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Text & tables

Insert WordArt

WordArt is a quick way to make text stand out with special effects. You begin by picking a WordArt style from the WordArt gallery on the Insert tab, and then customize the text as you wish.

Important: In Word and Outlook, you must first anchor multiple objects before selecting them. Select one object. Next, press and hold Ctrl while you select more objects.

An example of WordArt that says "Happy Birthday" that is curved text.
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Try it!

  1. Click Insert > WordArt, and pick the WordArt style you want.

    Choosing a WordArt option

    In the WordArt gallery, the letter A represents the different designs that are applied to all text you type.

    Note: The WordArt icon is located in the Text group, and it may appear different depending on the program you're using and the size of your screen. Look for one of these icons:

    Large WordArt icon Medium WordArt icon Small WordArt icon
  2. The placeholder text "Your text here" appears, with the text highlighted.

    WordArt placeholder text

    Enter your own text to replace the placeholder text.

    WordArt with custom text

Tips: 

  • You can enter entire sentences, and even paragraphs, as WordArt. (You may have to change the font size for longer text.) And in Word, you can also convert existing text to WordArt in Word.

  • You can include symbols as WordArt text. Click the location for the symbol, and on the Insert tab, click Symbol, and pick the symbol you want.

Do more things with WordArt

Select a heading below to open it and see the detailed instructions.

You might have tried using shape styles to change the shape of WordArt and then were puzzled that the text didn’t change. Use the text options in the WordArt Styles group instead. Shape styles and effects apply to the box and background surrounding your WordArt, not to the WordArt text. So, to add effects to your WordArt, such as shadows, rotation, curves, and fill and outline colors, you use the options in the WordArt Styles group, including Text Fill, Text Outline, and Text Effects.

WordArt Styles group

Note: Depending on your screen size, you might only see the icons for WordArt Styles.

WordArt Styles group showing icons only

  1. Select the WordArt text or letters to change.

    The Drawing Tools Format tab appears.

  2. On the Drawing Tools Format tab, click Text Fill or Text Outline, and pick the color you want.

    Choosing a text fill color
  3. Click outside of your text box to see the effect.

    In this example, a light blue text fill and a red text outline were applied.

    WordArt with text fill and outline color applied

You can curve text around a circular object.

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90 seconds

  1. Select the WordArt text or letters to change.

    The Drawing Tools Format tab appears.

  2. To create a curved effect, on the Drawing Tools Format tab, click Text Effects >Transform and pick the one you want.

    Important: The Text Effects Text Effects menu button menu is not the same as the Shape Effects Shape Effects menu button menu. If you don't see Transform at the bottom of the menu, make sure you've clicked the Text Effects menu.

    In this example, the first curved transform effect is selected.

    Selecting a curved transform text effect
  3. Click outside of your text box to see the effect.

    Use the Text Effects menu to create other effects, such as shadow, reflection, glow, bevels, and 3-D rotation. This example shows WordArt with a curved transform effect and a shadow applied.

    WordArt with curved transform effect and a shadow applied

  • To rotate WordArt text to any angle, select it, and then drag the circular rotation handle at the top of the box.

    Rotating WordArt with the rotation handle
  • To flip WordArt or rotate it 90 degrees, click the Drawing Tools Format tab, click Rotate in the Arrange group, and then select an option.

    Rotate menu options

To change the font size or style of your WordArt text:

  1. Select the WordArt text or letters to change.

  2. On the Home tab, select options in the Font group, such as font style, font size, or underline.

  1. In your Word document, select the text to convert to WordArt.

  2. On the Insert tab, click WordArt, and then pick the WordArt you want.

    Choosing a WordArt option

Double-click the WordArt that you want to remove, and then press Delete.

Want more?

Add shapes

Apply styles

  1. In Office for Mac 2016 or later, select the Insert tab on the Ribbon.

    or

    In Office for Mac 2011, select Insert on the toolbar.

  2. Select WordArt, and pick the WordArt style you want.

    Insert tab with the WordArt option highlighted.

    In the WordArt gallery, the letter A represents the different designs that are applied to all text you type.

  3. Enter your text.

Tip: You can also include symbols as WordArt text. To do so, click the location in your document for the symbol, and on the Insert tab, click Advanced Symbol, and pick the symbol you want.

Do more things with WordArt

Select a heading below to open it and see the detailed instructions.

To create curved or circular WordArt text, you add a Transform text effect.

  1. Select the WordArt.

    When you do that, the Shape Format tab appears.

  2. Click Text Effects > Transform and pick the effect you want.

    Shape Format tab with the Text Effects option highlighted.

To change the color of the WordArt text, you change the Text Fill.

  1. Select the WordArt text or letters to change.

    When you do that, the Shape Format tab appears.

  2. Click Text Fill, and pick the color you want.

    Shape Format tab with the Text Fill option highlighted.

Tip: To change the outline of the WordArt text, on the Shape Format tab, click Text Outline.

  1. Select the text to convert to WordArt.

  2. On the Insert tab, click WordArt, and then pick the WordArt style you want.

    Insert tab with the WordArt option highlighted.

In Microsoft 365 for the web you can see WordArt that’s already in your document, presentation, or worksheet, but to add more WordArt you need to open or edit the doc in the desktop version of Word, PowerPoint, or Excel.

In Microsoft 365 for the web, you can use the Font features on the Home tab to change the font color and size, and apply bolding, italics, or underlines to your text.

If you don’t have the desktop version of Word or PowerPoint, you can try it or buy it in the latest version of Office now.

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