Placeholders for Stamps

If you are using Word to create envelopes or postcards for your business, you may have a need to include a "placeholder" for stamps. You've seen these before--generally they are in the upper-right corner of business reply envelopes. They are a small rectangle containing words to the effect "Place Stamp Here The Post Office will not deliver mail without postage". The wording varies, but you get the idea.

To easily create such an object on your envelopes or postcards, follow these general steps:

1. Open or create your envelope or postcard, as you normally would.
2. Make sure the Drawing toolbar is visible.
3. Click on the Text Box tool on the Drawing toolbar. Word changes to Page Layout view or Print Layout view (Word 2000 or later versions) and the mouse pointer changes to a crosshair.
4. Click the mouse pointer where you want the upper-left corner of the placeholder.
5. Drag the mouse to the lower-right corner of the placeholder. When you release the mouse, the text box is inserted.
6. Choose Drawing Object (Word 6 and Word 95) or Text Box (later versions of Word) from the Format menu. Word displays the Drawing Object dialog box (Word 6 and Word 95) or the Format Text Box dialog box (later versions of Word).
7. Make sure the Size and Position tab (Word 6 and Word 95) or the Size tab (later versions of Word) is selected. (Click here to see a related figure.)
8. Set the Height value to .9 inches.
9. Set the Width value to .7 inches.
10. Click on OK.
11. Place the insertion point within the text box.
12. Type the text you want to appear within the placeholder.
13. Format the text as desired. (You will probably need to make the font size smaller so the text is completely visible).

That's it! Your placeholder is on your envelope or postcard, and you are ready to print.