When you type text in Microsoft Word, you have options for making it look a particular way on the page (such as changing the page margins), but those options are somewhat limited. Text boxes expand your formatting repertoire, offering additional control and flexibility for how your text appears. You can place a text box anywhere within a document and format it with different colors and fonts. This feature is especially helpful for creating a blockquote or a sidebar. Here's everything you need to know about creating and customizing text boxes in Word.
Launch PowerPoint, if you haven't already, and click to select the text you want to edit. You can work with either WordArt or the font in a text box. When inserting images or charts, be sure to add ALT tags or a description of the image for screenreaders. Ensure that all documents use semantic heading styles. For long documents, insert or generate a table of contents based on Heading 1,Heading 2, Heading 3 styles. See details in the Quickstart Guides above.
This article applies to Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2013, and Word for Office 365.
Insert a Text Box in Word
Start by opening the document you want to add a text box to. Then follow the steps below.
- On the ribbon, select Insert.
- In the Text group, select Text Box. Choose a text box template.
- The new text box appears in the middle of your text, and the Shape Format tab is automatically selected.
- Click and drag the box to the position you want. To resize the text box, click and drag the circles around the edge. To resize, click and drag the circular arrow at the top of the box.
- Place your cursor inside the text box and type the information you want to appear there.
Customize a Text Box
Once you've created your text box, you can customize it in a number of ways.
- To bring up options, place your cursor inside the box and right-click. Choose an option and follow the screen prompts from there to add a border, change the style, or adjust the way the box interacts with the other text on the page.Alternatively, use the controls on the Shape Format tab.
- To go directly to the Layout Options menu, select the box, then select the Layout Options icon (it looks like a horseshoe) to the right of the box.
- You can change the text, make more adjustments, or move the box to another location at any time. To delete a text box, select its border, then press Delete on your keyboard.
Here’s how to add a line, pattern, or custom border to a text box, picture, and other objects in Word, PowerPoint, or Excel for Mac.
Note: If you didn't add the border to the shape, text box, picture, or other object in Mac Office, you can't change or remove the border for the object.
Newer versionsOffice 2011
Try the 'Sketched' outline
This feature is available to Office 365 Subscribers only. |
If you're using Office 365 for Mac (version 16.28 or later), you can give a casual, hand-drawn look to shapes with the Sketched outline.
- Select an existing shape in your document, or draw a new one.
- With the shape selected, on the Shape Format tab, select Shape Outline > Sketched, and then select a line width.(The smaller the point size ('pt'), the thinner the line is.)
Add or remove a border for a shape or text box
- Select the shape or text box to which you want to add, change, or remove a border.
- Click Shape Format, and then click the arrow next to Shape Outline.
- Do any of the following:Output console mac size buffer for sublime text. ToDo ThisAdd or change the color of the borderEither click the color that you want, or mix your own color by clicking More Outline Colors.Add or change the thickness of the borderPoint to Weight, and then choose the line weight that you want.Add or change the style of the borderPoint to Dashes, and then click the line style that you want.Remove the border from the shape or text boxClick No Outline.
Add or remove a picture border
- Select the picture to which you want to add, change, or remove a border.
- Click Picture Format, and then click the arrow next to Picture Border.
- Do any of the following:ToDo ThisAdd or change the color of the borderEither click the color you want, or mix your own color by clicking More Outline Colors.Add or change the thickness of the borderPoint to Weight, and then choose the line weight you want.Add or change the style of the borderPoint to Dashes, and then click the line style you want.Remove the border from the pictureClick No Outline.
Word
Do any of the following:
Add a border to a shape or text box
- Select the shape or text box that you want to add a border to.
- On the Format tab, under Shape Styles, click Line.
- Do any of the following:ToDo ThisAdd a colored borderEither click the color that you want, or mix your own color by clicking More Colors.Add a border of a specific thicknessPoint to Weights, and then choose the line weight that you want.Add a border of a specific stylePoint to Dashed, and then click the line style that you want.
Add borders to a table
- Select the table that you want to add borders to.
- Do any of the following:ToDo This Why can't i download pages for mac.Add a colored borderOn the Tables tab, under Table Styles, click the arrow next to Lines, and then either click the color that you want, or mix your own color by clicking More Colors.Add a border of a specific thicknessOn the Tables tab, under Draw Borders, click the Line Weight pop-up menu and choose the thickness that you want the borders to be.Add a border of a specific styleOn the Tables tab, under Draw Borders, click the Line Style pop-up menu, and choose the line style that you want the borders to have.
- On the Tables tab, under Draw Borders, click the arrow next to Borders and then select or clear the table borders that you want.
Add a border to a picture
- Select the picture that you want to add a border to.
- On the Format Picture tab, under Picture Styles, click the arrow next to Border .
- Do any of the following:ToDo ThisAdd a colored borderEither click the color that you want, or mix your own color by clicking More Colors.Add a border of a specific thicknessPoint to Weights, and then choose the line weight that you want.Add a border of a specific stylePoint to Dashed, and then click the line style that you want.
PowerPoint
Do any of the following:
Add a border to a shape or text box
- Select the shape or text box that you want to add a border to.
- On the Format tab, under Shape Styles, click Line.
- Do any of the following:ToDo ThisAdd a colored borderEither click the color that you want, or mix your own color by clicking More Colors.Add a border of a specific thicknessPoint to Weights, and then choose the line weight that you want.Add a border of a specific stylePoint to Dashed, and then click the line style that you want.
Add borders to a table
- Select the table that you want to add borders to.
- Do any of the following:ToDo ThisAdd a colored borderOn the Tables tab, under Table Styles, click the arrow next to Lines, and then either click the color that you want, or mix your own color by clicking More Colors.Add a border of a specific thicknessOn the Tables tab, under Draw Borders, click the Line Weight pop-up menu and choose the thickness that you want the borders to be.Add a border of a specific styleOn the Tables tab, under Draw Borders, click the Line Style pop-up menu, and choose the line style that you want the borders to have.
- On the Tables tab, under Draw Borders, click the arrow next to Borders and then select or clear the table borders that you want.
Add a border to a picture
Command Buttons
- Select the picture that you want to add a border to.
- On the Format Picture tab, under Picture Styles, click the arrow next to Border .
- Do any of the following:ToDo ThisAdd a colored borderEither click the color that you want, or mix your own color by clicking More Colors.Add a border of a specific thicknessPoint to Weights, and then choose the line weight that you want.Add a border of a specific stylePoint to Dashed, and then click the line style that you want.
Excel
Html Text Boxes Code
Do any of the following:
Add a border to a shape or text box
- Select the shape or text box that you want to add a border to.
- On the Format tab, under Shape Styles, click Line.
- Do any of the following:ToDo ThisAdd a colored borderEither click the color that you want, or mix your own color by clicking More Colors.Add a border of a specific thicknessPoint to Weights, and then choose the line weight that you want.Add a border of a specific stylePoint to Dashed, and then click the line style that you want.
Text Boxes Code
Add a border to a picture
- Select the picture that you want to add a border to.
- On the Format Picture tab, under Picture Styles, click the arrow next to Border .
- How do increase size of measurement text in graphic for mac. Do any of the following:ToDo ThisAdd a colored borderEither click the color that you want, or mix your own color by clicking More Colors.Add a border of a specific thicknessPoint to Weights, and then choose the line weight that you want.Add a border of a specific stylePoint to Dashed, and then click the line style that you want.