Knowledge Base

WD: Creating White Text on Dark Background

Article ID: 193755

Article Last Modified on 8/18/2005

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This article was previously published under Q193755

SUMMARY

To create a "reverse video" effect in Word, one of two methods can be used. The first method is to create a graphic item in the Picture window, and the second method is to use text and paragraph formats.

There are benefits and limitations to both methods. If you create a graphic item, you can create any shape background with any color fill, but you cannot edit the text, fill the background, or change the shape without returning to the Picture window. If you create the effect with text and paragraph formats, you can easily format the text and paragraph attributes, but you are limited to only square fills in shades of gray.

MORE INFORMATION

Use one of the following methods:

Method 1: Using the Drawing Tools

To create a graphic object with colored text on top of a colored background, follow these steps:
  1. On the Standard toolbar, click Drawing to display the Drawing toolbar.
  2. On the Drawing toolbar, click Create Picture.
  3. On the Drawing toolbar, click to select the shape, line, fill pattern and the color for the background, and then click and drag the desired background.
  4. On the Drawing toolbar, click Text Box. Draw the text box on the background, and then type your text into the text box.
  5. Select the text you just typed. On the Format menu, click Font. Click to select White from the Color option, and then click OK.

    NOTE: To remove the border from the text box, click to select the text box. On the Format menu, click Text Box. On the Colors and Lines tab, in the Line Color box, click to select No Line, and then click OK.
  6. Click Close Picture when finished.

Method 2: Using Paragraph and Table Shading

NOTE: When you use the following steps in Word 6.0 (Windows and Macintosh) and Word for Windows 95 (7.0), the entire paragraph will become shaded, not just the selected text.

To create formatted text included in a shaded paragraph or table cell, follow these steps:
  1. Type the text you want to appear in the shading.
  2. Select the text you just typed. On the Format menu, click Font.
  3. Click to select the character formats desired for the text, including the font, point size, and color, and then click OK.
  4. On the Format menu, click Borders And Shading. On the Shading tab, click to select a percentage of shading, and then click OK.

Additional query words: shading

Keywords: kbinfo KB193755


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