All of the Office 2003 applications have access to a program called WordArt that helps you create stylized, interesting-looking text. The text can be shaped, slanted, twisted, and all manner of other manipulations, so that it ends up looking more like a graphic than like text. Figure 7-4 shows some examples of WordArt.
Figure 7-4: Here are some examples of what you can do with WordArt.
Formatting-wise, most of what you can do to an AutoShape can also be done to WordArt, so most of the remainder of this chapter will apply to both. In addition, I'll include an extra section at the end of this chapter covering some of the advanced manipulations that are specific to WordArt.
You can create a piece of WordArt easily using some standard settings and then refine it to be exactly what you want using the various formatting techniques in the remainder of this chapter. Follow these steps to create some WordArt:
Display the slide you want to place the WordArt on.
Click the WordArt button on the Drawing toolbar. The WordArt Gallery dialog box appears (see Figure 7-5).
Click one of the gallery designs. If there isn't one that matches exactly what you want, pick something similar; you can modify it later.
Click OK. The Edit WordArt Text dialog box appears.
Type the text you want. Choose a different font and size if desired, and/or click the Bold or Italic buttons.
Click OK. The finished WordArt appears on the slide. From here you can modify it as you would an AutoShape; the rest of the chapter explains how.
Figure 7-5: Choose an initial design from the WordArt Gallery.
There are some minor differences in formatting WordArt and AutoShapes, and I'll point those out as we go along.
The biggest thing that distinguishes WordArt from regular text is the ability to apply different shapes to it. To choose a different shape, click the WordArt Shape button on the WordArt toolbar, and select a shape from the menu that appears (see Figure 7-6).
Figure 7-6: Choose a different shape, if desired.
To change the WordArt text, double-click the WordArt object. The Edit WordArt Text dialog box appears. You can also click the Edit Text button on the WordArt toolbar instead, if desired (see Figure 7-6).
In addition to the "biggies" of shape and text wording, there are many other options for manipulating WordArt. For example, you can toggle between having all the letters be the same height or not, toggle between making the letters run vertically or horizontally, and change the amount of white space between the letters. Table 7-2 describes the full set of buttons available on the WordArt toolbar.
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Button
|
Name
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Description
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|---|---|---|
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Insert WordArt
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Opens the WordArt Gallery dialog box so you can create an additional WordArt object. Has no effect on the existing WordArt.
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WordArt Ed it Text
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Reopens the Edit WordArt Text dialog box for the current WordArt object. Can also be activated by double-clicking the WordArt object.
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WordArt Gallery
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Reopens the WordArt Gallery dialog box for the current WordArt object. Useful for choosing a different style. |
|
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Format WordArt
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Opens the Format WordArt dialog box, from which you can access a full range of options including sizing, position, colors, and so on. Many of the controls here are discussed later in this chapter for AutoShapes and work the same way.
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WordArt Shape
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Opens a pop-up array of shapes you can choose for your WordArt, as shown in Figure 7-6.
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WordArt Same Letter Heights
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Makes all the letters the same height. An interesting effect, but it may make the text difficult to read.
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WordArt Vertical Text
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Toggles between vertical and horizontal text orientation.
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WordArt Alignment
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Opens a shortcut menu of alignments (centered, right-aligned, and so on). Refers to the WordArt's position within its own frame, not in relation to the slide. Therefore, it is not that useful unless the WordArt does not completely fill its frame.
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WordArt Character Spacing
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Changes the spacing between letters (normal, loose, tight, and so on).
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In addition to using the buttons on the WordArt toolbar, you can also manipulate WordArt by doing the following:
Drag a side selection handle on the WordArt to change its height/width proportions.
Drag a yellow diamond to fine-tune the shape of the WordArt, such as adjusting the tilt of the letters.
Apply shadows and 3-D effects to the WordArt, as described later in this chapter (Adding Shadow Effects and Adding 3-D Effects).