# MS Word: Is there a way to replace text by color? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 23, 2010, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-is-there-a-way-to-replace-text-by-color/533514 "2010-03-23T18:42:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-is-there-a-way-to-replace-text-by-color/533514/1 "2010-03-23T18:42:59Z")
Let’s say I have a large document. The text is in many different colors. Is there any way to search only all the words “the” that are green and replace them with red? I don’t want the search to come up with all of the instances where “the” appears, only the green ones. And I don’t want it to replace the words that are blue with red. If that’s not possible, is there any way to replace all instances of one color text with a different color regardless of the text? ---
**Author:** ![Corner\_Case](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/corner_case/32/234_2.png) [@Corner\_Case](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corner_Case)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-is-there-a-way-to-replace-text-by-color/533514/2 "2010-03-23T18:49:31Z")
Press Ctrl+H to bring up Find/Replace. Enter the “Find what” text. Click “More\>\>” At the bottom under ‘Replace’ click “Format” Choose ‘Font’ Change ‘Font color’ from “No color” to current color. Click “Ok” Enter the “Replace with” text. At the bottom under ‘Replace’ click “Format” Choose ‘Font’ Change ‘Font color’ from “No color” to new color. Click “Ok” Click “Replace All” Does this help? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-is-there-a-way-to-replace-text-by-color/533514/3 "2010-03-23T18:50:26Z")
The only reference to color that I found in find/replace is to white space. You might be able to come up with a macro to do it, but other than that I don’t think so. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-is-there-a-way-to-replace-text-by-color/533514/4 "2010-03-23T20:19:53Z")
Note that different versions of Microsoft Word handle this differently. **Corner Case** ’s solution works just fine on the Word I have on this machine (a Windows machine with Word 2003 SP2). If it doesn’t work for you, **YogSosoth** , let us know what version you have. I can get the procedure on my Mac if you’d like, or check the new Word on my wife’s Windows 7 machine. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-is-there-a-way-to-replace-text-by-color/533514/5 "2010-03-23T20:56:24Z")
> [@Corner\_Case](#): > > Press Ctrl+H to bring up Find/Replace. > Enter the “Find what” text. > Click “More\>\>” > At the bottom under ‘Replace’ click “Format” > Choose ‘Font’ > Change ‘Font color’ from “No color” to current color. > Click “Ok” > Enter the “Replace with” text. > At the bottom under ‘Replace’ click “Format” > Choose ‘Font’ > Change ‘Font color’ from “No color” to new color. > Click “Ok” > Click “Replace All” > > Does this help? It works it works!! Thanks! It seems to easy now that I know how to do it :smack: For the record, I have MS Word 2002 SP3 (don’t laugh, I get it for free legally :p)