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About this lesson

Insert decorative text into your publication.

Lesson versions

Multiple versions of this lesson are available, choose the appropriate version for you:

2016, 2019/365.

Exercise files

Download this lesson’s exercise file.

Text box - Word Art.docx
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Quick reference

Text - WordArt

Insert decorative text as headlines and banners into your publication.

When to use

Headlines and banners can attract attention creatively by using WordArt. Always stay professional and don’t over-decorate, and you will soon find that WordArt is a valuable feature.

Instructions

  • Insert a WordArt textbox and type some text into it, i.e.: WordArt.
  • Notice the handles around the WordArt box and the small yellow diamond. Click and drag these tools to alter the size and angle of the WordArt.
  • Use the WordArt Tools ribbon and practice with them to create your own WordArt style.
    Float your mouse over the tools and you will see its name and description.

            

  • The more you practice, the better you will become at knowing all the fun and creative options within the WordArt toolbar.

Computer Tips

  • Ctrl + scroll to zoom in is faster than pointing to the bottom right zoom controls. Zoom in or out quickly by holding down Ctrl and scroll with your mouse wheel. 
  • To un-do anything, simply press Ctrl + Z, or click the un-do button on the Quick Access Toolbar: 
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  • 00:04 Welcome to the Insert ribbon.
  • 00:06 And I'm going to draw your attention right over here to this little section called
  • 00:09 Text.
  • 00:09 The next few lessons are going to be all about the Text element.
  • 00:12 Of course, you can't have a newsletter without writing text in there.
  • 00:15 So we can draw a text box, which you actually see on my screen right now.
  • 00:19 So at this point, this text box has some text inside of it.
  • 00:23 And that's, basically, the banner to my publication.
  • 00:26 Boring, very boring.
  • 00:28 So instead I want to jazz this up.
  • 00:30 So I'm not going to go to Business Information, I am going to go to Word Art.
  • 00:34 Now Word Art actually allows you to have a little fun, okay?
  • 00:38 So I can click any one of these options or any one of these shapes.
  • 00:42 And as soon as I click one, I'm going to head for, I think, this one right here.
  • 00:45 Soon as I click that, it opens up a new dialog box.
  • 00:48 It wants me to enter some text, which I had copied from the previous one.
  • 00:51 I'm going to go ahead and click OK.
  • 00:53 Keep in mind, I can choose my font, style, size, and hit OK.
  • 00:57 And there we go, our first WordArt.
  • 01:00 Now notice, the handles on this text box,
  • 01:02 these circles allow you to resize both vertically and horizontally.
  • 01:06 But the squares, you can only go one way or the other.
  • 01:10 Okay, left or right or up or down.
  • 01:12 You can't do both, the corners always allow you to go both directions.
  • 01:17 Also if I hold down my Ctrl key while I use that diagonal,
  • 01:20 all four sides expand at the same time.
  • 01:23 Or hold my Ctrl on just the squares, then both sides come in,
  • 01:26 resize at the same time.
  • 01:27 Keep that in mind, a little bit of magic.
  • 01:30 Okay, a little more on here.
  • 01:31 See this top circle?
  • 01:32 That is a rotate.
  • 01:33 I can actually spin this around and drop it wherever I want to.
  • 01:37 Keep in mind that Ctrl+Z will always undo whatever you just did that you
  • 01:41 didn't like.
  • 01:42 And notice there's a little yellow triangle down here at the bottom.
  • 01:45 Now notice the shape of my mouse.
  • 01:48 When I float my mouse on that yellow diamond, watch what happens.
  • 01:51 It completely changes the shape.
  • 01:54 Now watch when I click and drag that yellow diamond.
  • 01:56 Now I'm forced myself through the wind or this way and I'm screeching to a stop.
  • 02:00 You know, what effect do you want to have on your fonts,
  • 02:03 that's what you can do with Word Art.
  • 02:06 Now, take a look at the top, we've got a brand new ribbon up there.
  • 02:08 As long as I'm clicked on that Word Art box, I get WordArt Tools.
  • 02:12 And there's some really fancy stuff.
  • 02:14 First of all, I can go right back to edit my text if I want to change it.
  • 02:17 I could also double-click right here and get the same thing.
  • 02:19 This is cool, the spacing.
  • 02:21 Keep your eyes on the text inside that box.
  • 02:23 I'm going to choose Very Tight, watch what happens.
  • 02:26 See it all kind of slammed together like bubble text?
  • 02:28 Looks kind of cool. Now I'm going to choose Very Loose.
  • 02:31 And it spreads it way apart.
  • 02:32 So you can get really creative.
  • 02:34 I can tell you you're probably a lot more creative than I am.
  • 02:37 I usually just go in, grab a default Word Art, and move it.
  • 02:40 I have seen some amazing stuff in Word Art.
  • 02:43 Check this button out.
  • 02:43 It says Even Height.
  • 02:44 Now, again, keep your eyes on the letters in the box.
  • 02:47 Click.
  • 02:48 Check that out.
  • 02:48 They are all the same height.
  • 02:50 And if you want to turn it off, just click it again.
  • 02:52 Puts it back.
  • 02:53 Now, this one is going to change the text to vertical.
  • 02:56 Please don't ever make your readers read vertical text.
  • 02:59 It's always hard to figure out what it is.
  • 03:01 So we always like horizontal text.
  • 03:03 So I'm going to turn that off.
  • 03:04 And then of course we can align this.
  • 03:07 Check this button out, the Word Art Styles.
  • 03:09 You can just float your mouse, change up the style if you want.
  • 03:13 You can change your shape of it down below.
  • 03:16 Whatever you want to do.
  • 03:17 It's your document, you will decide the best options for you.
  • 03:22 And I'm going to stick with this one.
  • 03:23 I can also change the shape of the box itself.
  • 03:26 I can change the fill color of my fonts.
  • 03:29 And I can change the outline of my fonts.
  • 03:32 And I can put shadows on my fonts.
  • 03:35 You can spend the entire day in here on WordArt.
  • 03:38 It's addictive, all right?
  • 03:39 So keep in mind the arrange forward and backward.
  • 03:41 If you've got layered objects around it, and
  • 03:43 you want your WordArt to come to the front.
  • 03:45 And then of course exact measurements.
  • 03:47 All this to say, keep it professional, have fun, but use your creativity.
  • 03:53 And I will tell you though,
  • 03:54 you will spend a lot of time in here once you discover how fun it is.

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