Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Searching for Non-Black Text.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated May 25, 2019)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
When searching for text in a document, it is easy to search for formats such as "bold" or "italic." You can also search for "not bold" and "not italic." You can search for text of a specific color, but Word does not allow you to search for text other than a specific color. For instance, you cannot search for text that is "not black."
If you need to search for text that is not black, then the best way to do so is with a macro. Consider the following macro, which prompts you for your search text, and then looks for the first non-black instance of that text.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here:
Sub FindNotBlack()
With Selection.Find
.ClearFormatting
.Text = InputBox(prompt:="Enter the search text.", _
Title:="Find Nonblack Text")
Do While .Execute
With Selection.Font
If (.Color <> wdColorAutomatic) And _
(.Color <> wdColorBlack) Then
MsgBox "Found"
Exit Sub
End If
End With
Loop
End With
End Sub
Note that the macro checks to see if the color of the matched text is different from black (wdColorBlack) and from the automatic color (wdColorAutomatic). This is because the automatic color is black on most systems.
Note:
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (1387) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Searching for Non-Black Text.
Do More in Less Time! An easy-to-understand guide to the more advanced features available in the Microsoft 365 version of Word. Enhance the quality of your documents and boost productivity in any field with this in-depth resource. Complete your Word-related tasks more efficiently as you unlock lesser-known tools and learn to quickly access the features you need. Check out Microsoft 365 Word For Professionals For Dummies today!
The most powerful search engine in Word use pattern matching, but the way you specify special characters in a ...
Discover MoreWord allows you to insert different types of breaks in your text that help control how your document is paginated. If you ...
Discover MoreWord allows you to search not for special characters that normally do not print such as paragraph marks and line breaks.
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2021-03-17 02:17:13
JW
Thanks for this! It is very close to what I was seeking.
Is there a way to tweak it to find ANY text that is not black or "automatic"?
Thank you!
Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2026 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments