Text box

How to create a text box

PowerPoint will generally create placeholders for text and images on each new slide unless you choose a blank slide specifically. However, sometimes you will want to create your own. The insert text-box tool is available for this situation.

In the 'Insert' tab of the ribbon you will find the option to add a text box:  Illustrative image

Drawing a text-box

Once the 'Text-Box' button has been selected your cursor will change from a mouse cursor to a 'dagger' symbol:

This will be the starting point for your text-box. Click and drag this across the area you wish to create a text-box in:  Illustrative image

When you release the click you will generate the textbox and your text cursor will be placed inside the text-box, ready to type.

 

Moving a Text-box

In order to move a text-box, you must have it selected. To select a text-box you can left-click it. You will then see the white dots on the corners and middle edges indicating the object is selected. These can also be used to resize the object, which we'll cover after. Once the text-box is selected you can click and drag the dotted border to move the object into a different area. If you do this to the 'white dots' you will resize the text box rather than move it.

  • Click and drag the borders of a selected textbox to move it: Illustrative image

Re-Sizing a Text-Box

Re-sizing a text box is very similar to moving a text-box, but instead of clicking and dragging the border you must click-and-drag the white dots (re-size handles).  PowerPoint will not allow you to make the text-box larger than the text vertically, so you can only adjust it's width generally speaking.

  • Click-and-drag the white dots (Re-size handles) in the direction you wish to expand or contract your text-box: Illustrative image

 

Further learning:

  • Formatting text and fill color
  • Re-shaping a textbox to a custom shape

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