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: Changing Text Orientation.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated July 16, 2022)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Word provides you with the capability of changing the orientation of your text, provided that the text is within an AutoShape, text box, or table cell. This means that you can rotate this type of text ninety degrees, in either direction, from its normal appearance. To change text orientation, follow these steps:

Figure 1. The Text Direction dialog 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 (1707) 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: Changing Text Orientation.
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