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: Using the Drawing Grid.

Using the Drawing Grid

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated January 28, 2023)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003

When you are working with Word's drawing tools, you might find it difficult to align objects. Fortunately there is a drawing feature that you can use to assist you in doing this. You can use the drawing grid to provide a temporary, nonprinting straight edge. In this way you can easily align other objects in your drawing. The value of the drawing grid depends on the version of Word you are using. If you are using Word 97, the drawing grid is not visible on the screen, but it remains there, acting as a "behind the scenes" force in helping to draw straight lines. If you are using a later version of Word, the grid is quite a bit more flexible, and can actually be displayed on the screen. If you are using a later version of Word, follow these steps to make sure the drawing grid is turned on:

Make sure the Drawing toolbar is displayed.
Click on the Draw tool on the toolbar. Word displays the Draw menu.
Select the Grid option from the Draw menu. If you are using Word 97, the Snap to Grid dialog box is displayed. If you are using Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003 the Drawing Grid dialog box is displayed. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The Drawing Grid dialog box.

Use the controls in the dialog box to set the specifics of the grid. You can use the controls to specify the horizontal and vertical spacing used in the grid. You should also make sure the Snap to Grid option is selected.
If you are using Word 2000 or Word 2002, make sure the Display Gridlines On Screen check box is selected.
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 (1917) 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: Using the Drawing Grid.

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

Decreasing a Paragraph's Indent

When formatting your document, you often have need to indent paragraphs. If you later want to decrease the indent used on ...

Discover More

Professional Looking Fractions

Professional typesetting has, in many ways, spoiled us. One way this is evident is in the preference we show for making ...

Discover More

Writing a Macro from Scratch

Creating macros can help extend what you can do in Excel. If you work with macros, you know that creating macros from ...

Discover More

Do More in Less Time! An easy-to-understand guide to the more advanced features available in the Microsoft 365 version of Word. Enhance the quality of your documents and boost productivity in any field with this in-depth resource. Complete your Word-related tasks more efficiently as you unlock lesser-known tools and learn to quickly access the features you need. Check out Microsoft 365 Word For Professionals For Dummies today!

More WordTips (menu)

Stopping Text from Jumping Around

Do you struggle with getting your graphics and surrounding text to appear just the way you want it? Here are some ...

Discover More

Merging Graphics from Access

An Access database can store all types of data, including graphic images. Merging most data from Access into Word is ...

Discover More

Determining Picture Size in a Macro

When processing a document using a macro, you may need for your macro to figure out the sizes of the images in your ...

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 four less than 4?

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.