text in text boxes

[heathergill]

[img]/w3timages/icons/baby.gif[/img] my first post [img]/w3timages/icons/blush.gif[/img]
<font face="Comic Sans MS">Would anyone know whether there is a quick way to centre text vertically within a text box? </font face=comic>

[KTYorke]

I just learned this... [img]/w3timages/icons/clever.gif[/img]
depending on what way you want to read the text you can either:

a)once you insert the text box make sure the text box tool bar is active (if it's not, right click on the menu bar and choose it from the list) There is a button on the toolbar to change the direction of text. It's an a on it's side with arrows pointing down. Then you can use the formatting toolbar to center it...or CTRL E.

b)create the text box, set it to align center then press enter after every character...Then you can use the formatting toolbar to center it...or CTRL E.

This works for both W97 and W2K.
hope this is what you were looking for.
have fun

[heathergill]

thanks KT - I will remember these tips for another occasion - I didn't make my question clear enough, though. Sorry. I want to vertically centre (i.e. place in the middle of the text box from top to bottom) one line (or a paragraph) of horizontal text. A similar function on a page of text would be accessed under Page Setup. Obviously one can do it by eye - putting enough line spaces in to move the text down to more or less the middle of the text box. But then one lands up having to change font sizes for fine tuning, etc. Any ideas on this one, pretty please?

[KB MacKenzie]

Sorry, Heather. In my years of working with Word and it's graphics toolbar -- I haven't found a way. However, if you insert a WordArt Object in the textbox, you will get that functionality. Or, you could insert a PowerPoint object. PowerPoint's textboxes automatically center vertically, and will "grow" to accommodate additional text.

HTH

[KTYorke]

I'm fishing around for an answer for you... but I have two questions... one...what version of word do you have? 97 or 2K?

and two...I'm just curious...why do you want to do this? Will resizing the text box to the size of the text and then position it where you want on a page be effective? Just wondering [img]/w3timages/icons/crazy.gif[/img]

I'll get back to you if I find an answer for you [img]/w3timages/icons/smile.gif[/img]
have fun

[Andrew Lockton]

You should get out of the habit of doing drawings in Word. Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.

I also know of no way to vertically centre the text but you really shouldn't use a text box in Word anyway. Your other options are:
[img]/w3timages/icons/woof.gif[/img] Use Powerpoint to draw the entire graphic and then use Paste Special to bring it into Word
[img]/w3timages/icons/woof.gif[/img] Use Word's Table cells instead (which can do vertical alignment)
[img]/w3timages/icons/king.gif[/img] Use a real graphics package (ie non-Microsoft) and have full control. Microsoft have continued to be very weak in graphic software and buying Visio (half CAD, half Drawing) hasn't solved that weakness.

[heathergill]

KT, Karen and Andrew - thanks a lot for your prompt and educational responses. This was just a simple thing that bugged me when making labels to stick on disks, so my best solution will be to use Andrew's table option. But I got such a lot of ideas from you all from asking one simple question - and the main reason I asked was to introduce myself in Woody's Lounge. Needless to say, I WILL be back. Have a great weekend. [img]/w3timages/icons/smile.gif[/img] (btw, I have Office 2K)

[KTYorke]

Well, A & K are pros when I first found the lounge and I'm more than grateful for them!!![img]/w3timages/icons/clever.gif[/img]
Welcome aboard!! We're always glad to hear from you!![img]/w3timages/icons/kiss.gif[/img][img]/w3timages/icons/love.gif[/img][img]/w3timages/icons/thinks.gif[/img]

[gayle]

Heather, if you're creating labels, why not use Word's label feature. It automatically centers text vertically.