Let's take a few minutes to learn about the tools on the WordArt Toolbar. The Word Art Toolbar is intuitive in that it will automatically open when you create a WordArt object in your document. It is the same toolbar for all of the MS Office programs.
The WordArt Toolbar contains 10 tools to help you be creative with your drawing object.
1. The first tool opens the insert WordArt dialog box. You would use this tool when you want to insert a new WordArt object in your document.
2. The Edit Text button opens the text box which will allow you to edit the text in your WordArt to either change the greeting or perhaps correct spelling.
3. The WordArt Gallery tool lets you can select another style from the WordArt gallery to replace the original choice that you made
4. The fourth tool is the Format WordArt feature. It allows you to define the fill color, lines, size and layout type. You can also access the format dialog box by right clicking on the drawing object and selecting “Format WordArt” from the short cut menu. With this tool you can use gradient effects, textures, patterns or insert a picture into the text.
5. This button allows you to select from 40 different predefined shapes.
6. The 6th tool allows you to select the type of text wrapping for your object including behind text, in front of text, through text, in line with text etc. The ones that I use most frequently are tight and Top and Bottom depending on the effect I want.
7. Use this tool if you want all you letters to be of the same height.
8. Use this tool if you want to have a vertical text display.
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9. This tool is the WordArt Alignment tool. I have not found this tool to be particularly helpful.
10. This tool defines the spacing between the characters of your text. I have not used this tool.
You are also able to use many of the Drawing Tools. Of particular interest to WordArt are the shadow style and the 3-D effect tools. Take the time to explore the effects each of these tools create with in WordArt and design a WordArt with your own unique styling to set your document apart from the ordinary..
