Formatting a Text Box

You can add many special effects to a text box for emphasis and impact, such as including a fill or border. PowerPoint also enables you to control the size and position of the text box and change the text anchor point and internal margins of the text. All these options are available in the Format Text Box dialog box.

Adding a Fill or Border

By adding a border or fill to your text box, you can really make the text stand out. Figure 27.3 illustrates how a text box can be formatted by using the fill and border options.

1. Select the text box you want to format.

2. Choose Format, Text Box from the menu to display the Format Text Box dialog box.

3. Click the Colors and Lines tab.

4. Select a color or fill option from the Color drop-down list in the Fill section.

   

   Use the Fill Effects option from the Color drop-down list to apply a gradient or other fill effect to your text object. Although it's easy to get carried away with all the special effects, just remember that the text is what you want the audience to focus on, not the fancy formatting.

   
   

5. If you want a border, click the Color drop-down list under the Line section.

6. Change the Style, Dashed, and Weight options for the line, if you want.

7. Click the Preview button to preview your changes before accepting them.

8. Click the OK button when you're finished.

Figure 27.3. Format a text box with a fill and a border to draw attention to the text.

Moving a Text Box

After you create your text box, you might decide later that it needs to be moved to another location on the slide. PowerPoint has two options for moving the text box. You can either drag the text box to a desired position or set an exact position in the Format Text Box dialog box. To drag a text box to a new location, use the following steps:

1. Click once on the text box to select it.

2. Place the mouse pointer on the box's border so you can see the move pointer.

3. Click and hold down the left mouse button.

4. Drag the box to the new location.

5. Release the mouse button.

When you know exactly where you want the text box to be placed on a slide, you can use the Position tab in the Format Text Box dialog box. You must measure the position from either the top left corner or the center of the slide.

Changing the Size of a Text Box

Usually, a text box is set to automatically fit the size of the text that it contains. However, on occasion, as in Figure 27.4, you may need the text box to be smaller or larger than the automatic size given by PowerPoint. In this example, because of the border and shading, the overall look would be greatly improved by making the text box a smidgen smaller. To resize the text box manually, you must first turn off the automatic resizing feature.

1. Click once on the text object to select it.

2. Choose Format, Text Box from the menu. The Format Text Box dialog box opens.

3. Click the Text Box tab.

4. Uncheck the Resize AutoShape to Fit Text option.

5. Click the OK button.

6. Drag the appropriate resizing handle to resize the text box.

Figure 27.4. If a text box is too small, simply resize it.

Formatting the Text in a Text Box

You can format the text in a text box by using the Format Font dialog box or by selecting any of the text formatting tools on the Formatting toolbar. Make the text bigger or smaller, select a new font face, or change the color. So many font choices, so little time! To format text in a text box, follow these steps:

1. Select the text you want to format. If you want to format all the text in the text box, click once on the text box to select it and a second time on the text box border to select the entire text box.

2. Choose Format, Font from the menu to open the Font dialog box.

3. Change any options you want.

4. Click the Preview button to see a preview of your changes before accepting them.

5. Click the OK Button.