How to Use Your Word Processor

Creating and Formatting Text Boxes

Text boxes allow you to create passages of text and graphics that can be moved around the screen independent of your margins. Text boxes can be formatted with borders, shading, and colors, and they can be placed in front or behind text on a page. A text box can also be set so that text wraps around it. In Microsoft Word, you can create and format text boxes using the following techniques:

Creating Text Boxes

Menu Commands: Choose the INSERT > TEXT BOX command from the main menu. In your document, click and drag your mouse across the area where you want to create the text box.

The Toolbar: On the Drawing toolbar, click on the Text Box icon. In your document, click and drag your mouse across the area where you want to create the text box. If the Drawing toolbar is not showing, right-click (in Windows) or control-click (on the Macintosh) with your mouse on any visible toolbar and click the box next to Drawing.

Formatting Text Boxes

Menu Commands: To format a text box using the main menu, click on it and then choose the FORMAT > TEXT BOX command. The Format Text Box dialog box will appear. You can also right click (in Windows) or control click (on the Macintosh) on the border of the text box and select the FORMAT TEXT BOX command. The dialog box allows you to format the fill colors, border, size, layout, internal margins, and internal text wrapping options. If the layout options are set so that text wraps around the text box, you can move it to different locations on the page by clicking and dragging.

The Toolbar: To format a text box using the Drawing toolbar, select the text box and use the icons on the toolbar. The icons allow you to change the border color, fill color, border thickness and style, 3D options, and shadow effects. If the Drawing toolbar is not showing, right-click (in Windows) or control-click (on the Macintosh) with your mouse on any visible toolbar and click the box next to Drawing.