Rotating a Drawing Object

Word allows you to create drawing objects in your document. These objects (such as an oval, rectangle, line, or AutoShape) are positioned on what is termed the "drawing layer," which is separate and distinct from the text that appears in a document. You generally create such objects by using the tools on the drawing toolbar.

You can rotate a drawing object to any degree you desire. Simply follow these steps:

1. Select the drawing object.
2. Click on the Free Rotate tool on the drawing toolbar. Rotation handles appear at the corners of the drawing object.
3. Click on a rotation handle and drag the object in the direction desired.
4. Press Esc when you are done rotating the object.

If you know exactly how much you want to rotate the drawing object, you can also do the following:

1. Right-click on the drawing object. This displays a Context menu.
2. Choose the Format AutoShape option from the Context menu. This displays the Format AutoShape dialog box.
3. Make sure the Size tab is selected. (Click here to see a related figure.)
4. Change the value in the Rotation box as desired.
5. Click on OK.

You should note that Word allows you to insert text within an AutoShape. Rotating the AutoShape, however, does not result in the text within the AutoShape being rotated. Instead, you can only change the orientation of the text within the AutoShape, as described in other WordTips.