the drop-down list.
- Select ‘shortcut key’ to open the ‘Customize Keyboard’ window.
- Your cursor will appear in a ‘Press new shortcut key’ window.
- Always press the ‘ctrl’ first the press another key or sequence of keys.
For example, for the style ‘List Number’, press ‘ctrl’ then ‘l’ then ‘n’. - Verify what you typed appears in the ‘Press new shortcut key’ window.
- Click on the ‘assign’ button, then click on the close button.
Test it out to make sure it works! Do this for every style where you want to use a shortcut key.
Remember, these shortcuts will only work on your computer. If you are working on someone else’s computer or through a remote server, you’ll have to reset your shortcuts.
