Formatting Issues

How to Change All Word Table and Figure Captions Font Size

Partner Editor Oct 10, 2026 872 views

Question details

The user wants to efficiently update the font size of every table and figure caption in a Word document to 7.5 points without manually editing each one.

How to Change All Table and Figure Captions to 7.5-Point Text in Word

Product: Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Formatting a long document where table and figure captions need to maintain uniform font sizes, even if direct formatting was previously applied.
Observed behavior: Changing the font size of a selected caption from the styles gallery only updates that specific caption instead of all captions document-wide.

Before you start

Ensure that your captions were originally inserted using the built-in Insert Caption tool, which automatically assigns them to the default 'Caption' style.

Solution 1Recommended

Modify the Default Caption Style

Updating the global Caption style is the standard and most efficient way to change the formatting of all captions in your document simultaneously.

This method works best if you have not manually overridden the font size of individual captions by selecting the text and directly changing its size.

Open the Styles Pane

Navigate to the Home tab on the ribbon. Click the small arrow icon in the bottom-right corner of the Styles group to open the Styles pane.

Locate the Caption Style

Scroll through the list of styles in the pane until you find 'Caption'. If you don't see it, click 'Options' at the bottom of the pane and choose to show 'All styles'.

Modify the Font Size

Right-click the 'Caption' style and select 'Modify'. In the formatting section of the dialog box, type '7.5' into the font size box.

Apply Changes

Click 'OK'. Every caption in your document that uses this style will automatically update to 7.5-point text.

Solution 2

Use Advanced Find and Replace (For Overridden Styles)

If you previously selected the entire document and manually changed the font size, this overrides the default style. You must use Find and Replace to enforce the 7.5-point size.

Effortless Document Formatting

Format Captions Quickly in WPS Writer

WPS Writer offers an intuitive Styles pane and a powerful Advanced Find and Replace utility, making it incredibly easy to batch format figures, tables, and text. It is highly compatible with Microsoft Word, so your documents look perfect every time.

1. Open Your Document: Launch WPS Writer and open your .docx document containing the figures and tables.
2. Access the Styles Pane: Go to the Home tab and click the Styles Settings icon (or press Alt+Ctrl+Shift+S) to open the Styles pane on the right side of the screen.
3. Modify the Caption Format: Right-click the 'Caption' style, select 'Modify', change the font size to 7.5, and click OK to instantly update all captions.

Batch update heading and caption styles in secondsSeamless compatibility with Microsoft Word (.docx) formatsFree, lightweight, and fast office suiteFamiliar user interface for a smooth transition

Frequently Asked Questions

Why didn't modifying the Caption style change my font size?

If you manually highlighted text and changed the font size using the ribbon (direct formatting), it overrides the underlying base style. You will need to use the Advanced Find and Replace method to override those manual changes.

Can I format table captions differently from figure captions?

By default, both use the same 'Caption' style in Word. To format them differently, you must create a new custom style (e.g., 'Table Caption') and apply it specifically to your table captions, or modify the caption label settings.

How do I select all captions at once to change their font?

Instead of manually selecting them, open the Styles pane, right-click the 'Caption' style, and choose 'Select All'. This highlights every instance of that style in the document, allowing you to apply direct formatting simultaneously.

Document & File Issues