How to Change the Style of Table Titles and Figure Captions in Microsoft Word

This tutorial shows how to change the style of table titles and figure captions in Microsoft Word.

Recently, we inserted table titles and figure captions in Word. Today, we’ll change the style (e.g., font, font size, color, alignment, etc.) of those titles and captions.

We’ll look at three different processes:

1. How to change the style of existing and future table titles and figure captions

2. How to create a new caption style in documents without existing table titles or figure captions

3. How to change the style of individual table titles and figure captions

This tutorial is also available as a YouTube video showing all the steps in real time.

Watch more than 150 other videos about Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat on my YouTube channel.

The images below are from Word for Microsoft 365. The steps are the same in Word 2021, Word 2019, Word 2016, and similar in Word 2013 and Word 2010. However, your interface may look slightly different in those older versions of the software.

How to Change the Style of Existing and Future Table Titles and Figure Captions

This section shows how to change the style of all existing table titles and figure captions in your document. These changes will also apply to any table titles or figure captions added to the same document in the future.

Select the Home tab in the ribbon.

Home tab in Word 2019/Word 365 — Figure 1. Home tab

Select the text of an existing table title or figure caption.

Table title selected in Word 2019/Word 365 — Figure 2. Selected table title

Select the dialog box launcher in the Styles group.

Styles group dialog box launcher in Word 2019/Word 365 — Figure 3. Styles group dialog box launcher

Select the menu arrow to the right of Caption in the Styles pane. (Note that the arrow won’t be visible until you hover your pointer over that spot.)

Caption menu arrow in the Styles pane of Word 2019/Word 365 — Figure 4. Caption menu arrow

Select Modify from the menu.

Caption modify option in the Styles pane of Word 2019/Word 365 — Figure 5. Modify option

Make all necessary formatting changes in the Modify Style dialog box.

Here are the eight basic modifications:

1. Font
2. Font size
3. Emphasis
4. Font color
5. Alignment
6. Line spacing
7. Spacing before and after
8. Indentation

Formatting in the Modify Style dialog box for table titles and figure captions in Word 2019/Word 365 — Figure 6. Formatting options

Select Only in this document to ensure that your new style is limited to your current document.

Only in this document option in the Modify Style dialog box in Word 2019/Word 365 — Figure 7. *Only in this document* option

Ensure that Automatically update is not checked. (If Automatically update is checked, changes made to one table title or figure caption will be applied to all table titles and figure captions in your document.)

"Automatically update" in the Modify Style dialog box in Word 2019/Word 365 — Figure 8. Automatically update option

Select the OK button to save your changes. The Modify Style dialog box will close automatically.

OK button in the Modify Style dialog box in Word 2019/Word 365 — Figure 9. OK button

Save your document to save your changes.

How to Create a New Caption Style in Documents without Existing Table Titles or Figure Captions

The initial steps to access caption styles are different in blank documents and documents without existing table titles or figure captions than the steps shown in the previous section for documents with existing table titles or figure captions. However, the final five steps are the same for all situations.

Select the Home tab in the ribbon (see figure 1).
Select the dialog box launcher in the Styles group (see figure 3).
Select the Manage Styles button in the Styles pane.

Manage Styles button in the Styles pane in Word 2019/Word 365 — Figure 10. Manage Styles button

Select the Sort order menu arrow in the Manage Styles dialog box.

"Sort order" menu arrow in the Manage Styles dialog box in Word 2019/Word365 — Figure 11. *Sort order* menu arrow

Select Alphabetical from the menu.

"Sort order" menu in the Manage Styles dialog box in Word 2019/Word 365 — Figure 12. *Sort order* menu

Select Caption (Hide Until Used) from the Select a style to edit menu.

"Select a style to edit" menu in the Managed Styles dialog box in Word 2019/Word 365 — Figure 13. *Select a style to edit* menu

Select the Modify button.

Modify button in the Manage Styles dialog box in Word 2019/Word 365 — Figure 14. Modify button

Continue to follow steps 6 through 10 in the previous section to create your new table title and figure caption style.

How to Change the Style of Individual Table Titles and Figure Captions

Important note: The following steps will only work if Automatically update is not checked in the Modify Style dialog box, as shown in figure 8. If Automatically update is checked, any changes made to one table title or figure caption will be applied to all table titles and figure captions in your document.

Select the Home tab in the ribbon (see figure 1).
Select all or part of the table title or figure caption text that you want to change.
Use the options in the Font and Paragraph groups to select new style options, just as you would regular body text.