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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
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Place cursor where you want the text box to appear.
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Go to Insert and in Illustrations select Drawing.
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Select Text Box and use your cursor to create the text box.
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Insert text in box and apply any styling needed.
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Select Save andClose.
If you aren’t using a mouse
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Press Alt + Period (.) and then press N.
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Then press D to select drawings.
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Press Alt + Period (.) and then press N.
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Type the text that you want.
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Press the Esc key 3 times.
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Press Enter to save textbox.
Notes:
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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.
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To format the text box itself, use the commands on the Shape Format contextual tab that appears when you select a text box.
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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.
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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.
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four-headed arrow, drag the text box to a new location.Editing in a text box
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Double click the textbox.
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In Drawing (Preview), select the textbox to place your cursor and edit text.
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When finished select Save and Close to view updated text box.
Copy a text box
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Select the border of the text box that you want to copy.
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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.
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Select a location and press Ctrl+V to paste the text box.
Delete a text box
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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
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Go to Insert > Text Box, and then select Draw Text Box.
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Click or tap in the document, and drag to draw the text box the size that you want.
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To add text to a text box, select inside the text box, and then type or paste text.
Notes:
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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.
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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.
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To position the text box, select it, and then when the pointer becomes a
, drag the text box to a new location. -
You can also change or remove a border from a text box or shape.
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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.
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Copy a text box
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Select the border of the text box that you want to copy.
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Go to Home > Copy
.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.
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Go to Home and select Paste.
.
Delete a text box
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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
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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).
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Select in the document, and then drag to draw the text box the size that you want.
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To add text to a text box, click or tap inside the text box, and then type or paste text.
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To format the text in the text box, select it, and then Control + Click the text and select Font.
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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).
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To position the text box, select and hold it, and then when the pointer becomes a
, drag the text box to a new location.
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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
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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.
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Press Control + Click, and then select Copy. Or, press
+ C. -
Select the location in your document where you want to paste the text box, press Control + Click, and then select Paste. Or, press
+ V.
+ C.Remove a text box
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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
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Go to Insert > Text Box.
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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.
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After you’ve drawn the text box click inside it to add text.
Copy a text box
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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.
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Press Control + Click, and then select Copy. Or, press
+ C. -
Select the location in your document where you want to paste the text box, press Control + Click, and then select Paste. Or, press
+ V.
Remove a text box
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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.
Need more help?
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1
Click the Insert tab.
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2
On the right side of all of the things you can insert, look for ‘Text Box.’
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3
Select the text box that you want to use and double click on it.
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4
Cut and paste the text into the text box.
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Video
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To change the size of the text box, click on it once, and drag one of the 8 circles.
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You can change the design of the text box you have selected by going into the format tab.
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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.
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On the ribbon, select Insert.
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In the Text group, select Text Box, then choose a text box template.
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The new text box appears in the middle of the text, and the Shape Format tab is automatically selected.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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).
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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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A text box is an element you can insert and position anywhere in a document. Text boxes are great for calling special attention to a quote or a whole block of text.
Insert a Text Box
- Click the Insert tab.
- Expand the Text group, if necessary.
- Click the Text Box button.
- Select the text box you’d like to use.
- Click the text box and type to replace the placeholder text.
A gallery of text box styles appears. The styles range from simple text boxes to stylized sidebars.
The text box is automatically inserted.
The placeholder text disappears as soon as you start typing.
Text boxes can be sized, moved, arranged, and styled just like shapes and pictures.
Draw Text Boxes
You don’t have to use one of Word’s built-in text boxes; you can create one from scratch.
- From the Insert tab, expand the Text group, if necessary.
- Click the Text Box button.
- Select Draw Text Box.
- Click and drag in your document to create the text box.
The pointer changes to a crosshair, indicating that you can draw the text box.
The text box is inserted.
Link Text Boxes
Linking text boxes allows text to flow between them. For example, you could make the text of a long article flow through several smaller text boxes in a more advanced layout.
- After you have created two or more text boxes, select the first one.
- Click the Format tab in the Drawing Tools ribbon group.
- Click Create Link from the Text group.
- Click the second text box with the new cursor.
- Switch back to the first text box and type into it.
The second text box must be empty, so make sure to remove any text in it before proceeding.
The cursor changes into a tiny pitcher full of letters. Moving the cursor over the second text box reveals that you can “pour” additional text into it.
The two text boxes are linked. Now, once enough text is entered into the first text box, it will automatically overflow into the second.
You can format the text in a text box just as you would any other text by using the Font and Paragraph groups on the Home tab.
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In Microsoft Word, the user can create the text boxes in several built-in styles, predefined Textboxes offered in Word. If any of the built-in styles do not meet the user’s, interest there is a feature in Word that allows the user to draw the text box. There is an option where you can get more textboxes from Office.com and can save the selection to the text box gallery.
In this tutorial, we will explain:
- How to insert a Built-in Styles Text Box.
- How to insert text into Text Box.
- How to copy the Text Box to a new location.
- How to change the direction of text in the selected Text Box.
- How to Format the Text Box.
- How to change the default formatting for a Text Box.
- How to save a selected Text Box as a Building Block.
What is Text Box in Microsoft Word
A Text Box is a feature in Word that focuses on its content and displays essential text such as headings and quotes.
1] How to insert a Built-in Styles Text Box
Click the Insert tab on the menu bar.
On the Insert tab in the Text group, click the drop-down arrow of the Text Box button.
You will see a list of text box built-in styles you can choose from; select the one you desire.
The text box you selected will appear in the document.
You can use More Text Boxes from Office.com to insert text boxes in the document.
In the Text Box drop-down list, you can also select Draw Text Box and draw a text box into the document.
The other option to insert a Built-in Style text box is to your document is to click on the Explore Quick Parts button.
In the drop-down list, select Building Blocks Organizer.
A Building Blocks Organizer dialog box will appear.
In the dialog box, scroll down until you see the text box gallery.
Click any text box of your choice and click Insert.
The text box is inserted into the document.
2] How to insert text into Text Box
For a built-in style text box, click into the text box and press the Delete Key to delete the default text inside it and type your text.
For the text box you draw, click inside the text box and enter your text.
3] How to copy the Text Box to a new location
Place the cursor near the text box’s frame, hold the CTRL-key down, and drag the textbox.
You will notice that the text box is copied.
4] How to change the direction of text in the selected Text Box
Go to the Shape Format tab.
On the Shape Format tab in the Text group, click Text Direction.
In the drop-down list, choose the direction you want the text to be in the text box.
5] How to Format the Text Box
Click on the text box on the Shape Format tab in the Shape Styles group. You can choose the built-in styles you like.
You can format the text box by selecting Shape Fill, Shape Outline, and Shape Effects.
6] How to change the default formatting for a Text Box
Right-click a formatted text box border and select Set as Default Text Box.
7] How to save a selected Text Box as a Building Block
Go on the Insert tab in the Text group and select the Text Box button.
In the drop-down list, select Save Selection to Text Box Gallery.
A Create New Building Block dialog box will appear, enter a name, select a category, or any changes you wish to make in the dialog box.
Click Ok.
If you want to see if the textbox you save is in the Building Block, click the Explore Quick Parts button in the Text group.
In the drop-down list, select Building Block Organizer.
A Building Blocks Organizer dialog box will appear; Scroll down until you see the name of the text box you name.
I hope this helps; if you have questions, please comment below.
Read next: How to print hidden text in Word on Windows and Mac.