Rich Text Editor

Font and Paragraph Formatting

Use the toolbar dropdown menus to change:

• Font Family
• Font Size

Basic Formatting

Apply styles using toolbar buttons or keyboard shortcuts:

• Bold:
  • Windows:Ctrl + B
  • Mac: ⌘ Cmd + B
     
• Italic:
  • Windows: Ctrl + I
  • Mac: ⌘ Cmd + I
     
• Underline
  • Windows: Ctrl + U
  • Mac: ⌘ Cmd + U

Advanced Formatting 

For more advanced styling, use the More Text menu or shortcuts:

• Strikethrough:
  • Windows: Ctrl + S
  • Mac: ⌘ Cm + S
     
• Text color and Highlighting
  Choose from default colors or enter a HEX code
   
• Clear Formatting
  Click the icon with an “A” and diagonal line to remove styles and colors.

Alignment & Lists

• Align text to the left, center, right, or justify.
• Create bulleted or numbered lists by selecting an option from the list dropdown.

Line Spacing & Indents 

• The default line spacing is 1.15, with additional options including single, 1.5, and double spacing.
• To insert a single-spaced line break within a paragraph:
  • Windows:Ctrl + Enter
  • Mac: ⌘ Cmd + Enter
• To adjust indentation, use the Left and Right Indent icons on the toolbar, or use these shortcuts:
  • Increase indent: Ctrl + ] on Windows or ⌘ Cmd + ] on Mac
  • Decrease indent: Ctrl+ [ on Windows or ⌘ Cmd + [ on Mac

Blockquotes, Special Characters & Undo/Redo

Blockquotes

Use the quotation mark icon to highlight quoted or emphasized text.

 Keyboard shortcuts: 

• Windows: Ctrl + '
• Mac: ⌘ Cmd + '

Undo & Redo

Use the Undo and Redo icons to reverse or reapply changes.

Keyboard shortcuts:

• Undo: Ctrl + Z on Windows or ⌘ Cmd+ Z on Mac
• Redo: Ctrl + Y on Windows or ⌘ Cmd + Shift + Z on Mac

After saving your entry to LabArchives, you can view and restore previous versions using the Revisions History.

Special Characters & Horizontal Lines (Under More Paragraph)

You can insert symbols, accented letters, and other special characters using the Insert Special Character tool, located in the More Paragraph section of the toolbar.

You can also insert a horizontal line to visually separate sections within your Rich Text Entry—ideal for breaking up content into clear, readable segments.

Advanced Toolbar Options

These utility tools are available in the triple-dot menu at the far right of the toolbar and provide quick access to advanced features:

• Select all text
  Instantly highlight the entire content of your entry.
• More information
  View helpful resources, including keyboard shortcuts specific to your operating system.
• Code View
  Use the Code View option (</> icon) to view or directly edit the HTML source code of your Rich Text Entry.

Links

To insert a hyperlink into a Rich Text Entry:  

1. Highlight the desired text.
2. Click the Link icon in the toolbar or use keyboard shortcuts Ctrl + K or ⌘ Cmd + K
3. Paste the URL and click Insert.

You can also use the Linking Tool to:

• Display a URL as an icon on the right side of the Rich Text Entry.
• Link to a specific page or another entry within the same notebook.
• Connect to large external files (e.g., those stored in cloud platforms like Dropbox or Google Drive).

Linking Across Notebooks:

Use the URL to Share feature and either paste the link as plain text or embed it as a hyperlink.

Tables

You can add tables to a rich text entry by selecting the Table tool, then choosing the desired number of rows and columns.

You can also create a table by copying tabular data from another source, such as an Excel file or another rich text entry table, and pasting it directly into your entry. You can also insert a blank table in the RTE to use as a template, then paste data from Excel or another source into the table’s cells. For larger Excel tables or those containing equations, it may be better to upload the Excel file directly to LabArchives. To learn more about editing office documents in LabArchives, see Microsoft Office for the Web.

After adding a table, you can type in any cell and apply text formatting across multiple cells by selecting them. To format the table itself—such as changing borders, dimensions, alignment, or adding/removing rows and columns—use the table popup toolbar that appears when the table is selected.

Math Equations

To insert a mathematical equation in a Rich Text Entry:

1. Click the Insert Math icon (three stacked cubes) in the toolbar.
2. Type your equation using TeX syntax.
3. Click Insert to add it.

To edit an existing equation:

Select the pencil icon from the toolbar and click the equation 

If you need to create more advanced equations, you can use the Mathematical Equation entry type in LabArchives. Learn more about working with equations here.

iFrames (Embed Web Content)

You can embed external content from another webpage such as Google Doc, video, or website directly within a Rich Text Entry.

To insert an iFrame:

1. Click the Insert iFrame tool in the toolbar.
2. Enter the desired size (width and height).
3. Paste the URL.
4. Click Insert.

Uploading and Editing Images 

Insert an Image into a Rich Text Entry

1. Click the Image icon in the toolbar or use keyboard shortcuts Ctrl + P or ⌘ Cmd + P
2. Browse for an image on your computer, or drag and drop the file into the entry field. 

 Basic Image Edits

Once inserted, images can be:

• Replaced, aligned, resized, or removed
• Linked to an external website
• Given a caption or alternative text (alt text) for accessibility

Advanced Editing Tools

1. Click the Advanced Editing Tools icon to enable:
    

   

   • Crop, flip, rotate, and resize

   • Add drawings, shapes, icons, and text

   • Overlay a mask image or apply visual filters

   • Use Undo, Redo, and Reset options

2. Click Save to apply your changes. 

Embedding Videos

To embed a video into a Rich Text Entry:

• Click the Insert Video button from the toolbar.
• Paste the video URL or embed code into the video window.

After the video is inserted, it can be:

• Resized or aligned
• Deleted, edited, or replaced by updating the video URL

When finished, click Save to Page.