Sign in with Microsoft
Sign in or create an account.
Hello,
Select a different account.
You have multiple accounts
Choose the account you want to sign in with.

A drop cap (dropped capital) is a large capital letter used as a decorative element at the beginning of a paragraph or section. The size of a drop cap is usually two or more lines.

The following illustration shows your options for positioning a drop cap.

Dropped and in margin capital letters

Add a drop cap

  1. Select the first character of a paragraph.

    Select the first letter of your paragraph.
  2. Go to INSERT > Drop Cap.

    The Drop Cap option is on the Insert tab.
  3. Select the drop cap option you want.

    • To create a drop cap that fits within your paragraph, select Dropped.

      On the Drop Cap menu, choose Dropped. Example of a drop cap within the paragraph.
    • To create a drop cap that is in the margin, outside of your paragraph, select In margin.

      In the Drop Cap menu, choose In margin to drop the cap in the margin and not in the paragraph. Example of a drop cap within the margin.

Tip: You can change the size and font of the drop cap, as well as its distance from the text. To do so, select Drop Cap > Drop Cap Options, and under Options, make your selections.

Remove a drop cap

  1. Highlight the large drop cap letter.

  2. Go to INSERT > Drop Cap, and select None.

    Choose None to remove a drop cap.

See also

Create a first line indent

Add or change a drop cap

  1. On the View menu, select Print Layout.

  2. Select the paragraph that you want to begin with a drop cap.

    The paragraph must contain text, and cannot be inside a text container.

  3. On the Format menu, select Drop Cap.

  4. Select Dropped or In margin.

  5. Select the options that you want.

Remove a drop cap

  1. On the View menu, select Print Layout.

  2. Select the paragraph that contains the drop cap that you want to remove.

  3. On the Format menu, select Drop Cap.

  4. Select None.

See also

Adjust indents and spacing

Align or justify text

Need more help?

Want more options?

Explore subscription benefits, browse training courses, learn how to secure your device, and more.

Communities help you ask and answer questions, give feedback, and hear from experts with rich knowledge.

Was this information helpful?

What affected your experience?
By pressing submit, your feedback will be used to improve Microsoft products and services. Your IT admin will be able to collect this data. Privacy Statement.

Thank you for your feedback!

×