Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, and 2013. 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: Engraving Text.

Engraving Text

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 27, 2020)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, and 2013


One of the ways in which you can format text in your document is to apply what Word calls "engraving." When you engrave text, it appears to be sunken into the page, with shadowing at the edges. Engraved text is the opposite of embossed text. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. Regular, engraved, and embossed headings.

To engrave text, follow these steps:

  1. Choose the text you want to engrave.
  2. Make sure the Home tab of the ribbon is displayed.
  3. Click the small icon at the bottom-right of the Font group. Word displays the Font dialog box. (See Figure 2.)
  4. Figure 2. The Font dialog box.

  5. Make sure the Engrave check box is selected.
  6. Click on OK.

You can also play with different font colors and background colors to make the engraved text appear different.

If you're using a document file in Word 2010 or Word 2013 in compatibility mode (in other words, the file is in DOC format, not DOCX or DOCM), the Engrave and Emboss options will be in the Font dialog box just as they are in Word 2007. However, Microsoft removed the options in Word 2010 and Word 2013 for native DOCX and DOCM files.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (7793) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, and 2013. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Engraving Text.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

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