Unable to Change Header Text Color in Table Style

Problem solved! I figured out why I could not change the header text in a table template! I was using the "Normal" style to format body text in my document template and had changed the color to grey. When I changed the font color of "Normal" to "automatic," I could magically change the color of the header text in the table template! Evidently, "Normal" is used in the table template header!

So, I am now using the style "Body Text" to format paragraphs.

As a follow-up, I just learned about the relationship between the "Normal" style and table styles in a related post: Hiding "Default Paragraph Font" and "Normal" Styles? Because my changes to "Normal" were overriding my table template headers, I had switched my template so writers would use "Body Text" instead of "Normal" for paragraphs. This meant I could leave "Normal" alone so it would not cause any problems with my table template headers.

In the other post, I had asked about hiding the "Normal" style so writers would not insert both "Normal" and "Body Text" styles for paragraphs. As it turns out, there may not be a reliable way to hide "Normal," but I did learn that I could just use "Normal" for paragraphs again, and drop the idea of using "Body Text" as a substitute  for "Normal."

The trick for using "Normal" again was to set the attributes of the default font of the document to match "Normal." For example, if "Normal" was Arial, 10, grey, I needed to set the default font to Arial, 10, grey (Manage Styles > Set Defaults). When the default font matches "Normal," the table styles take precedence over the default styles, so I magically get my white font in the table header and grey text for paragraphs!

For details on style precedence, see Pam Caswell's comment in this post: Hiding "Default Paragraph Font" and "Normal" Styles?

Hi,

I don't know if you are still interested in the answer to this question - but I had exactly the same problem ~ and I found the solution.

So, open the document you want to have the custom table in ~ or predefined table style.

Then click the little button at the bottom right of the Styles tile on the Home tab - to expand the list of styles in a separate window.  Then click on the "Manage styles button" (bottom right) and then select the Set Defaults tab.  There you will see the Font Color being set to automatic.  with + Body selected as the font; change this to be the color you want for your Normal Font (not the table font you want - just the regular font colour you use; probably black or dark grey...) ~ If your header row hasn't already changed color; then you can change it within the table style.

Also - if you want to use a different font to the default - then you will need to set a custom font in change styles and define your Header & Body fonts.  (You will need to do this before I think)

Let me know if that works; and if not; what you experience.

Cheers,

j

I've experimented enough with setting header text color in table templates to see that this is a fragile feature. My goal is to create a default table template that writers can use without having to add inline formatting for either table header text or table body text. However, when I create a fresh document and make a new table style, I find that something eventually breaks my initial setting of the header text color in my table template.

For example, if I were to create a table template with a blue header background and white text, as I proceed to set up other styles, some set of keystrokes renders the table header text color unchangeable (it is shifted to "automatic") and it sets the color to a default of grey.

I've noticed two types of behavior in the Modify Style window, and both types of behavior are associated with this "locked" header color:

1. The GUI does not allow me to change the header text color in the dropdown. The drop-down displays the color palette, but when I click a new color, it is never populated in the color selection box, and the table attributes listed in the box below never change.
2. The GUI allows me to change the header text color in the drop-down such that my desired color appears in the color box. Also, the table preview looks correct, and the table attributes listed below are accurate. Here is an example: Font: Arial, 12 pt, Font color: Custom Color(RGB(255,250,250)); Line spacing:  single, Space; After:  0 pt, Box: (Single solid line, Gray-60%,  1.5 pt Line width); Pattern: Clear (Custom Color(RGB(0,68,104))); Priority: 100; Based on: Table Normal. I would expect the actual table to have white text in the header, but it remains grey text.

Is anyone else out there using table templates in a production environment?

I just noticed that when I make new "docx" documents in Word 2010, I am able to modify the color of header text in table styles; however, it appears that my older "doc" files that are opening in Compatibility Mode are not allowing me to change the header text color in the table style editor.

Could Compatibility Mode for "doc" files be the reason that I'm not able to edit the header text color in table styles? Again, the behavior I'm seeing is that, although I choose a new color for the text (applied to headers), the color does not change in the color field and the preview does not change immediately below (and neither does the header text in the actual table).

I should mention that even in fresh, new "docx" documents, the behavior in the table style editor of the header text color box is unusual: even when I select a new header text color, the color never is populated in the box. Instead, it remains listed as "automatic"--even though the preview and the actual table shows the new header color.