[docizr-book]
Making Text Stand Out Beginner
[/docizr-book]
Headings and paragraphs give your document its shape. Now it is time to give it some personality. Bold and italic let you draw attention to the words that matter — an ingredient that must not be skipped, a title worth remembering, a rule that really cannot be missed. Markdown makes both of these easy to add with just a couple of characters.
What You Will Need
The same Markdown editor from the first workflow — open it now if it is not already. You can try each example as a fresh snippet in a new document, or build the examples together as you go.
Workflow
Step 1
Aim: make a word bold.
To make text bold, wrap it in two asterisks on each side. There is no button to click and no menu to open — just type the asterisks around the word or phrase you want to stand out.
My grandmother's recipe for **Victoria sponge** has been in the family for decades.
In the preview, 'Victoria sponge' should appear in bold. Everything else stays as normal paragraph text.
My grandmother's recipe for Victoria sponge has been in the family for decades.
Step 2
Aim: make a word italic.
Italic text uses a single asterisk on each side. It is typically used for titles, for a word being introduced for the first time, or for a lighter kind of emphasis — quieter than bold.
My grandmother's recipe for **Victoria sponge** has been in the family for decades.
*Note: this recipe makes enough for eight people.*
The note should appear in italics in your preview — the text is slanted slightly to the right. Bold and italic sit comfortably alongside each other.
My grandmother's recipe for Victoria sponge has been in the family for decades.
Note: this recipe makes enough for eight people.
Step 3
Aim: combine bold and italic.
Sometimes you need extra emphasis — a warning, a rule that must not be broken, something that really cannot be missed. You can combine bold and italic by using three asterisks on each side.
My grandmother's recipe for **Victoria sponge** has been in the family for decades.
*Note: this recipe makes enough for eight people.*
The most important rule is to ***never*** open the oven door while the cake is rising.
'Never' should appear both bold and italic — the strongest visual emphasis Markdown offers.
My grandmother's recipe for Victoria sponge has been in the family for decades.
Note: this recipe makes enough for eight people.
The most important rule is to never open the oven door while the cake is rising.
Step 4
Aim: use emphasis naturally in a short introduction.
Emphasis works best when it is used sparingly. A document where every other word is bold quickly loses impact — the reader stops noticing. Try writing a short introduction that uses bold for the key terms and italic where a lighter touch feels right.
# Classic Victoria Sponge
## Introduction
My grandmother's recipe for **Victoria sponge** has been in the family for decades. It is a *deceptively simple* cake — just four ingredients — but getting it right takes a little care.
The most important rule is to ***never*** open the oven door while the cake is rising. Patience is the secret ingredient.
*Note: this recipe makes enough for eight people.*
Classic Victoria Sponge
Introduction
My grandmother's recipe for Victoria sponge has been in the family for decades. It is a deceptively simple cake — just four ingredients — but getting it right takes a little care.
The most important rule is to never open the oven door while the cake is rising. Patience is the secret ingredient.
Note: this recipe makes enough for eight people.
Step 5
Aim: review what you have written.
Read back through your preview. The document now has structure and personality. Bold marks the important nouns; italic adds tone; three asterisks signal a rule that must not be broken.
Your Markdown source so far:
# Classic Victoria Sponge
## Introduction
My grandmother's recipe for **Victoria sponge** has been in the family for decades. It is a *deceptively simple* cake — just four ingredients — but getting it right takes a little care.
The most important rule is to ***never*** open the oven door while the cake is rising. Patience is the secret ingredient.
*Note: this recipe makes enough for eight people.*
Classic Victoria Sponge
Introduction
My grandmother's recipe for Victoria sponge has been in the family for decades. It is a deceptively simple cake — just four ingredients — but getting it right takes a little care.
The most important rule is to never open the oven door while the cake is rising. Patience is the secret ingredient.
Note: this recipe makes enough for eight people.
You now have three tools for emphasis: bold, italic, and bold italic. The next workflow shows you how to write lists — one of the most useful things you can do in Markdown for any kind of organised writing.