The default black bullet points in Word have become all too familiar and, let’s be honest, a bit dull and boring. If you want to elevate the presentation and readability of your documents, changing minor details like the color of your bullet points can make a big difference.
In fact, you’re not limited to just one color for all bullet points. You can set different colors for each type: main bullets, sub-bullets, and even individual bullets. Plus, you can save custom bullet styles for future use. Let’s explore how you can do all that in Microsoft Word.
How to Change the Color of Bullets in a List
To change only the color of your bullets (symbols or numbers) without affecting the list text, follow these steps:
How to Change the Color of Sub-Bullets in a List
If you have a multi-level bullet list, your main bullet color will not apply to the sub-bullets in the list. You can use the same method to apply a different color to sub-bullets. Here’s how:
How to Change the Color of Individual Bullets
By now, you’ve probably noticed that coloring one bullet in Word also changes the color of all bullets in the list. But what if you want to have a different color for each bullet?
You can do this by defining the bullet as a separate list. To do so, right-click on the bullet you want to recolor and selectSeparate List.
The bullet you selected (and the ones below it) will now be treated as a separate list. Now, you can color the bullets individually. Here’s how:
If you want to rejoin a bullet back to the previous bullets, right-click on it and selectJoin to Previous List.
How to Save Your Colored Bullets to the Bullet Library
Aside from manually coloring the bullets in your document isn’t the only way toformat and manage lists in Microsoft Word. You can save your custom bullet appearance for future use. Here’s how you can do that:
To remove a bullet from the library, right-click on it in the Bullet Library and selectRemove.
Go Beyond the Black Dot With Colored Bullets in Microsoft Word
Colored bullets make your Word documents more readable and aesthetic. Now that you know how to change the color of bullets in Word, you can elevate the visual appeal of your documents and make them more engaging and reader-friendly.
For formal papers like reports or resumes, black is typically safest. For more casual materials like personal notes, handouts, flyers, and brochures, opt for colors that are easy on the eyes. Bright colors without enough contrast can be distracting.
So before you go color-happy, consider your audience and the document’s purpose to balance creativity with professionalism.
