# How to change the style of the cross reference in cleveref package?

I want to change the style of the crossed reference (chapter, section, figure, equation, ...) generated by using cleveref package, for example, put parentheses around the referenced item and use boldface for the numbers.

\documentclass[14pt,a4paper]{extreport}
\usepackage[left=2.00cm, right=1.50cm]{geometry}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{xcolor}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\usepackage{hyperref}
\usepackage{cleveref}
\usepackage{tcolorbox}
\begin{document}
\chapter{First  Chapter}\label{ch:chapter 1}
\section{Section One}\label{sec:section one}
\lipsum[1]
\section{Section Two}\label{sec:section two}
\begin{align}
r =& \sqrt{x^2 + y^2}\label{eq:equation 1}\\[2ex]
z =& \sqrt[3]{1 - 2r^2}\label{eq:equation 2}
\end{align}
see \cref{sec:section one} in \cref{ch:chapter 1}\\
\Cref{eq:equation 1} is the governing equations, \cref{eq:equation 2} is the second equation.
\end{document}

• Should just the number of the item being cross-referenced be typeset in bold, or should the surrounding parentheses be typeset in bold as well? Please advise. – Mico Aug 20 '16 at 8:00
• @ChristianHupfer I think \bfseries has no effect. I compiled with and without it and I saw no difference in the format. – Diaa Aug 20 '16 at 8:15
• @DiaaAbidou: I see bold reference 'numbers', I could have placed the parentheses inside as well, to make them bold too, but that doesn't look nice, in my point of view – user31729 Aug 20 '16 at 8:16
• @ChristianHupfer can you spot the difference here imgur.com/a/uuY1W ? it is very subtle, if existed. – Diaa Aug 20 '16 at 8:22
• @DiaaAbidou: Sorry, I had a different version: I meant: \crefdefaultlabelformat{({#2\bfseries#1#3})}, I used the other comment above from memory, not by copy and paste. #2  and #3 belong to hyperref parts and disable the \bfseries then. – user31729 Aug 20 '16 at 8:27

If the numbers and the surrounding parentheses should be typeset in bold, add the instructions

\crefdefaultlabelformat{#2\bfseries\upshape(#1)#3}
\creflabelformat{equation}{#2\bfseries\upshape(#1)#3}


after loading cleveref.

If only the numbers but not the surrounding parentheses should be typeset in bold, issue the instructions

\crefdefaultlabelformat{#2(\textbf{\textup{#1}})#3}
\creflabelformat{equation}{#2(\textbf{\textup{#1}})#3}


Observe the use of \upshape/\textup to make sure that the number (and, if required, the parentheses) are always typeset in the upright font shape.

A full MWE (minimum working example) that renders both the numbers and the surrounding parentheses in bold:

\documentclass[14pt,a4paper]{extreport}
\usepackage[left=2cm, right=1.5cm]{geometry}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage{amsmath,amsfonts,amssymb,graphicx,xcolor}

\usepackage{hyperref}

\usepackage{cleveref}
\crefdefaultlabelformat{#2\bfseries\upshape(#1)#3}
\creflabelformat{equation}{#2\bfseries\upshape(#1)#3}

\usepackage{tcolorbox}

\begin{document}
\chapter{First  Chapter}\label{ch:chapter 1}
\section{Section One}\label{sec:section one}
\section{Section Two}\label{sec:section two}
\begin{align}
r =& \sqrt{x^2 + y^2}\label{eq:equation 1}\\[2ex]
z =& \sqrt[3]{1 - 2r^2}\label{eq:equation 2}
\end{align}

See \cref{sec:section one} in \cref{ch:chapter 1}.

\Cref{eq:equation 1} is the governing equation, and  \cref{eq:equation 2} is the second equation.
\end{document}


\crefdefaultlabelformat{(#2\textbf{\textup{#1}}#3)}
\creflabelformat{equation}{(#2\textbf{\textup{#1}}#3)}


if only the cross-referenced numbers, but not the surrounding parentheses, should be rendered in bold and be made into hyperlink targets (and hence be rendered in blue, given the hyperref settings in force).

• Perhaps you should add a normal \ref{ch:chapter 1} next to a \cref{...} to show the difference (especially the font change) ... – user31729 Aug 20 '16 at 8:38
• @DiaaAbidou - The screenshot you've produced uses a sans-serif font (which one??) that's not used in the OP's example. What does the screenshot look like if the default fonts are used? – Mico Aug 20 '16 at 8:44
• @DiaaAbidou - If you copied and pasted the OP's code into ShareLaTeX, why would you expect to get the results from my code? I certainly wouldn't... – Mico Aug 20 '16 at 8:55
• @Mico, I copied his main code while changing the format by your bold commands. – Diaa Aug 20 '16 at 8:57
• @DiaaAbidou - Your ShareLaTeX setup appears to be somewhat non-standard. I have no idea which font family you use; it may be the case that the particular sans-serif font that you use cannot produce bold material. At any rate, the screenshot I have posted demonstrates that my code does render the cross-referenced numbers in bold. – Mico Aug 20 '16 at 9:02

For the parentheses, put this in preamble \crefdefaultlabelformat{#2(#1)#3} where #1 stands for the cited item as stated in cleveref documentation

\documentclass[14pt,a4paper]{extreport}
\usepackage[left=2.00cm, right=1.50cm]{geometry}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\usepackage{hyperref}
\usepackage{cleveref}

\crefdefaultlabelformat{#2(#1)#3}

\begin{document}
\chapter{First  Chapter}\label{ch:chapter 1}
\section{Section One}\label{sec:section one}
\lipsum[1]
\section{Section Two}\label{sec:section two}
\begin{align}
r =& \sqrt{x^2 + y^2}\label{eq:equation 1}\\[2ex]
z =& \sqrt[3]{1 - 2r^2}\label{eq:equation 2}
\end{align}
see \cref{sec:section one} in \cref{ch:chapter 1}\\
\Cref{eq:equation 1} is the governing equations, \cref{eq:equation 2} is the second equation.
\end{document}