How to Use Text Boxes in MS Word

1. Open a new or existing document in Microsoft Word.
2. Hide the drawing canvas when a text box is inserted by going to “Tools” and “Options.” Select the “General” tab and un-check “Automatically create drawing canvas when inserting AutoShapes,” and then click “OK.”
3. Use text boxes to add text or images in a container on your page. To insert a text box, click on “Insert” and “Text Box,” and then type in the text you want. Alternatively, you may also click the "Text Box" button in the "Drawing" toolbar. To add an image into the text box, click on “Insert” and “Picture” and choose the image location. Then double-click the image you want.
4. Change the direction of text within a text box by clicking on “Format” and “Text Direction.” Pick the orientation for your text and click “OK.”
5. Use text boxes to group a text box with graphics or other objects on your page by selecting each text box and object you want to group. (You can select multiple text boxes by holding down the "Ctrl" key as you select them.) Right-click on the text box and select “Grouping” and “Group.”
6. Wrap the contents of your page around a text box by right-clicking on the text box and selecting “Format Text Box.” The “Format Text Box” dialog box will open. Select the “Layout” tab to pick your wrapping style and alignment. Click on the “Advanced” button for advanced wrapping options.
7. Go to the “Colors and Lines” tab in the “Format Text Box” dialog box to change the appearance of a text box. You may fill the text box with another color, make it transparent or change the line color, style and size.
8. Select the “Size” tab in the “Format Text Box” dialog box to change the size of your text box.
9. Add a hyperlink to a text box by right-clicking on it and clicking on “Hyperlink.” Then pick the type of link you want to create in the “Insert Hyperlink” dialog box.
10. Place your text box over or behind other text on your page by right-clicking on it and selecting “Order.”
11. Link a text box to another text box by creating a second (unfilled/empty) text box before creating a link. Then right-click on the first text box, choose “Create Text Box Link” and click on the empty text box. To unlink text boxes, place your cursor over the first (main) text box and select the "Break Forward Link" button from the "Text Box" toolbar.