Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Office 365. 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: Drawing a Curve.

Drawing a Curve

by Allen Wyatt
(last updated March 14, 2020)

4

If you want to insert a curved line in your Word document, you can do so by following these steps:

  1. Display the Insert tab of the ribbon.
  2. Click the Shapes tool in the Illustrations group. Word displays a palette of different shape categories.
  3. In the Lines group, click on the Curve option. (Make sure you choose Curve, near the right side of the available lines. Don't click the Curved Connector option.) Word changes the mouse point to a crosshair indicator.
  4. Click at the point in your document where you want the curve to begin.
  5. Click at each point where you want the line to curve.
  6. When you reach the place where you want the curve to end, double-click.

To get exactly the curve you want may take a bit of practice on your part. Once a curve is placed in your document, it is treated the same as any other graphic image.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (8181) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Office 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Drawing a Curve.

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. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Creating Traditional Forms

Do you use Word to create printed forms? If so, here's some ideas and techniques you can use to make those forms look as ...

Discover More

Deleting All Names but a Few

Want to get rid of most of the names defined in your workbook? You can either delete them one by one or use the handy ...

Discover More

Turning Off Capital Corrections

If you type two capital letters at the beginning of a word, Word assumes that you made a typing error and will attempt to ...

Discover More

Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2013. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word 2013 Step by Step today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Changing Text Orientation

Word allows you to change the orientation of text contained within certain objects, such as shapes, text boxes, and table ...

Discover More

Adding Lines to a Document

Lines are one of the most common graphic elements to be added to documents. Here's how you can add the lines you want.

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is five minus 1?

2019-10-17 03:18:25

Mercy

Thank you for this, Mercy from Kenya

2014-04-05 10:47:09

E Nora

For an interesting margin or space within a document, place the curved line where needed, set wrap to tight, set line color to white. For fine tuning, you can then set wrap style to "edit wrap points" and tweak the perimeters of the space around the line, thus adjusting where the text will stop and start.

2014-04-05 10:14:02

elmer

Thank you. Could have used tis many times, just didn't know how.

2014-04-05 09:57:58

OBX

Wow. I could have used this many times in the past. Very helpful when you put an arrow at the end of the line.

This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.

Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR AUTHORS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2020 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.