Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated September 27, 2019)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
I dislike Word's pseudo-small caps, which are just reductions of full-size caps. So I use a font (Linux Libertine) that has a sister font (L-Libertine C) in which the lowercase letters are replaced by true typographic small caps. It provides a much better look to my documents.
I also control the formatting in Word documents by using styles. I created a style that uses the small caps font I like and I named the style "Style Linux Libertine small caps". In the Format tab of the Font dialog box I did not tick the Small Caps check box because the true small caps are already there in the lowercase range for the font. Even so, after every save and restart, Word ignored that empty check box and created pseudo-small caps out of the L-Libertine C font's uppercase character set; it ignored the actual lowercase typeface entirely.
In investigating this situation, it seems that simply putting the phrase "small caps" in the style name is enough for Word to override the settings in the style definition. When I took the words "small caps" out of the style name, Word had no problem using the typeface as it should have all along.
The moral of the story is that if you are using styles and Word overrides your definitions, you may want to experiment with the name you use for the style definition.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (7601) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.
Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2013. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word 2013 Step by Step today!
Insert one document into another and you may not get the results you expect. Here's why, along with what you can do about it.
Discover MoreNeed to get rid of direct, explicit formatting applied to a document? Here's an easy way to do it using familiar Word tools.
Discover MoreWant to get rid of some styles in a document that you don't need any more? It can be a difficult thing to do, unless you ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
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 © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments