How To Draw A Text Box

Google Docs is a powerful word processing program that does many unique things beyond a traditional programme such every bit Microsoft Word. (See here for some of my favorite features of Google Docs.)

And even though Docs is constantly being upgraded, at that place are some features that it is still missing. For case Docs does not support page borders or drop caps.

One of the near usually mentioned missing features is the ability to add together text boxes. In Microsoft Word you can hands insert a text box, type in information technology, and move it around to any spot in the certificate.

In Google Docs, even so, when you click on the "Insert" menu there is non an pick for a text box. The option does exist in the "Insert" card of Google Slides and Google Drawings, and so hopefully nosotros will eventually become an update to Google Docs that provides more than features for calculation object like text boxes. In the meantime there is a workaround that does a pretty good job.

Come across below for a video showing how to do this, and read the rest of the post for written directions.

Demonstration Video

Directions

Even though you tin't add a text box directly through the "Insert" menu, you lot can insert a Google Drawing and indirectly add a text box through that.

Kickoff click the "Insert" menu and then choose "Drawing"
This will open up a pop-up window with a Google Drawing
Now click the "Text box" button in the menu bar
The cursor will now change to crosshairs which you can use to click and elevate out the text box
In one case the box has been created you can type your text within
As needed yous tin can change the font face, size, color, and other formatting. You may demand to click the "More than" button on the toolbar to see these options
If you need to resize the text box simply click and drag any of the blue square handles on the edges or corners
If y'all want a solid line effectually you text box you tin can click the "Line colour" menu button to make it something other than transparent
Additionally y'all tin can change the "Line weight" and "Line dash"
Finally you lot can click the "Fill up colour" button if yous desire to color the inside of the text box
When washed, click the "Salvage & Close" push button
The text box will now exist inserted into your Google Doc
You can motion the box around by clicking and dragging inside the box
You lot can change how text wraps around the box past clicking on the text box and choosing "In line" or "Wrap text" or "Break text"
If you demand to edit the content of the text box, you will need to double click on information technology to re-open Google Drawings to make the changes

So the trick is to put a Text Box inside a Google Cartoon inside a Google Certificate. Kind of like a turducken. Nosotros can phone call information technology a texdrawument.

Although this method is not as piece of cake and flexible as it would be if the characteristic was fully implemented in Google Docs, information technology does requite an choice to insert a floating text box that you tin edit in many ways.

Postal service by Eric Curts. Bring me to your schoolhouse, organization, or conference with over 50 PD sessions to choose from. Connect with me on Twitter at twitter.com/ericcurts and on Google+ at plus.google.com/+EricCurts1