Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Word in Microsoft 365, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Rotating a Drawing Object.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated November 26, 2022)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Word in Microsoft 365, and 2021
Word allows you to create drawing objects in your document. These objects (such as an oval, rectangle, line, etc.) are positioned on what is termed the "drawing layer," which is separate and distinct from the text that appears in a document. You generally create such objects by using the Shapes tool on the Insert tab of the ribbon.
You can rotate a drawing object to any degree you desire. Simply follow these steps:
If you know exactly how much you want to rotate the drawing object, you can also do the following:
Figure 1. The Size tab of the Layout dialog box.
You should note that Word allows you to insert text within a drawing object. Rotating the shape, however, does not result in the text within the shape being rotated. Instead, you can only change the orientation of the text within the shape, as described in other WordTips.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (1271) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Word in Microsoft 365, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Rotating a Drawing Object.
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