Font & Character Formatting

Bold one word in a sentence = character. Centre a line = paragraph. Heading 1 style bundles both — which is why styles win for chapter titles.

Use direct formatting for local emphasis: italic book titles, one warning in red during draft review, superscript in footnote markers.

Do not direct-format forty chapter titles. Do not select-all to change body font when Modify Normal exists.

Clear formatting: Ctrl+Space removes direct character formatting from selection; Ctrl+Q clears direct paragraph formatting.

Handbook conventions at Northgate Academy:

• Cover title: 24–28 pt, bold, school brand colour — usually via Title or Heading 1 style, not ad hoc sizing
• Body: 11–12 pt serif or sans — Normal style
• Policy emphasis: Bold sparingly; never ALL CAPS for whole paragraphs (accessibility)
• Small caps / all caps: Font dialog → Advanced — use for abbreviations only, not shouting

Change Case (Shift+F3) cycles sentence/title/upper — fixes northgate academy → Northgate Academy without retyping.

If Northgate Display font is not installed on another PC, Word substitutes a metric-compatible font — line breaks shift.

Prevention: - Stick to common fonts (Arial, Calibri, Times) for body text parents print at home - File → Options → Save → Embed fonts in the file when using custom brand fonts (increases file size) - Print Preview on a second machine before bulk print

Hidden text (Font → Hidden) disappears in print unless File → Options → Display → Print hidden text — useful for internal notes, dangerous if left in parent PDF.

Wrong: Ctrl+A → Arial 18 pt → breaks body, tables, captions.

Right: Select cover title only → apply Title style OR character format once → body stays Normal.

If Helen wants all Heading 1 Arial, Modify Heading 1 — not Select All.