How to type vertically in MS Word

Now, there are about two ways to type vertically in MS Word. 

2 Ways to Type Vertically in MS Word

  • Type vertically by rotating a text box
  • Type vertically using the Text Direction tool


Method 1: Type Vertically by Rotating a Text Box 

Step 1. Open up a Word document. 

Step 2. Create a text box. 

Go to the Insert menu and select the Text Box drop-down menu on the far right. Select the first option in the selection to insert a simple text box. 

The text box should show up where your cursor was. 

Step 3. Rotate the text box. 

From there, click on the Rotate icon.

This is the circular arrow found above the text box. Now, click and drag the icon to either the left or right-hand side.

This rotates the text box together with the text inside it. You can start typing your text vertically or copy-paste your text into the text box. 

To accurately rotate the text box, hold the Shift key on your keyboard while dragging the Rotate icon. 


Method 2: Type Vertically using the Text Direction Tool

The Text Direction tool is a basic tool of MS Word that falls under the Drawing Tools. This tool has three predefined text directions that you can use right away. It provides the options to rotate text 90o clockwise or counter-clockwise. 

Step 1. Open up a Word document. 

Step 2. Select a text box or a table cell. 

Once your document is opened, select the text in the text box or table cell that you want in vertical form. 

If you’re using a text box, select your text box and go to the Format menu. Then, click the Text Direction drop-down menu found in the middle area of the toolbar. You can select either the second or third option to rotate your text box vertically. 

On the other hand, if your text is in a table cell, select the text and go to the Layout menu under Table Tools.

Now, click on the Text Direction button found at the right side of the toolbar.

Continue clicking this again to keep your rotation. 


Editing and Undoing Text Direction in MS Word

If your text is in a text box, simply click the Rotate icon after selecting the textbox. Rotate the text box clockwise or counter-clockwise depending on how you want it modified. 

On another end, you can access the Text Direction tool to edit vertical texts in table cells. In the Layout tab, click the Text Direction tool to modify your vertical text.

This will let you edit the text content in your text box.


Conclusion

We hope you’ve found this article helpful.

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