Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Resizing a Text Box.

Resizing a Text Box

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated September 30, 2023)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


Text boxes, regardless of what they contain, can be easily sized in Word. To change the size of an existing text box, follow these steps:

  1. Click once on the information within the text box. A box appears for the object (this is designated by eight squares, or handles, around the perimeter).
  2. Use the mouse to point to one of the handles. The pointer will change to a double-headed arrow. Click on the left mouse button.
  3. Drag the handle to resize the text box.
  4. Release the mouse button when the text box is the size you want. The information it contains is reformatted to fit within the newly resized text box.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (1054) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Resizing a Text Box.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Specifying Your Target Monitor

When you create a worksheet that is destined for viewing on the Web, you will want to specify the monitor resolution you ...

Discover More

Discovering Dependent Workbooks

When you starting linking information from one workbook to another, those workbooks become dependent on each other. ...

Discover More

Understanding Subroutines

When developing macros, you can create subroutines. This is a great way to reuse common code and make your programming ...

Discover More

The First and Last Word on Word! Bestselling For Dummies author Dan Gookin puts his usual fun and friendly candor back to work to show you how to navigate Word 2013. Spend more time working and less time trying to figure it all out! Check out Word 2013 For Dummies today!

More WordTips (menu)

Different Layout for a Portion of a Page

Got a document layout that requires a portion of the page to be in one layout and another portion to be in a different ...

Discover More

Creating Usable Figure Captions

Many people add both images and figure captions within text boxes so they can be easily positioned within a document. ...

Discover More

Adding Sidebars

When designing your document, you may want to use sidebars like you see in magazines and some books. This tip explains ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 7 - 7?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.

Videos
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.