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: Engraving and Embossing Text.

Engraving Text

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated September 27, 2025)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


One of the ways in which you can format text in your document is to apply what Word calls "engraving." When you engrave text, it appears to be sunken into the page, with shadowing at the edges. Engraved text is the opposite of embossed text. To engrave text, follow these steps:

  1. Choose the text you want to engrave.
  2. Choose Font from the Format menu. Word displays the Font dialog box. (See Figure 1.)
  3. Figure 1. The Font dialog box.

  4. Make sure the Engrave check box is selected.
  5. Click on OK.

You can also play with different font colors and background colors to make the engraved text appear different.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (1432) 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: Engraving and Embossing Text.

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. ...

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