Hi,



I am having a strange problem with my custom MS Word styles.

I have MS Word 2007 Home & Student version (fully updated, till support ran out).

The short version: I create my own MS Word styles, both paragraph and character. Sometimes, weird problems occur, and I do not get back the original format when I reject the character style.

The loner version is a s follows:

For my manuscripts, I create my own MS Word styles.

For the body text, I create a base style.

Then based on the base style, I create a style for the first paragraph and another for the other paragraphs.

I create the base style (My_00_Body_base) based on “no style” to make it independent of the Normal template (so the style will be unaffected by the PC it is on). For the base style I use the style type “Paragraph” and I set “Automatically update” to off (unticked).

In the base style, I set the font face, font size, font color, justification, spacing above and below the paragraph, and line spacing. I leave the first line indent zero.

In this case I had set Times New Roman, 12 pt, black, left justified, no spacing above or below, and lone spacing single.

Then, I create, the style for the first paragraph (My_03a_Body_First_para) and another style for the other paragraphs (My_03b_Body_Other_paras).

Both styles are paragraph styles based on the base style (My_00_Body_base)

For the style for the first paragraph (My_03a_Body_First_para), I usually set the “First line indent” to 0”.

For the style for the other paragraphs (My_03b_Body_Other_paras), I usually set the “First line indent” to 0.5”.

I use these styles (My_03a_Body_First_para and My_03b_Body_Other_paras) to format the body text in my manuscript.

Then I create some character styles, for example, for thoughts My_03f_Body_Thoughts, which just applies italics.

For the character style, I use style based on “underlying properties.”

(I don’t know the difference between “underlying properties” or “default Paragraph font.”)

So, I have some body text on which I have already applied My_03b_Body_Other_paras.

Now, on a part of that text, I apply my character style My_03f_Body_Thoughts.

Normally, when I apply the style My_03f_Body_Thoughts, the tracking pane shows “My_03f_Body_Thoughts.”

If I reject the change, I get back the original text correctly formatted with My_03b_Body_Other_paras.

However, occasionally, I see that the tracking pane has changed the name of the applied style to “My_03f_Body_Thoughts, Font: 12 pt, Complex Script Font: 11 pt.”

Now, in this case when I reject the change, I DO NOT get back the original text correctly formatted with My_03b_Body_Other_paras.

When I rest my pointer on the text, the style pane still indicates My_03b_Body_Other_paras.

However, the text has changed to a smaller size 8 pt, instead of 12 pt.

I am at a loss as to why this happens.

Can someone please help me understand what is going on?

Thank you.

Are you using any languages that require complex script?


The "Tracking Pane" you refer to is the Styles Pane with the option turned on to show direct formatting in styles. I usually keep that turned off.


Or, are you referring to Tracked Changes?


Ctrl+Spacebar and Ctrl+Q can help reset.

Cross-posted at Problem with MS Word paragraph and character styles: format - Microsoft Community
For cross-posting etiquette, please read: A Message to Forum Cross-Posters Excelguru Help Site - A message to forum cross posters

Hi Charles,

Thank you for responding.

1) I am using only US English in this manuscript, no other language. The only font I am using is Times New Roman (12 pt).

2) By "Tracking Pane" I mean not the quick styles pane, but the tracked changes that is displayed on the right.

Funny thing is that when I apply the character font, the tracked changes correctly displays “Formatted: My_03f_Body_Thoughts.”

When I close the Word file, and reopen it, sometimes the tracked message remains the same, but sometimes it changes “Formatted: “My_03f_Body_Thoughts, Font: 12 pt, Complex Script Font: 11 pt.”

I have based by base style on “no styles” to make it independent of the normal template, and my character style is based on “underlying properties.”

Earlier, I had a similar problem with applying highlight with tracking on.

On rejection of the highlight format, the font would get messed up. So, now I apply highlight with tracking off.

3) “Ctrl+Spacebar and Ctrl+Q can help reset.”

Reset what? I don’t want to lose any of the styles (paragraph or character) that I have applied.

Yes, I have posted this problem multiple times; I am desperate to get a solution ASAP.

Sorry, about that.

You are the only one that has replied.

It is your duty to provide a link to each posting in every other posting.

Try it in a copy.

Try removing any complex-script languages (Arabic, Hindu, Chinese, Korean, Hebrew).

Sorry, I did not realize I needed to provide all links.

Here they are

Problem with MS Word paragraph and character styles: format - Microsoft Community

Problem with MS Word paragraph and character styles: format getting messed up | Microsoft Office Forums

Problem with MS Word paragraph and character styles: format getting messed up

Microsoft Word Help - Microsoft Office Word Forum - WordBanter (awaiting moderation)

From my PC?

I need to remove the Indian font from my PC?

You need to add links to each of your posts as courtesy. Read the link I gave for the reasons.

Not the font from the computer, the language from Word. That is where the complex script is coming from.

I removed Hindi and English (Indian) from the “Enabled editing languages.”

The “complex” part is gone.

I do, however, find instead of “My_03f_Body_Thoughts,” I have “My_03f_Body_Thoughts, Font: 12 pt, Font color: Text 1.”

And if I reject the application of the character font, the color on the text changes to green. Further, sometimes, the font size becomes 8 pt (instead of 12).

I have also reset fonts to defaults on my Win 10 PC.

I have followed some of your discussions with other Microsoft MVPs, and I hope you will help me solve this problem.

Can you post a sample document and describe the problem based on that sample document? If we can see the specific file and formatting in use we can make much more constructive suggestions.

__________________
Andrew Lockton
Chrysalis Design, Melbourne Australia