I have some text on a document, custom formatted. I want to save this formatting as a style or a style set (I can't tell what the difference is) so I can apply it to a new page before I start typing, or to a previously created text document. I don't know if I've saved as a style correctly, because in the style gallery none of the thumbnail previews have names and they are too small to discern what fonts they use. When I open a text document that I want to change to the new style, I go to the style gallery and run the cursor over the pre-made styles (not knowing if the one I don't know whether I've saved or not, is there or not), but only the spacing changes on the document text, not the font, even when I click to apply.

I watched videos where people move the cursor over the style under the Home tab and the font of their document changes according to the style they have selected. Why does this not happen under the Design tab?

Also, why are the styles split between two different tabs, the Home and Design? Or are the ones under the Home tab styles and the ones under the Design tab style sets, and if so, do they function differently.

I am quite confused. Can anyone guide me in achieving what I thought would be a simple task.

Basically, I am writing my first novel, have set up the first chapter to my desired formatting, and wish to retain this as a style for use throughout the rest of the book, without having to set up each chapter anew.

Windows 7, Word 2016.

Thank you.

What is on the Design Tab is a gallery of [Quick] Style Sets. These are groups of styles.
What is on the Home Tab is a gallery of Quick Styles. Most styles are not quick styles.

See Managing Word Styles by Suzanne Barnhill, MVP.

Thank you Charles, a valuable instruction manual indeed.


I have followed the instructions on how to create a Style (not a Style Set, though I still don't know what the difference is, style sets don't seem to be mentioned in the manual), but still can't find the new Style I've created. I have given it a title, but it's not listed amongst the Styles under the Home tab. Where will it be saved to? In the instruction manual, under Applying Styles, all it states is "Once you know how to find a given style, applying it is simple." But it doesn't actually state how to find the given style.


Thanks.

1. Your style needs to be set as a Quick Style to appear in the gallery. You can change the priority as shown in Suzanne's page.
2. You can also use the Styles Pane to view all of the styles, whether or not they are Quick styles. The Styles Pane by Suzanne Barnhill, MVP
3. You can attach a keyboard shortcut to a style.
4. I gave you a separate link about [Quick] Style Sets but because of the way this forum is formatted you may have missed it. Again: [Quick] Style Sets.
5. Here is a link to my free Add-In that gives access to more styles tools in the QAT: Styles QAT Add-In. It contains no macros and gives access to the Styles Drop-Down, the Styles Pane, and the Quick Styles Gallery under all tabs.

I can't find anything about Quick Styles in Suzanne's manual. When I search for Quick Style, only Quick Style Gallery is ever highlighted throughout the whole document. What is the difference between a Style and a Quick Style? What makes it 'Quick'? I am none the wiser. I don't know how to set the Style I have saved as a Quick Style, (or what that entails changing about it), because I don't know where it has been placed. If it is in the gallery under the Design tab then they don't have names, and I can't guess which one it is. Also, if my Style needs to be set as a Quick Style to appear in the gallery, then where are all the non-Quick Styles located? Perhaps the Style I have saved is there.

Also Suzanne states this at the beginning of the manual: "The current Ribbon, introduced in Word 2007, substituted the Quick Style Gallery for the Style dropdown and introduced other new ways to view and manage styles. "

I use Word 2016. Does this mean that actually I have a Ribbon instead of a Quick Style Gallery? Then what is the Ribbon and would my saved non-Quick Style be there instead?

A Quick Style is a Style that is included or shown in the Quick Styles Gallery. That is all.

In the modify styles dialog there is a checkbox to add the style to the styles gallery.


There are NO STYLES on the design tab. Those are [Quick] Style Sets.

For most purposes, anything that talks about 2007 also applies to 2016 or 2019. These are all "Ribbon versions" of Word. The "Ribbon" is the big toolbar at the top of your document window. Microsoft has made some changes as time has gone by since 2007. See The Ribbons of Microsoft Word 2007-2019 (365).

The Quick Styles Gallery is on the Home tab of the Ribbon in all of these versions.

Check out the Add-In that I gave you a link for. It gives you controls for your styles in your Quick Access Toolbar (QAT).

Again:

1. A Quick Style is a style that has been added to the Quick Styles Gallery.
2. Most styles are not Quick Styles. You can access the other ones through the Styles Pane or the Styles dropdown. The Add-In gives easy access to them.
3. [Quick] Style Sets (on the Design Tab) are sets of Quick Styles.