Unless you decide to use the approach illustrated in this tip.Ĭhanging the Default Highlighting Color 2017 04 01įinally, please go to these "UserVoice" suggestions to MS asking for more Highlighter colors. Want more colors to use with the highlighter? The colors used for highlighting cannot be changed beyond what is offered in the fifteen colors. Numbers that start at the left with 1-9, 09-01 (?), oA-o.Ĭreating Multiple Highlighter Tools 2020 08 24Īnd then there is this alternate approach to get more colors:Įxpanding Colors Available for Highlighting (Paragraph Shading)Ē016 03 19 With the macro buttons on the QAT you can use the default numbers that display when you press and hold the ALT key. The "next level" is to create a macro, or macros, for the various highlight colors, then a either assign specific "logical" shortcut keys to the macros, or put the macros on the QAT, select more appropriate buttons. You can now use the shortcut key you specified in step 6 to highlight any text you've selected. Click on OK to dismiss the Customize dialog box.
Click on OK to dismiss the Customize Keyboard dialog box.This assigns the shortcut key to the Highlight command. For instance, you might want to press Alt+H. Press the shortcut key you want to use for highlighting.Position the insertion point in the Press New Shortcut Key text box.Using the Commands list, choose Highlight.Using the Categories list, choose All Commands.Word displays the Customize Keyboard dialog box. Word provides no built-in shortcut that will apply a highlight to text, but you can easily create your own shortcut by following these steps: The other part deals with how you can actually highlight whatever text has been selected, using just the keyboard. While this is helpful, it is only part of the solution.
HIGHLIGHT TEXT SHORTCUT HOW TO
Many were quick to respond with ways that told how to use the keyboard to select text, such as holding down the Shift key while using the arrow keys or using any number of other selection methods. The ambiguity around the word "highlight" was evident when WordTips subscribers were asked how they can highlight text using the keyboard only, and not the mouse. It is analogous to a highlighter you use to mark text on a printed page.) In short, you first select text, and then you highlight the selected text by using the Highlight tool. (The Highlight tool is available on the Formatting toolbar. Highlighting, on the other hand, is a formatting task accomplished by using the Highlight tool. You select text before you are going to do something with it, such as applying an editing or formatting command. In Word parlance, the two words have very specific meanings.
He wondered if there was a way to highlight selected words using just the keyboard.īefore answering, there is something that needs to be clarified: There is some ambiguity when it comes to the word "highlight." For instance, if I say I am going to highlight a word, some people think that means I am going to double-click the word. He prefers to not use the mouse, preferring the keyboard instead. Both Ctrl + C and Ctrl + Insert will copy highlighted text or a selected item. The workaround appears to be what you almost had - to enter it as a system-wide hotkey, then it works just fine.Frank noted that it seems the Highlight tool is only accessible by using the mouse. Top 10 keyboard shortcuts everyone should know. Testing a similar sub-menu in Safari by adding Ctrl ⌃ E to Check Spelling While Typing works perfectly. Then use Shift-U to cycle through highlighting tools in the order Highlighter,Underline Text, Cross Out Text. However, to enable single-key shortcuts, open the Preferences dialog box (Edit > Preferences), and under General, select the Use Single-Key Accelerators To Access Tools option. Frankly, I have no idea why it would not work, as that would be the standard way to implement something like this.Įdit: This appears to have been a bug in that particular version of Preview & now works as expected. There isnt a shortcut for the highlight exactly. Strangely, I cannot make any hotkey work if I specify that item for Preview only, as suggested in comments. You can use the hierarchy syntax, as mentioned in Arthur Hammer's answer - Tools->Annotate->Highlight Text - but unless there is potential for confusion, if the same command was present in two hierarchies, performing slightly different tasks, for instance, then there is no need. Normally, you don't need to specify the menu hierarchy at all - simply use 'Highlight Text' as your menu item. The error is that you've partly listed the hierarchy, though incorrectly.