rotating text boxes in word 2

[Typesetter]

can a text box be rotated in microsoft word?

 

[SkipVought]

Typesetter,

Depending on the KIND of textbox, the QUALLIFIED answere is Yes, BUT.

The YES part is that you can ROTATE the BOX, if you have inserted the right kind of object.

The BUT part is the TEXT does NOT rotate.

If you want to ROTATE TEXT also, use a Word Art Object.

Skip,

_{[red]Be advised:[/red] It's been reported that a wee psychic is roaming the countryside.
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[Typesetter]

thanks, i'll try it

 

[tf1]

Create your Text Box and make sure it is absolutely as you want it (except for the rotation). Then click the edge of the box and cut it (Ctrl+X). Then use Paste, Special and choose the Picture (windows metafile) option. This pastes the Text Box back into the document as a object. This can be rotated as a single entity (WITH the text).

This tip is useful for many occasions: you can cut and paste any text as a picture and use it to manipulte its rotation or distort its dimensions, etc.


Regards: tf1

 

[SkipVought]

tf1,

WTG! I like that one! ==> *

Skip,

_{[red]Be advised:[/red] It's been reported that a wee psychic is roaming the countryside.
Small Medium @ Large!}

 

[MeGustaXL]

tf1,

This sounds just like what I need, but my only Paste Special options are Bitmap, MS Drawing Object and Picture (enhanced metafile). None of these can be rotated (Rotate symbol and drawing toolbar options are greyed out)

Any suggestions as to what I'm doing wrong?


Chris

Varium et mutabile semper Excel

 

[SkipVought]

What application/version are you running?

Skip,

_{[red]Be advised:[/red] It's been reported that a wee psychic is roaming the countryside.
Small Medium @ Large!}

 

[MeGustaXL]

Hi Skip,

Yeah, sorry about that! I'm in Word 98 under NT4.

Chris

Varium et mutabile semper Excel

 

[fneily]

Here's one way to circumvent that problem:

Create your AutoShape, add text, and format it to your liking.
Ctrl+Click the AutoShape to select it. Pressing Ctrl ensures that you select the AutoShape itself, not the text inside.
Press Shift, and choose Edit - Copy Picture. This command is available only when the Shift key is pressed.
In the Copy Picture dialog box, choose As shown on screen, and Picture. Click OK.
Choose Edit - Paste
The result is a picture of the AutoShape. But, unlike the AutoShape, the text is also rotated when the AutoShape is rotated.

 

[tf1]

After using Paste, Special, enhanced matafile if you click on the pasted object the handles should show up with a green one for rotating the box. Do you not get a green handle?

ANd as Skip has asked, which version are you using?


Regards: tf1

 

[MeGustaXL]

fneily,

Makes no diff, I'm afraid, plus I don't get Shift>Edit Copy Picture in Word98, only in Excel

tf1,

No green rotation handles, just 8 white squares with top and left borders visible only - bottom and right borders vanish in the process!! :-{ See above - Wrd98, NT4

Chris

Varium et mutabile semper Excel

 

[tf1]

Word98 was for the MAC: are you sure about your version?

Regards: tf1

 

[MeGustaXL]

OOPS! [Blush]

Word 97 SR-2





sorry...

Chris

Varium et mutabile semper Excel

 

[Typesetter]

Thanks for all the input folks. I also only had the picture (enhanced metafile) option -- it worked fine, just use that under your paste special. While we're talking about enhanced metafiles, I have had a lot of luck with getting good, usable vector files out of these puppies -- illustrator cracks 'em real well. Sometimes windows metafiles will work, sometimes not -- but most of the time the enhanced metafiles will convert great. Many times I've dug the art out of word files to manipulate them they way I needed to. Another trick is to copy the picture and paste it into corel draw, then export it as an illustrator ai file, and go from there. (Personally, however, if my office had windows, the pc and all the microsoft products may well have gone on a short, fatal flight a long time ago -- but our customers force us to be prepared for anything).

 

[asrisk]

You can't rotate the picture if it is in line with the text. Right-click the picture and choose "Format Picture", select the Layout tab, and choose anything except "in line with text". You should then be able to rotate it.

Hope this helps,
Andy.

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[MeGustaXL]

asrisk,

Almost convinced me there, but I don't have 'Layout' on my Word97 'Format Picture' dialog
Just Colors & Lines, Size, Position, Wrapping, Picture and Text Box (which is greyed out once I've pasted as a picture).

All - maybe it just don't work this way in '97 an' I'll have to live without it - Sigh....

Chris

Varium et mutabile semper Excel

 

[asrisk]

Ah, sorry. I'm on 2003 here. I don't remember it being too different on 97 though - worth having a look through the tabs of the Format Picture dialog - "Wrapping" might be a place to look?


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[tf1]

I think asrisk is onto it here. Double-click the Picture and the Picture dialog will open. Select the Layout tab and choose anything but In Line (I prefer In Front of Text). Then the correct handle should appear.


Regards: tf1

 

[MeGustaXL]

Both..

Thanks guys, but there's no layout tab in W97, and none of the Wrapping or Position settings produce the desired handle or Drawing Toolbar items.

Never mind, I'll just Cut, Paste as New Image in Photo Editor, Rotate it and paste it back in, like I have up to now

Away for a week now, so don't think me rude if I don't respond!

Chris

Varium et mutabile semper Excel

 

[sawedoff]

I have Word 2000, and Windows 2000, and none of the other suggestions worked for me either. So I resorted to hitting the help files. I copied this out of the Word 2000 Help file:

"I can't rotate a graphic.
Only drawing objects can be flipped or rotated. If you can convert an object to a drawing object by ungrouping it and then grouping it again, you can flip or rotate it. You won't be able to convert a bitmap to a drawing object.

To convert an object, select it, click Ungroup on the Draw menu, and then click Group.

If you can't convert the object, open it in another drawing program, rotate it there, and then save it. When you reopen it in Word, it appears rotated."

I tried the last option, copied into Paint, rotated and repasted into Word, and it works. I didn't even resave it, just copy paste. Give it a try.

Sawedoff