Rotate Text in Microsoft Word

Do you want to add a little style to your newsletter? Rotating blocks of text can make your designs more eye-catching and a lot less boring. Starting in Word 2010, rotating text boxes became a snap. Things get a little trickier if you’re using an older version, but it can still be done. Read on after the jump to find out how.

Steps

Rotate Text in Microsoft Word 2010 and 2013

1. Open Microsoft Word 2010 and 2013. This method is does not work with Word 2007 and earlier. See the section at the end for a method that works with older versions.
2. Click the Insert tab. It should be next to the Home tab on the top left corner.
3. Click the Text Box drop-down menu. You can find it in the Text section of the Insert tab.
4. Click Simple Text Box. There will be a large list of styles to choose from. If you want to make the text box invisible and just display the text, select Simple Text Box. It is the first option.
5. Type out your text. If the text doesn’t fit the box, you can drag the corners to change the size. You can adjust the formatting of the text the same way that you would format normal text.
6. Click the Format tab if it is not already open. You will need to have the text box selected in order for the Format menu to appear. Click the Shape Outline drop-down menu.
7. Select No Outline. This will remove the border, hiding the fact that the text is part of a text box.
8. Rotate the text. You have a couple of different options, depending on how you want to rotate it:
   • Option 1: To rotate the text to any angle, click and hold the green circle above the text box. Drag the green circle to rotate it in the direction you want. Then, click outside of the text box. Your text is successfully rotated.
   • Option 2: To rotate your text at regular angles like 90, 180 or 270 degrees, click the Rotate button in the Arrange section of the Format tab.

Rotate Text in Microsoft Word 2011 on a Mac

1. Click the Text Box icon. Write your text in the box that appears.
2. Highlight the View menu on the top menu tab. Make sure you've chosen "Print Layout."
3. Click on the Format tab.
4. Rotate the text. You have a couple of different options, depending on how you want to rotate it:
   • Option 1: To rotate the text to any angle, click and hold the green circle above the text box. Drag the green circle to rotate it in the direction you want. Then, click outside of the text box. Your text is successfully rotated.
   • Option 2: To rotate your text at regular angles like 90, 180 or 270 degrees, click on the Rotate drop-down menu instead of the green circle. Select your desired option.

Using WordArt to Rotate Text in Word 2007 and Earlier

1. Open Microsoft Word 2007 and earlier. If you have an older version of Microsoft Word, you will be creating a text box as an image that will be rotated like you would an image.
2. Insert a blank text box. To do this, click the Insert menu and then click the Text Box button. At the bottom click “Draw Text Box”.
3. Enter your text into the text box. Format the box and the text to match the style that you want. If the text box needs to be a different size, you can drag the corners with your mouse to resize it. You can change the text formatting just like you would normally.
   • Since you will be creating an image file with the text, make sure you have all the formatting and editing done first. You won’t be able to change it later.
4. Cut the box. Once you’ve completed formatting the text in the box, select it and the use the Cut command. You can either press Ctrl + X, or select Cut from the Home/Edit menu.
5. Paste the box. Instead of using the standard Paste command, you will be using the Paste Special command. You can find this by clicking the arrow underneath the Paste button or in the Edit menu.
6. Select a picture format. From the list of formats, choose one of the picture options. Any of them will work. .GIF will result in a clean image with a small file size. Press OK and the box will appear back in the document.
7. Rotate the text. You have a couple of different options, depending on how you want to rotate it:
   • Option 1: To rotate the text to any angle, click and hold the green circle above the text box. Drag the green circle to rotate it in the direction you want. Then, click outside of the text box. Your text is successfully rotated.
   • Option 2: To rotate your text at regular angles like 90, 180 or 270 degrees, click on the Rotate drop-down menu instead of the green circle. Select your desired option.

Things You'll Need

• Microsoft Word
• PC or Mac

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