Bold, underlined, italic text not displaying on PC screen or when printed

Anonymous
2018-03-04T07:39:30+00:00

I use several templates that have bold, italic, and underlined headers/paragraph headings.   Every now and again when I open these templates (and any document based on them) none of the formatting is displayed on my PC screen ie the whole document looks like it is typed in plain times roman 12 with no bold, italic, underline anywhere.

I have opened word 2016 in safe mode and the same thing is occurring.

I have printed a page that I know should have the formatting and it is printing plain too.

I have not touched the formatting in any way.

I have found that, randomly, rebooting will solve the issue and the bold etc displays and prints.  However, for the last couple of days this is not working.

Also, when viewed on a PC I send the completed docs to, all the correct formatting is displayed?!

Any ideas?

Many thanks in advance.

edited to add:

Just to add, this is the 'reveal formatting' information.  It says bold and italic but the text on the screen is plain.

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Suzanne S Barnhill 279.4K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
2018-03-22T19:49:01+00:00

As I replied to your email, somehow TNR Bold had been applied as direct formatting. On my end, selecting text and pressing Ctrl+Spacebar to remove the direct formatting, then reapplying the bold formatting, corrected the problem in the Reveal Formatting task pane.

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  1. Doug Robbins - MVP - Office Apps and Services 323.6K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2018-03-21T06:58:05+00:00

    If you send me a copy of the template, referencing this thread in the covering email message, I will investigate the issue.

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  2. Anonymous
    2018-03-21T11:09:27+00:00

    Hi Doug

    Thank you very much for your comment and offer.  Unfortunately, Suzanne had already offered to do this but it would not work as the template, and documents that derive from it, all look absolutely fine on other PCs.

    If you look at these two images I provided (copied again here) can you tell why they would look so different?  I am sure for the formatting issue this is where the answer lies.  (1st image is the RF when document is displaying correctly (selected text IS underlined AND bold) which it is meant to be.  The 2nd image is when the document is NOT displaying correctly (selected text is underlined but NOT bold - note the word 'bold' in this image is tabbed and I wonder what has/is caused/causing this?)  The default font on both IS Times New Roman 12 pt REGULAR.  I make/have made no changes to this template whatsoever at any time. 

    Thanks again.

    1                                                                                          2

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  3. Suzanne S Barnhill 279.4K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2018-03-21T13:59:19+00:00

    Again, looking at those screen shots, I believe that what's making the difference is the selection of Times New Roman Bold as the default font. Although you indicated that underline was not showing up, it seems to be in this example. But when you apply Bold to text that is already bold, you're actually removing it, which is what seems to be happening in the right example above. Also, since the Bold variant is selected as the default font, it can't display italic. When you have Regular selected as the default font, then applying Bold or Italic or both causes Word to use the Bold, Italic, or Bold Italic variant.

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  4. Anonymous
    2018-03-21T16:06:29+00:00

    yes, just an example, sometimes both missing, just in that particular photo the underline was there and the bold was not.

    We went into a fair bit of detail regarding the default font.  Unless you can tell me of another way to set this, I can assure you that the default font on the normal doc, if I select font details in the home bar, and on reveal formatting in all my documents is Times New Roman 12pt Regular.

    I did previously post a photo for you (copied below for ease) showing the RF and home bar and an incorrect document and with one word highlighted on the home bar it says TNR 12pt reg and on RF it says TNR 12pt bold (bold is tabbed) BUT the actual font of the text looks like Arial and is NOT bold (it should actually be TNR 12pt bold)??????

    I have tried changing the font to the bold version and back again.  I have tried making the default font a completely different font.  It makes not a blind bit of difference.

    edited to add, I am not applying any formatting to the template myself so there is no way I can be turning off the default bold or any other required features by applying them.  I am not touching the formatting of anything just typing in places were there is a * in regular TNR.  In the example 2, the highlighted text is not bold but it should be.

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