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Note: To rotate text in Word, you must first place the text in a text box, and then rotate the text box.

Insert and rotate a text box

  1. Select where on the page to put the text box.

  2. On the Insert tab, select  Draw text box button Text Box and choose a style. For more info, see Add, copy, or remove a text box in Word.

  3. Select the text box and do one of the following: 

    • On the Shape Format tab, select  Rotate objects button Rotate. and choose a direction or angle to rotate. 

    • Grab the Rotation handle button Rotation handle on the top of the text box and drag it to the angle you want. To keep the rotation to 15 degree angles, press and hold Shift while you drag the rotation handle.

  4. Select elsewhere on your document to view the rotated text box.

Note: A text box will appear horizontally when you select it to make editing the text easier.

Mirror text in a text box

This will reverse a line or paragraph of text in a text box.

  1. Select the text box and choose the Shape Format tab.

  2. Select Text effects button Text Effects and hover over  3D Rotation and choose   3D Rotation Options.

  3. Under 3-D Rotation, set X Rotation to 180°.

    Text box with 3D Rotation x 180 deg

Remove the text box border

  1. Select the text box and choose the Shape Format tab

  2. Select  Shape outline button Shape Outline, and then choose No Outline.

  3. Shape Outline button

    The border around the text box disappears when you click or tap outside the text box.

Change the border

  1. Select the text box and choose the Shape Format tab. 

  2. Select  Shape outline button Shape Outline to change the outline color, to change the line weight, or to change the line to dashes.

  3. Select Shape effects button Shape Effects to add a shadow or a glow to the border.

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