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In Office programs, you can quickly align objects (such as pictures, shapes, text boxes, SmartArt graphics, and WordArt.

Important: In Word and Outlook, you first must anchor multiple objects before selecting them. Select one object. Next, press and hold Ctrl while you select more objects. 

Align multiple objects

  1. Select the objects you want to align. Click the first object, and then press and hold Ctrl while you click the other objects.

  2. Do one of the following:

    • To align a picture, under Picture Tools, click the Format tab.

    • To align a shape, text box, or WordArt, under Drawing Tools, click the Format tab.

  3. In the Arrange group, click Align, and then select one of these commands from the menu:

    Option

    Description

    Align Left

    Aligns objects along their left edges

    Align Center

    Aligns objects vertically through their centers.

    Align Right

    Aligns objects along their right edges

    Align Top

    Aligns objects along their top edges

    Align Middle

    Aligns objects horizontally through their middles.

    Align Bottom

    Aligns objects along their bottom edges

    Important: If the Align options are unavailable, you may only have a single item selected. Select one, or more, additional items, and then you should be able to continue.

Arrange objects equal distances from each other

  1. Select at least three objects that you want to arrange equal distances from each other. To select multiple objects, click the first object, and then press and hold Ctrl while you click the other objects.

    To select objects that are hidden, stacked, or behind text, do the following:

    • On the Home tab, in the Editing group, click Find and Select, click Select Objects, and then draw a box over the objects.

  2. Do one of the following:

    • To arrange pictures equally, under Picture Tools, click the Format tab.

    • To arrange a group with shapes, text boxes, or WordArt equally, under Drawing Tools, click the Format tab.

  3. In the Arrange group, click Align, and then do one of the following:

    Drawing Tools Format tab image
    • To arrange the objects horizontally, click Distribute Horizontally.

    • To arrange the objects vertically, click Distribute Vertically.

See also

Move, rotate, or group a picture, text box, or other object

Resize an object

Change the margins between text and the edge of a text box or shape

Change the margins between text and the edge of a text box or shape in Office for macOS

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