The fonts and other formatting for text in the content management system's Web sites is pre-formatted for visual consistency across the Ball State Web site.

Below are examples of when to format text in Vignette.

Font

The system font cannot be changed. This provides consistency across the Ball State Web site and makes the site easier to use.

Text color

Leaving text as the default color is the best way to present your text. It helps it appear less cluttered and easier to read. Only use colored text when absolutely necessary.

Text formatting (underlining, bold, other formatting)

Some formatting can lead to confusion for people who use your site.

If you underline words, people may think they are links and try to click them. When they don't go anywhere, it causes them frustration. If you have a book title or other text that should be formatted, use italics instead.

Overuse of bolding can also be confusing. Use bold face type when the information is important, or in text headings as you see in this article. Use bold to help visitors to your site read faster and find the information they need.

Bullet points

Using bullet points can be valuable for people who use your site. It gives you another way to organize your information. Remember to use bullets if you have a dense paragraph that lists a lot of information.

For an example of bullet-point use, check out these sites.

• Student Services Web site
• The Academic Colleges and Departments page

Text alignment

Leave text aligned to its default position on the left side of the page. Centering text headers can clutter an article. Use bold to set off a text header, which you can see has been done in this article.

Formatting in MS Word

The CMS allows you to edit the text of articles in your account using Microsoft Word 2003 or older versions.  If you have installed Word 2007, you will not be able to use MS Word to create or edit the text of articles.

If you have Word 2003 or older versions installed on your computer, you can create the article body directly in Word by selecting the Word icon in the Editor Toolbar. 

Once the text and formatting have been completed in Word, Click File > Close to close the Word window.  The text will automatically be placed into the body for your Vignette Article. 

Scroll down and click Save, open the article editor and preview before you make any additional formatting changes in the body of the article. If you need to go back to Word to make changes, again click on the MS Word icon and repeat the above steps to place the information into the article body.

The Editor Toolbar is still available if you have MS Word 2007 installed on your computer, but the Word icon feature will no longer be functional.