# Forcing tags to print **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [June 25, 2003, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forcing-tags-to-print/184225 "2003-06-25T04:19:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forcing-tags-to-print/184225/1 "2003-06-25T04:19:47Z")
You can force what would normally be a tag to print by inserting a tag in the middle of it. For instance, [co\*\*\*\*lor=blue]&**Delta;[/co**lor] will print Δ. To do the above, I did: For instance, [co[**b][**/b]lor=blue]&[**b][**/b]Delta;[/co[**b][**/b]lor] will print [co\*\*\*\*lor=blue]&**Delta;[/co**lor]. You can put the [**b][**/b] pair anywhere in the tag, I think. Preview, preview, preview. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forcing-tags-to-print/184225/2 "2003-06-25T05:52:59Z")
I prefer this way: [ will appear as a left bracket, and & will appear as an ampersand. I don’t have a good explanation as to why I think this way is better, but for one thing, if they ever change the tags, it will still work. [color=blue]Δ[/color] becomes Δ ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forcing-tags-to-print/184225/3 "2003-06-25T05:54:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Achernar \* > I prefer this way: [ will appear as a left bracket, and & will appear as an ampersand. Well that was patently unhelpful. I meant to say this: [ will appear as a left bracket, and & will appear as an ampersand.