Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007 and 2010. 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 Page of Text.
Have you ever wanted to rotate the text in your Word document 90 degrees in relation to your headers and footers? As has been discussed in other WordTips, there are a couple of ways to do this using Word's native capabilities. (You can insert a text box and rotate the text within that textbox, insert a table and rotate the text within a cell, or use WordArt.) Any of these methods can be quite cumbersome and time consuming to set up and get aligned properly.
However, if you use the fact that Microsoft started including Far East language support in Word 2000, you can rotate an entire section of text clockwise, 90 degrees to your headers and footers.
To rotate the text, follow these steps:
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007 and 2010. 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: 
Selection.Orientation = wdTextOrientationVerticalFarEast
Now your text is rotated 90 degrees to your headers and footers. Your page that contains the rotated text has had its layout changed to landscape mode, as well. You can use the Page Setup dialog box to change the page to portrait mode, and the text will still be rotated on the page.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (11797) applies to Microsoft Word 2007 and 2010. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Rotating a Page of Text.
Comprehensive VBA Guide Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) is the language used for writing macros in all Office programs. This complete guide shows both professionals and novices how to master VBA in order to customize the entire Office suite for their needs. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2010 today!
Need to format the page numbers you added to your document? Word makes it easy, using the same techniques you use to format ...
Discover MoreNeed to draw attention to some text? Consider using the Highlight tool, which functions just like the highlighter pens you ...
Discover MoreCreate a document in one version of Word on one machine and then open that document in a different version of Word on a ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2017-01-19 22:52:46
Fx1
It's work. And how to rotate 270' or counterclockwise 90'? Please help
2016-09-21 10:51:05
Bryant House
When I rotate the text and return the page to portrait, the text layout reads "down" the page. Is there any way to get the text layout to read "up" the page as in a bound book?
2016-09-19 16:43:48
Alison Miller
What is the "immediate window"? When I press Alt + F11, I get a ruler halfway down the document that reproduces what is above the ruler. When I type in the command, where do I type it into? I have MS Word 2010.
2016-09-19 09:54:17
Eileen
What's an example of when this would be used?
2016-09-19 07:14:39
Roger Dean
This is a neat trick but doesn't do what I hoped, which was to keep the headers/footers in the portrait orientation but put the text in the wider landscape layout. Is there a similar way to end up with that effect?
2015-07-07 08:34:15
Mehdi
Thank Yooooooooooooouuuuuuuuu very much for your great help.
2015-05-11 13:20:14
Maryland, USA
It worked, but I try to insert a table into the rotated section--whether just before the rotated text, just after it, or within it--the table is inserted unrotated. Moreover, the table gets inserted with text wrapping ON and won't let me change the wrap attribute to None; that option is dimmed. Any suggestions?
2015-05-08 08:24:10
Glenn Case
Chrystin:
Be sure you are entering the text into the immediate window, not into a code window. The immediate window will be labeled as such. If it's not visible, you can select View and pick it from there.
2015-05-07 11:34:04
chrystin pleasants
This is a one page document that I am trying to rotate.
I am getting a dialogue box with a splat:
Compile error:Invalid outside procedure
Options OK or Help
Help: The statement must occur within a Sub or Function, or a property procedure...Unfortunately, I don't know enough to know what is needed.
2015-02-22 17:16:17
Lance
Thank you! Just what I was looking for!
2014-12-13 02:10:57
Mary
Thank you!! I looked all over the Internet to fix a pdf-to-word converted file that was partly turned sideways. I replaced the "vertical" for "horizontal" and it was magically fixed.
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.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2017 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments