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'Grey' Or Black Writing In Microsoft Word

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 Timmd 15 Dec 2015

How is it that when using the same font style and text size in Word, sometimes it can look 'grey', and sometimes blacker, and how can I make it all back?

It seems a little random, and while I won't fail my course if there's a difference, it'd be nice if it could all look the same, if only to stop me being vaguely puzzled.

Many thanks.
Post edited at 14:06
 ThunderCat 15 Dec 2015
In reply to Timmd:
Are you sure? Maybe it's all actually black, but some of it is a darker black than the rest?

The blackest thing of all is apparently priests' socks.




I'm bored, waiting for some data to be processed.
Post edited at 14:13
OP Timmd 15 Dec 2015
In reply to ThunderCat:
That's why I put grey in quotes.

Whatever it is, it looks different and I'm wondering how to make it all the same.

I'm blowed if I know how to make it uniform.

Bloody computers, they can seem obtuse.

''It's not all the same because you haven't done this...''

Wait until I unplug you and don't recharge again. (That's aimed at my laptop by the way)
Post edited at 14:23
 ByEek 15 Dec 2015
In reply to Timmd:

Download a little utility called ColorPic. It allows you to see the true colour of individual pixels on your screen. You might find that the anti-aliasing of fonts makes them appear grey even when they are black. Either way, the proof is generally in the printing.
OP Timmd 15 Dec 2015
In reply to ByEek:

Thanks for the tip, I might email something to my Dad's for him to print out and see what it looks like.

I think it's just one of those quirks which doesn't change the colour of what's printed, and just makes you doubt your eyes instead.
 IPPurewater 15 Dec 2015
In reply to Timmd:

Highlight all the text. You can do this by clicking and dragging the mouse from the start of text to the end or click at the start of text and hit Shift+Cntrl+End at the same time.

Then locate the underlined capital A to the right of the font type. Click the little down arrow to it's right. This should show you a sort of "matrix" of colours. Click the top LHS one under "automatic". All your highlighted characters should now be black.

 tony 15 Dec 2015
In reply to Timmd:

Select all the text (triple-click), and then use the Font Color drop-down option on the Font bit of the ribbon (this bit depends on the version of Word you're using - if in doubt, use the Help function to find it), and then select Black from the palette.
 IPPurewater 15 Dec 2015
In reply to tony:

Triple click- I never knew that ! Thanks.
 tony 15 Dec 2015
In reply to IPPurewater:

Word has lots of things like that - different ways of doing the same thing. It's interesting watching other people working Word, using different shortcuts.
 Clarence 15 Dec 2015
In reply to tony:

If there are no headings etc. in there I would select all the text and click on Normal in the styles section of the toolbar. This should clear out all the other things that could change the appearance such as italicisation or bold setting as well as changing the colour to automatic.
 ByEek 15 Dec 2015
In reply to tony:

> Word has lots of things like that - different ways of doing the same thing. It's interesting watching other people working Word, using different shortcuts.

But holey infuriating watching someone use Word who knows no shortcuts and takes forever to cut and paste when a simple Ctrl-X + Ctrl-V would do.

I knew someone once who only used the keyboard in Chrome to navigate the web. He was lightening quick - much quicker than using the mouse and it was as if the browser was possessed. It just did stuff for no apparent reason - other than being in his total control.
 steveriley 15 Dec 2015
In reply to Timmd:

Probably inline styling over-riding styles - bit of sneaky cutting and pasting? You can get rid of inline stuff by highlighting and pressing Ctrl-<Space>.
 rif 15 Dec 2015
In reply to IPPurewater:

> Triple click- I never knew that ! Thanks.

or Ctrl-A, which works in browsers as well as Word
 john arran 15 Dec 2015
In reply to Timmd:

Use the format painter (paintbrush icon) to copy the format of black-looking text to that of grey-looking text of the same size. If it still looks grey it's a rendering issue so change the zoom to 200% or so and it should look black and should also look black on paper and on many other screens. If it looks black then you've managed to add genuinely coloured text so follow the suggestions of others above to make it all black (or, better, 'automatic').
 Martin W 15 Dec 2015
In reply to john arran:

> Use the format painter (paintbrush icon) to copy the format of black-looking text to that of grey-looking text of the same size. If it still looks grey it's a rendering issue so change the zoom to 200% or so and it should look black and should also look black on paper and on many other screens. If it looks black then you've managed to add genuinely coloured text so follow the suggestions of others above to make it all black (or, better, 'automatic').

You need to ask yourself: how much more black could this be? You'll know you've done it right when the answer is none. None more black.
Andy Gamisou 16 Dec 2015
In reply to Martin W:

> You need to ask yourself: how much more black could this be? You'll know you've done it right when the answer is none. None more black.

Black! Black, and... BLACK! WE DON'T WANT TO DIE! They wait for me in the forest! WHAT'S FOR BREAKFAST, MOTHER? MAGGOTS ON TOAST? EEURGH! A TREE! IT'S A TREE!
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