How to add boxes in word

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A text box is an object you can add to your document that lets you put and type text anywhere in your file. Text boxes can be useful for drawing attention to specific text and can also be helpful when you need to move text around in your document.

Add a text box

  1. Place cursor where you want the text box to appear.

  2. Go to Insert and in Illustrations select Drawing.

  3. Select Text Box and use your cursor to create the text box.

  4. Insert text in box and apply any styling needed.

  5. Select Save andClose.

If you aren’t using a mouse

  1. Press Alt + Period (.) and then press N.

  2. Then press D to select drawings.

  3. Press Alt + Period (.) and then press N.

  4. Type the text that you want.

  5. Press the Esc key 3 times.

  6. Press Enter to save textbox. 

    Notes:  

    • To format the text in the text box, select the text, and then use the formatting options in the Font group on the Home tab.

    • To format the text box itself, use the commands on the Shape Format contextual tab that appears when you select a text box.

    • To position the text box, select it, and then when the pointer becomes a Four-headed arrow four-headed arrow, drag the text box to a new location.

    • You can also change or remove a border from a text box or shape.

    • If you have multiple text boxes, you can link them together so that text will flow from one box to another. Select one of the text boxes and on the Shape Format tab, select Create Link.

Editing in a text box

  1. Double click the textbox.

  2. In Drawing (Preview), select the textbox to place your cursor and edit text.

  3. When finished select Save and Close to view updated text box.

Copy a text box

  1. Select the border of the text box that you want to copy.

  2. Press Ctrl+C

    Note: Make sure the pointer is on the border of the text box, not inside it. If the pointer is inside, pressing Ctrl+C will copy the text, not the text box.

  3. Select a location and press Ctrl+V to paste the text box.

Delete a text box

  • Select the border of the text box that you want to delete, and then press Delete.

    Note: Make sure the pointer is on the border of the text box and not inside it. If the pointer is inside the box, pressing Delete will delete the text inside the text box, not the box.

Add a text box

  1. Go to Insert > Text Box, and then select Draw Text Box.

  2. Click or tap in the document, and drag to draw the text box the size that you want.

  3. To add text to a text box, select inside the text box, and then type or paste text. 

    Notes: 

    • To format the text in the text box, select the text, and then use the formatting options in the Font group on the Home tab.

    • To format the text box itself, use the commands on the Format contextual tab, which appears under Drawing Tools when you select a text box.

    • To position the text box, select it, and then when the pointer becomes a Four-headed arrow, drag the text box to a new location.

    • You can also change or remove a border from a text box or shape.

    • If you have multiple text boxes, you can link them together so that text will flow from one box to another. Select one of the text boxes and on the Format tab, under Drawing Tools, and then select Create Link.

Copy a text box

  1. Select the border of the text box that you want to copy.

  2. Go to Home > Copy The Copy button..

    Make sure that the pointer is not inside the text box, but rather on the border of the text box. If the pointer is not on the border, pressing Copy will copy the text inside the text box and not the text box.

  3. Go to Home and select Paste.

    The Clipboard group on the Home tab.

Delete a text box

  • Select the border of the text box and then press DELETE.

    Make sure that the pointer is not inside the text box, but rather on the border of the text box. If the pointer is not on the border, pressing DELETE will delete the text inside the text box instead.

Add a text box

  1. Go to Insert > Text Box and then select either Draw Text Box (where the text aligns horizontally on the page) or Vertical Text Box (where the text aligns vertically on the page).

    On the Insert tab, Text Box is highlighted.

  2. Select in the document, and then drag to draw the text box the size that you want.

  3. To add text to a text box, click or tap inside the text box, and then type or paste text.

    • To format the text in the text box, select it, and then Control + Click the text and select Font.

    • To add different effects to the text box, select the text box, and use the options on the Shape Format tab (such as changing the text direction or aligning the text at the top, middle or bottom of the text box).

    • To position the text box, select and hold it, and then when the pointer becomes a Four-headed arrow, drag the text box to a new location.

Note: If you have drawn multiple text boxes, you can link them together so that text will flow from one box to another. You can only link an empty text box to the one that you’ve selected. To do this, select the text box that you want to link to another text box, and then go to Shape Format > Create Link.

Copy a text box

  1. Select the text box you want to copy.

    Make sure that the pointer is on the border of the text box and not inside the text box. If the pointer is not on the border, the text inside the text box is copied.

  2. Press Control + Click, and then select Copy. Or, press The Command button. + C.

  3. Select the location in your document where you want to paste the text box, press Control + Click, and then select Paste. Or, press The Command button. + V.

Remove a text box

  • Select the border of the text box that you want to delete, and then press DELETE.

    Make sure that the pointer is on the border of the text box and not inside the text box. If the pointer is not on the border, pressing DELETE will delete the text inside the text box.

Add a text box

  1. Go to Insert > Text Box.

    The Text Box item on the Insert menu

  2. Click in your file where you’d like to insert the text box, hold your mouse button down, then drag to draw the text box the size that you want.

  3. After you’ve drawn the text box click inside it to add text.

Copy a text box

  1. Select the text box you want to copy.

    Make sure that the pointer is on the border of the text box and not inside the text box. If the pointer is not on the border, the text inside the text box is copied.

  2. Press Control + Click, and then select Copy. Or, press The Command button. + C.

  3. Select the location in your document where you want to paste the text box, press Control + Click, and then select Paste. Or, press The Command button. + V.

Remove a text box

  • Select the border of the text box that you want to delete, and then press DELETE.

    Make sure that the pointer is on the border of the text box and not inside the text box. If the pointer is not on the border, pressing DELETE will delete the text inside the text box.

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Want to add a check box or tick box to a list or form in Microsoft Word? It’s easy to do, and you can even make it checkable so you can click the box with your mouse. We’ll show you an easy way to add a clickable checkbox using Developer Mode in Microsoft Word.

Steps

  1. Image titled Insert a Check Box in Word Step 1

    1

    Open a new file in Microsoft Word. Do so by opening the app shaped like a blue W. Then click on File in the menu bar at the top of the screen, and click on New Blank Document.

  2. Image titled Insert a Check Box in Word Step 2

    2

    Click on File in the menu bar and then Options in the menu.

    • On Mac, click on Word in the menu bar and then Preferences… in the menu.

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  3. Image titled Insert a Check Box in Word Step 3

    3

    Click on Customize Ribbon and then Main Tabs in the «Customize the Ribbon:» drop-down menu.»[1]

    • On Mac, click on Ribbon & Toolbar in the «Authoring and Proofing Tools» section of the dialog box, then click on the Ribbon tab at the top of the dialog box.
  4. Image titled Insert a Check Box in Word Step 4

    4

    Check «Developer» in the «Main Tabs» pane.

  5. Image titled Insert a Check Box in Word Step 5

    5

    Click on Ok.

  6. Image titled Insert a Check Box in Word Step 6

    6

    Click on Developer. It’s a tab in the upper-right part of the window.

  7. Image titled Insert a Check Box in Word Step 7

    7

    Position the cursor where you’d like to insert the check box.

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    8

    Click on Check Box. It’s in the menu bar at the top of the window.

  9. Image titled Insert a Check Box in Word Step 9

    9

    Add additional check boxes and text as needed.

  10. Image titled Insert a Check Box in Word Step 10

    10

    Lock the form. To do so, select the entire list, to be found in the Controls section on the Developer tab, then click on Group and Group.

    • On Mac, click Protect Form in the Developer tab toolbar.
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Add New Question

  • Question

    What should I do if the check box is grayed out in my ribbon?

    Community Answer

    It is grayed out for me too. However, if you click on the one icon that isn’t — Legacy Tools — then you will find the exact same checkbox, which you should be able to select.

  • Question

    How can I enlarge the size of a text box without enlarging the text?

    Community Answer

    In Word, just dragging the corner of the text box should be sufficient. If the text changes size accidentally, you can always highlight it and change it back to the desired size.

  • Question

    How do you make a drop box in word?

    Community Answer

    Download LibreOffice. Follow the manual on how to add a list or list/add or list/multiselect box (or just look under «insert» in the menu). You can add a data source for the dropdown menu items from a database, a spreadsheet or within the file structure itself.

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About This Article

Article SummaryX

1. Open a document.
2. Click File.
3. Select Customize Ribbon and then click Main Tabs.
4. Check the «Developer» box.
5. Click Save.
6. Click Developer.
7. Click where you want to insert the check box.
8. Click Check Box.
9. Add additional boxes and text.
10. Lock the form.

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Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 1,240,190 times.

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На чтение 3 мин Опубликовано 24.07.2015

Добавляем чекбоксы в Word

Когда Вы создаёте опросы или формы в Microsoft Word, то для удобства можно добавить флажки (чек-боксы), чтобы было проще выбрать и отметить один из вариантов ответа. Для этого есть два основных способа. Первый отлично подходит для документов, которые нужно заполнять в электронном виде, второй удобен для печатных документов (таких как списки дел).

  • Способ 1 – Элементы управления для электронных документов
  • Способ 2 – Флажки для печатных документов

Способ 1 – Элементы управления для электронных документов

Чтобы создавать заполняемые формы с флажками (чек-боксами), сперва нужно активировать вкладку Developer (Разработчик). Для этого откройте меню File (Файл) и нажмите кнопку Options (Параметры). Перейдите на вкладку Customize Ribbon (Настроить ленту) и выберите из выпадающего списка Customize the Ribbon (Настроить ленту) вариант Main Tabs (Основные вкладки).

Добавляем чекбоксы в Word

Поставьте галочку в строке Developer (Разработчик) и нажмите ОК.

Добавляем чекбоксы в Word

На Ленте появилась новая вкладка с инструментами для разработчиков.

Добавляем чекбоксы в Word

Теперь Вы можете добавить в документ элемент управления — Check Box (Флажок). Это просто: запишите вопрос и варианты ответа на него, откройте вкладку Developer (Разработчик) и кликните значок Check Box Content Control (Элемент управления содержимым «флажок”) .

Добавляем чекбоксы в Word

Теперь повторите тот же приём для всех вариантов ответа. Как видно на рисунке ниже, рядом с каждым ответом появится чек-бокс.

Добавляем чекбоксы в Word

Способ 2 – Флажки для печатных документов

Второй способ подходит для создания документов, которые нужно распечатать на бумаге. Он потребует вставки маркеров. Откройте вкладку Home (Главная), и Вы увидите кнопку для вставки маркеров в разделе Paragraph (Абзац).

Просто нажмите маленькую стрелку рядом с этой кнопкой и выберите команду Define New Bullet (Определить новый маркер). Обратите внимание, что там уже есть несколько вариантов на выбор, но среди них нет нужного значка.

Добавляем чекбоксы в Word

Чтобы определить новый маркер, в открывшемся диалоговом окне выберите вариант Symbol (Символ).

Добавляем чекбоксы в Word

Когда откроется окно выбора символов, Вы увидите множество различных вариантов. В верхней части окна находится выпадающий список. Кликните по нему и выберите Wingdings 2.

Добавляем чекбоксы в Word

Теперь введите в поле Character Code (Код знака) код 163, чтобы автоматически перейти к лучшему варианту чек-бокса в Word.

Добавляем чекбоксы в Word

Запишите варианты ответов маркированным списком:

Добавляем чекбоксы в Word

В следующий раз, когда Вам понадобится вставить такой символ, просто кликните по маленькой стрелке рядом с кнопкой выбора маркеров, и Вы увидите его в одном ряду с символами по умолчанию.

Добавляем чекбоксы в Word

Попробуйте сами поэкспериментировать с настройкой маркеров, используя символы. Возможно Вы найдёте варианты лучше, чем привычный чек-бокс. Наслаждайтесь, создавая опросы и документы с использованием флажков.

Оцените качество статьи. Нам важно ваше мнение:

Microsoft Word Logo Hero

First, you need to customize Word’s ribbon and enable the “Developer” tab to show the option to add check boxes. Then, select “Developer” and click the “Check Box Content Control” button to insert a check box into your document. You can also transform Word’s bullets into checkboxes.

When you create surveys or forms with Microsoft Word, check boxes make the options easier to read and answer. We’re covering two good options for doing just that. The first is ideal for documents that you want people to fill out digitally within the Word document itself. The second option is easier if you’re planning to print documents like to-do lists.

Option 1: Use Word’s Developer Tools to Add the Check Box Option for Forms

In order to create fillable forms that include checkboxes, you first need to enable the “Developer” tab on the Ribbon. With a Word document open, click the “File” drop-down menu and then choose the “Options” command. In the “Word Options” window, switch to the “Customize Ribbon” tab. On the right-hand “Customize the Ribbon” list, select “Main Tabs” on the dropdown menu.

Select "Customize Ribbon," then make sure that "Customize the Ribbon" is set to "Main Tabs."

On the list of available main tabs, select the “Developer” check box, and then click the “OK” button

Notice that the “Developer” tab is added to your Ribbon. Just position your cursor in the document where you want a check box, switch to the “Developer” tab, and then click the “Check Box Content Control” button.

You should see a check box appear wherever you placed your cursor. Here, we’ve gone ahead and placed a check box next to each answer and, as you can see, those check boxes are interactive. Click a box to mark it with an “X” (as we’ve done for answers 2, 3, and 4) or select the whole form box (as we’ve done for answer 4) to move the check box around, format it, and so on.

You can add as many check boxes as you want.

RELATED: How to Create a Fillable Form With Microsoft Word

Option 2: Change Bullets to Check Boxes for Printed Documents

If you’re creating a document to print out—like a to-do list or printed survey—and just want check boxes on it, you don’t have to mess around with adding Ribbon tabs and using forms. Instead, you can create a simple bullet list and then change the bullets from the default symbol to check boxes.

In your Word document, on the “Home” tab, click the small arrow to the right of the “Bullet List” button. On the dropdown menu, select the “Define new bullet” command.

In the “Define New Bullet” window, click the “Symbol” button.

In the “Symbol” window, click the “Font” dropdown and choose the “Wingdings 2” option.

Set the font to "Wingdings 2."

You can scroll through the symbols to find the empty square symbol that looks like a check box, or you just type the number “163” into the “Character Code” box to automatically select it. Of course, if you see a symbol you like better—like the open circle (symbol 153)—feel free to choose that instead.

When you’ve selected your symbol, click the “OK” button to close the “Symbol” window, and then click the “OK” button to close the “Define New Bullet” window, too.

Scroll until you find the empty box character, or enter "163" into the "Character Code" box. Then hit "OK."

Back in your Word document, you can now type your bullet list. The check boxes appear instead of the regular bullet symbol.

You add new check boxes just like you would any other bullets.

And the next time you need the check box symbol, you don’t have to navigate through that whole set of windows. Just click that small arrow to the right of the “Bullet List” button again, and you’ll see the checkbox listed under the “Recently Used Bullets” section.

The "Bullet List" check boxes are not interactive, so only use them for printed documents.

Again, this method is really only useful for documents you want to print out. The check box symbols are not interactive, so you can’t check them off inside a Word document.

If you’re also creating spreadsheets and presentations, you may want to learn how to insert checkboxes in Excel and add checkboxes to PowerPoint too.

RELATED: How to Add a Check Mark or Tick Mark in Word

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Achieve more control and flexibility with your documents

Updated on September 11, 2022

What to Know

  • Select Insert > Text Box > choose a text box template. Select and drag box to the position you want.
  • To resize text, select and drag circles around the edge. To rotate text, select and drag the circular arrow.
  • Place the cursor inside the text box and type the information you want to appear.

This article explains how to use text boxes in Microsoft Word. Instructions apply to Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2019, Word 2016, and Word 2013.

How to Insert a Text Box in Word

Start by opening the document you want to add a text box to. Then follow the steps below.

  1. On the ribbon, select Insert.

  2. In the Text group, select Text Box, then choose a text box template.

  3. The new text box appears in the middle of the text, and the Shape Format tab is automatically selected.

  4. Select and drag the box to the position you want. To resize the text box, select and drag the circles around the edge. To rotate the text box, select and drag the circular arrow at the top of the box.

  5. Place the cursor inside the text box and type the information you want to appear there.

Why Use Text Boxes?

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 limited. Text boxes expand your formatting repertoire by 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.

Customize a Text Box

After you create a text box, you can customize it in a number of ways.

  1. To bring up options, place the cursor inside the text box and right-click. Choose an option and follow the screen prompts to add a border, change the style, or adjust the way the text box interacts with the other text on the page.

    Alternatively, use the controls on the Shape Format tab.

  2. To go directly to the Layout Options menu, select the text box, then select the Layout Options icon (it looks like a horseshoe and is located to the right of the text box).

  3. 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 the keyboard.

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