Underline text in color (XP Professional SP2)

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I would like to underline text in a different color than the text itself; I traced the function “UnderlineColor” in Tools; Customise; Keyboard; etc. and Assigned Ctrl + Shift + U as the keyboard shortcut but it fails to offer me the desired effect. Can anyone confirm that the definition; “UnderlineColor” means underlining can be done in a different color to that of the text or am I misunderstanding the function? Thanks Dave.

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You can set the underline color from the Format > Font dialog box, or in VBA you can set Range or Selection .Font.UnderlineColor

StuartR

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UnderlineColor will not work as a keyboard shortcut. It needs to be a toolbar button (which will show a dropdown palette when clicked) or a menu item (which will show a submenu).

If you add UnderlineColor to the Format menu, you can use the usual Alt+O to activate the Format menu, etc.

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Thanks guys but, remember some of us asking questions are not familiar with all these acronyms like VBA (Stuart) and Hans, how to add “Underline color to the Format menu. Sounds straight forward but some of us need more than a basic answer, we / I need things spelled out bit by bit. If as you say Hans, UnderlineColor will not work as a keyboard shortcut, I am bewildered as to why it has it been included in the hundreds of options in the customize keyboard menu? So in short, please elucidate on what VBA stands for and how UnderlineColor can be added to the Format menu as I am still on a mission to make my mouse redundant, hence the quest for knowing – existing and creating – as many keyboard shortcuts as possible. Onset of RSI in the wrist I’m afraid. Thanks again Dave.

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The customize keyboard dialog simply lists *all* commands available in Word, whether they can be used from the keyboard or not.

Since you apparently know how to customize the keyboard, and since his dialog is opened from the dialog used to customize toolbars and menus, I had assumed that you knew how to do the latter. Sorry about that. Here is a step-by step instruction how to add the UnderlineColor item to a toolbar or menu:

– Select Tools | Customize…
– Activate the Commands tab.
– Scroll down the list of categories on the left hand side and select All Commands.
– Scroll down the list of commands on the right hand side and select UnderlineColor (you can type U to jump to the first item beginning with U).
– To add the command to a toolbar: drag the UnderlineColor item to a convenient location on a toolbar and drop it there.
– To add the command to the Format menu: drag the UnderlineColor item to the Format menu, wait until the menu drops down, move to a convenient location and drop the item there.
– Close the Customize dialog.

(VBA = Visual Basic for Applications, the programming language that can be used in Word, Excel etc.)

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A thousand thanks Hans. Just got a ping on the base unit indicating an incoming email so thought I would stop what I was doing and read it and as it was an immediate reply from your good self I thought I in turn would acknowledge it even before I had a go at following your detailed instructions. I am confident they will enable me to achieve the required task so thanks again, sincerely. Dave.

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Just followed your instructions Hans and was able to drag the appropriate icon to the Format tab but not to the main tool bar, don’t know why it would not transport there but at least (using the keyboard) I can get as far as the color options then of course I must resort to the mouse to select a color. At least mouse activity in this instance is reduced to a minimum; Thanks a lot, another small feather in my cap. Cheers again Dave.

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You can do it all using the keyboard:
– Select the text for which you want to set the underline color (I assume that you know how to select text using the keyboard)
– Press Alt+O to activate the Format menu.
– Use the down arrow or the underlined letter to go to the Underline Color submenu.
– Press the right arrow to make the color palette fly out.
– Use the arrow keys to select a color.
– Press Enter to apply the selected color.

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Thanks again Hans, did not realize that when the color pallet pops out the black color is automatically in Focus and that one click of the Down arrow gives access to the multiple colors below. As ever, a thousand thanks, what I did before stumbling on this forum was simply to go round in circles & get frustrated. Am forever telling my friends about Woody’s. Regards Dave.

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You can also set Underline Color from the keyboard without needing to customize your menus.

Select the text
Control-U to underline the text
Alt-O to open the Format menu
F to open the Format Font dialog box
Tab-Tab-Tab-Tab-Tab to highlight the Underline color control
Enter to open the Underline color control
Arrow keys to select the color you want
Enter to close the Underline color control
Tab-Tab-Tab-Tab-Tab-Tab-Tab-Tab-Tab-Tab-Tab-Tab-Tab to move to the OK button
Enter – to confirm your choice and close the Format Font dialog box

StuartR

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Hi Stuart, sincere apologies for not acknowledging your instructions, it was just by chance when scrolling through the list of questions in “Word” that I came across it. Just goes to show the possibilities with Microsoft are seemingly endless with numerous ways to perform the same end purpose. Thank you Dave.

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