easyformat is a package that allows the use of _ (the underscore) to add italics and bold text and ^ (the circumflex) to add smallcaps. Usage: Import the package with: \usepackage{easyformat} Now you can do the following in textmode: _italics_, __bold__, ___bolditalic___ and ^smallcaps^. The underscore's (_) and circumflex's (^) meaning in mathmode stay the same. (See easyformat.pdf for more info.) A package by Evert Provoost, licensed under GPLv3. Made with <3 in Berlaar, Belgium.