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: Removing the Box from a Text Box.

Removing the Box from a Text Box

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated September 10, 2016)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003

When you insert a text box in your document, Word automatically places a border around it. This is great for some document designs, but you may prefer to remove the border. To remove the border from a text box, follow these steps:

Either click on the border of the text box or position the insertion point within the text box. (If you click on the text box itself, handles appear around the perimeter.)
Select the Text Box option from the Format menu. Word displays the Format Text Box dialog box.
Click on the Colors and Lines tab, if necessary. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The Colors and Lines tab of the Format Text Box dialog box.

In the Color drop-down list, select No Line.
Click on OK.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (1785) 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: Removing the Box from 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. Learn more about Allen...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Understanding Graphic Linking

Word provides a couple of different ways that graphics can be linked to your document. How you control the method used ...

Discover More

Printing a Draft of a Document

Need to print a copy of a document but you don't care if it looks as "pretty" as you want the final printout to look? You ...

Discover More

Preventing Someone from Recreating a Protected Worksheet

When you share a protected workbook with other people, you may not want them to get around the protection by creating a ...

Discover More

Comprehensive VBA Guide Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) is the language used for writing macros in all Office programs. This complete guide shows both professionals and novices how to master VBA in order to customize the entire Office suite for their needs. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2010 today!

More WordTips (menu)

Consistent Spacing

It is a good idea to make sure that the spacing following each sentence in your document is consistent. Here's a handy ...

Discover More

Automatic Blank Pages at the End of a Section

If you want to have a blank page at the end of a document section, you can insert one manually or you can use the ...

Discover More

Eliminating "Before Spacing" at the Top of a Page

When formatting paragraphs in Word, you have several options to adjust the spacing before, within, and at the end of each ...

Discover More

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.

Notify me about new comments ONLY FOR THIS TIP

Notify me about new comments ANYWHERE ON THIS SITE

Hide my email address

What is 6 - 0?

2023-02-24 11:23:52

Steve

Thanks this helped me get rid of the text box line border!

2022-10-31 02:55:13

Innocent udoh

Thanks. I was struggling with this problem for days until I see your article. Problem resolved. Now I can remove Text box from my Documents. Kudos

2022-08-30 12:58:48

R. L. Chandler

My color dropdown list does not contain "no line" option. Now what??

2019-08-27 17:14:12

Allan

Step 4. In the Color drop-down list, select No Line.
In Word 2007 there is no 'No Line' option. Must choose 'No Color'.

2019-08-15 18:16:07

Fiona

This needs to be updated

2018-09-07 07:56:34

Fiona

I have word on iPad and still can't work out how to remove the text box outline, tips please, I'm trying to make wedding invitations. Thanks

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.