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 December 4, 2021)

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

Display the Insert tab of the ribbon.
Click the Shapes tool in the Illustrations group. Word displays a palette of different shape categories.
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 pointer to a crosshair indicator.
Click at the point in your document where you want the curve to begin.
Click at each point where you want the line to curve.
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. Learn more about Allen...

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