Apply or remove highlighting

Word contains many highlighters to make your text pop off the screen just as if you were highlighting paper with a fluorescent marker. You can select text or an image and then highlight it, or use the Highlight tool to mark different parts of a document. You can also remove highlighting or quickly find highlighted items in your document.

Note: Highlighted parts of a document are easiest to see when the document is online.

2016, 2013, 2010 Word for Mac



Highlight selected text

1. Select the text that you want to highlight.

2. On the Home tab, click the arrow next to Text Highlight Color.

   

3. Click the color that you want.

   Note: Use a light highlight color if you plan to print the document by using a monochrome palette or dot-matrix printer.

Highlight multiple parts of a document

This method is best for highlighting multiple parts of a document because the Highlight tool stays on until you decide to turn it off.

1. On the Home tab, click the arrow next to Text Highlight Color.

   

2. Click the color that you want.

   The Text Highlight Color button displays the selected color, and the mouse pointer becomes a when you point to the area of your document that contains text.

   Note: Use a light highlight color if you plan to print the document by using a monochrome palette or dot-matrix printer.

3. Select the text or graphic that you want to highlight.

4. To stop highlighting, click the arrow next to Text Highlight Color and click Stop Highlighting, or press Esc.

   The mouse pointer becomes a when you point to your document.

Remove highlighting from part or all of a document

1. Select the text that you want to remove highlighting from, or press Ctrl+A to select all of the text in the document.

2. On the Home tab, click the arrow next to Text Highlight Color.

   

3. Click No Color.

Quickly find highlighted text

1. If you are using Word 2016 or Word 2013, click Find > Advanced Find.

   If you are using Word 2010, click Find.

   The Find and Replace box appears.

2. Click Format > Highlight.

   

   If you don't see the Format button, click More.

3. Click Find Next.

Top of page

Highlight selected text

1. Select the text that you want to highlight.

2. On the Home tab, click the arrow next to Text Highlight Color.

   

3. Click the color that you want.

   Note: Use a light highlight color if you plan to print the document by using a monochrome palette or printer.

Highlight multiple parts of a document

This method is best for highlighting multiple parts of a document because the Highlight tool stays on until you decide to turn it off.

1. On the Home tab, click the arrow next to Text Highlight Color.

   

2. Click the color that you want.

   The Text Highlight Color button displays the selected color, and the mouse pointer becomes a when you point to the area of your document that contains text.

   Note: Use a light-toned highlight color if you plan to print the document by using a monochrome palette or printer.

3. Select the text or graphic that you want to highlight.

4. To stop highlighting, click the arrow next to Text Highlight Color and click Stop Highlighting, or press Esc.

   The mouse pointer becomes a when you point to your document.

Remove highlighting from part or all of a document

1. Select the text that you want to remove highlighting from, or press Ctrl+A to select all of the text in the document.

2. On the Home tab, click the arrow next to Text Highlight Color.

   

3. Click No Color.

Quickly find highlighted text

1. Click Find > Advanced Find.

   The Find and Replace box appears.

2. Click Format > Highlight.

   

   If you don't see the Format button, click More.

3. Click Find Next.

Top of page