In Microsoft Word, you may wish to apply colors to headings to add a decorative flair to your documents using trusted color combinations. The technique outlined below is similar in other Microsoft Office programs such as PowerPoint.

Change the text color:

1. Open Word and select the text you wish to be a heading.
2. With your text selected, expand the “Font Color” button in the home ribbon.
3. Click on the “More colors” button (From home: Alt, H, FC, M).
   
4. In the “Colors” dialogue box, click on the “Custom” tab.
5. Fill in the values for “Red,” “Green,” and “Blue,” boxes with the corresponding text color values from the directory above.
   
6. Press “Okay” and your text color will be changed.

Change the background color:

1. With your text still selected, expand to the “Shading” button from the home ribbon.
2. Click on the “More colors” button (From home: Alt, H, H, M).
   
3. Fill in the values for “Red,” “Green,” and “Blue,” boxes with the corresponding background color values from the directory above.
   
4. Press “Okay” and your background color will be changed.

Make this color combination a style for ease of use:

1. With your text still selected, right click the “Heading 1” button (or the appropriate desired heading level) from the “Styles” menu of the “Home” ribbon. (From home: Alt, H, L)
2. Select “Update Heading […] to Match Selection”
   
3. Every time you wish to make a heading of this level, apply the heading style from the styles ribbon to your desired text.
4. Use this method for any headings you wish to apply a text and background color to.