Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated July 20, 2024)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Joan is a math teacher and wants to create triangles with different fractions labeled each side. She needs to rotate each fraction so the numerator is touching each side of the triangle and wonders how to accomplish this.
Word is a wonderful program for creating documents that primarily contain text. There are times when graphics are needed, however. (You know—a picture is worth a thousand words.) Placing graphics in Word is possible, but if you need to modify the graphics, the existing editing options may limit what you can do. For these tasks you might want to consider using a graphics program. Microsoft PowerPoint and Publisher, as well as Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, are examples of programs that are designed to create and manipulate graphics much better than Word can.
However, if Word is the only resource available to you, there are a couple of options that will allow you to accomplish the task at hand. Creating the fractions in WordArt will provide the flexibility needed to freely rotate them to align with the sides of the triangle.
Now that you have created the WordArt, rotating is easy.
Figure 1. The Layout tab of the Format WordArt dialog box.
Another option involves the use of a graphics program. The following general steps will get the fractions into a format that can be rotated within Word.
If you are using a program that only has rudimentary text handling capabilities, such as Paint, you may want to create the fraction in Word, take a screen shot of the graphic, and then use the program to trim the image. You can then use the edited graphics file in the above steps (2 through 11). You can experiment to find the one that works best for you.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (8054) 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: Rotating Fractions in a Text Box.
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