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SEBA_RO's avatar
SEBA_RO
Copper Contributor
Feb 23, 2025
Solved

Table of contents different colors for headings number

Hi,

 

I am using Office 365 on a WIN 11 computer.

 

I received a project where the number of heading 2 had a different color than the rest of the headings.

The document was translated into another language. The agency asked me to review the translated file and update the TOC.  All was fine until I updated the TOC and I noticed that all numbers before each heading were black.

I started checking the styles set in the source file for any possible mismatch with the translated file. They were identical.

Still, when I was updating the translated file those numbers were still black.

 

Therefore, I updated the TOC of the source document and it resulted in the numbers being black as in the translated file.

Bottom line, I manually changed the colors of numbers for TOC02. I found it very frustrating.

 

What was I doing wrong? What had I missed? I have been working for years with MS Word. I had never been asked to make numbers in TOC different from one level to another.

 

Is it possible?

 

Thank you,

Sebastian

 

 

  • The only way to do this is to manually apply color to the numbers in the table of contents. After you have generated your TOC, hold the Alt key and use the mouse to create a vertical selection (see the screen shot). Then apply the desired color to the selection. The color will be lost and must be reapplied the next time you update the TOC.

     

  • Charles_Kenyon's avatar
    Charles_Kenyon
    Bronze Contributor

    The colors for the numbering, if different from the color of the Heading 2 style, are controlled in the Define New MultiLevel List. This coloring may be picked up in the TOC.

    Correction: I was mistaken in this, Word does not pick up the color from the MulitLevel List.

    • Stefan_Blom's avatar
      Stefan_Blom
      MVP

      Charles,

      I got the impression that only the colors in the TOC should change. Maybe I was mistaken. 

      Your solution will definitely be better if the colors should display in the headings (in the doc body) as well as in the corresponding entries of the TOC. 

  • The only way to do this is to manually apply color to the numbers in the table of contents. After you have generated your TOC, hold the Alt key and use the mouse to create a vertical selection (see the screen shot). Then apply the desired color to the selection. The color will be lost and must be reapplied the next time you update the TOC.

     

    • SEBA_RO's avatar
      SEBA_RO
      Copper Contributor

      Thank you Stefan_Blom. I appreciate your response. Have a nice day.

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