The only styles changed directly when you apply a [Quick] Style Set are styles set to display in the Quick Styles Gallery.

This will include the Heading 3-9 styles which are hidden by default until the level above has been used.


Since the Normal style is one of these, styles based on Normal in the current document may also be changed. The same is true of any styles based on one of these. How styles in Microsoft Word cascade by Shauna Kelly

Yes, the Quick Styles Sets Sampler has many additional styles, but they are not part of Quick Style Sets. This an ordinary Word document with text displayed in each of the twenty-five styles in the standard distributed Quick Style Sets. It has all the styles in it that a new document created from the default Normal template would have.

Non-Quick Styles can be changed by themes if they use theme fonts / colors. If they use set colors and fonts instead, they will not be changed by changing the theme. Non-Quick Styles in a document that are based on Quick Styles will also be changed by a change in the underlying Quick Style when a new Quick Style Set is applied.


I join you in urging more use of the Styles Pane and other methods of accessing styles. I said that in my earlier post. The Quick Styles Gallery is a confusing crutch and has been deprecated by the "New Experience" in recent releases.

Word does not have the term "Quick Style Set"
It is not used on the domain Welcome
Ed Bott didn't use such a term in Microsoft Office Inside Out:2013 Edition, published through MicroSoftPress.
It seems to be your own creation despite no precedent from MicroSoft, Sarah Barnhill or anyone else.
However, the term is used in a Youtube video for a different item. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liQFbLo9Cx0, which is also applied incorrectly.

Even when Right Clicking on the style to add to the Gallery, it is "Add to Style Gallery" or through the modify style window, "Add to the Styles gallery"

Style Sets are listed in the Design Ribbon. A Style Set can be selected. Hovering over a Style Set will give the name of the Style Set. If you open the Style Pane and show All Styles, it can be more apparent that even those styles not in the Styles Gallery change. Since most of MS styles are still similar, it can be more obvious if a Style is edited so the preview change is even more obvious.
OR, you can remove ALL the Styles from the Gallery and then Change the Style Set on the Design Ribbon. Your statement indicates then that NOTHING will change because none of the Styles are in the Gallery.

Her name is Suzanne Barnhill if you are talking about the Word MVP.

Did you read the quotation I posted from Faithe Wempen?

The term Quick Styles originated with Microsoft, not me.
Add and remove styles from the Quick Styles gallery - Microsoft Support

Duck Duck Go Search
Google Search


Have you looked at the storage location for Style Sets?
It is the QuickStyles folder.
Did you try either of the experiments?

Yes, the Styles Pane allows preview of Styles. It has since, I think, Word 2000. I usually keep this turned off but the dropdown still has it.


This is confusing, I know, it took me years to figure it out.
Here is a good blog:
Behind the Curtain (II) - Styles, Doc Defaults, Style Sets, and Themes - Jonathan Bailor - blog - How do document defaults relate to the Normal style? How do Style Sets relate to Styles? How do Themes relate to Styles? - It is by one of the originators of the concepts and explains that the style sets only change styles in the Quick Styles Gallery.