WD97: General Information about Text Boxes and Frames

This article answers the most frequently asked questions about text boxes and frames in Word 97.

Q. What happened to the Frame command?

A. Frames are available in Word 97; however, in most cases, you should use a text box rather than a frame. Text boxes were added to Word 97 to provide a better way to manipulate text and to take advantage of new graphical effects. Text boxes provide nearly all the advantages of frames, and they provide many additional advantages that frames do not provide. For example, with text boxes you can

• Create links that make text flow from one part of a document to another.
• Create a watermark.
• Use the formatting options on the new Drawing toolbar. For example, you can apply 3-D effects, shadows, border styles, colors, fills, and backgrounds.
• Choose from a greater variety of text-wrapping options.
• Change the orientation of text in a text box using the Text Direction command (Format menu).
• Group text boxes and change the alignment or distribution of them as a group.

Q. Are there special cases when I need to use a frame instead of a text box?

A. Use a frame instead of a text box when you want to position text or graphics that contain one or more of the following:

• Comments.
• Footnotes.
• Certain fields: AutoNum, AutoNumLgl, AutoNumOut (these fields are used for numbering lists and paragraphs in legal documents and outlines); TC (table of contents entry); TOC (table of contents); RD (referenced document); XE (index entry); TA (table of authorities entry); and TOA (table of authority).

To add the Frame command to the Insert menu, use the following steps:

1. On the Tools menu, click Customize, and then click the Commands tab.
2. In the Customize dialog box, under Categories, select All Commands.
3. In the Commands list, click InsertFrame.
4. Drag InsertFrame to the location you want on the Insert menu. Release the mouse button when you see a horizontal bar indicating the location on the menu where the command will be inserted.
5. Click Close.

Q. What happens to the frames when I convert a document from a previous version of Word?

A. When you convert a document that contains frames, the frames are retained. When you select a frame, the Frame command (Format menu) becomes available.

To replace the frame with a text box, do the following:

1. On the Insert menu, click Text Box.
2. Click once in the document area.
   A 1-inch-square text box is inserted in your document.
3. Resize and reposition the text box if necessary.
4. Select the text inside the frame, and then click Cut on the Edit menu.
5. Position the insertion point inside the text box, and then click Paste on the Edit menu.

Q. What are linked text boxes and how do I use them?

A. Linked text boxes are two or more text boxes formatted so that the text flows from one text box to the next. To create linked text boxes, use the following steps:

1. Create two or more text boxes.
2. Select the first text box.
3. Click the Create Text Box Link button on the Text Box toolbar. The mouse pointer changes into a pitcher.
4. Click inside the text box that will contain the overflow text. When the pointer rests over this text box, the pitcher "pours" the text from the previous text box into the empty text box.
5. To create the next link, select the text box you linked to in step 4, and then repeat steps 3 and 4.
6. Starting with the first text box, type the text. It will flow from one text box to the next in the order that you linked them.

Q. How many text boxes can I link together?

A. The maximum number of text boxes that you can link together is 32 (for a total of 31 links).


Q. Can I link text boxes across documents or across subdocuments in a master document?

A. No. Linked text boxes must be contained in a single document. You cannot create text box links from one subdocument to another subdocument. You also cannot split subdocuments that contain linked text boxes.


Q. I started to link text boxes (represented by the pitcher icon), but I changed my mind. How do I cancel this action?

A. Press ESC to cancel the linking process.


Q. How do I add, remove, or change the appearance of my text box?

A. To change the appearance of a text box--for example, to remove or change borders or to add background colors or textures--select the text box, and click the Text Box command on the Format menu.

You can also change the text box to an AutoShape. To change a text box to an AutoShape, do the following:

1. Select the text box.
2. On the Drawing toolbar, click Draw and point to Change AutoShape.
3. Point to the category of shapes you want to use in place of the text box, and click the AutoShape.

Q. Can AutoShapes contain text, and can I link them?

A. Yes. You can link AutoShapes, such as circles, banners, and flow chart shapes, and they can contain text. (You cannot link lines or freeform shapes.) To insert an AutoShape and add text, use these steps:

1. Click AutoShapes on the Drawing toolbar, point to the shape type (for example, point to Callouts), and then click the shape you want to insert.
2. Right-click the AutoShape object, and then click Edit Text.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for each AutoShape you want to link.
4. Starting with the first AutoShape, type the text that you want to appear in the linked AutoShapes.

Q. How do you convert a text box to a frame?

A. If you prefer to use a frame instead of a text box, do the following if the text box is already in the document:

1. Click on the text box to select it.
2. Click Text Box on the Format menu.
3. Click the Text Box tab.
4. Click the Convert to Frame button. The following information dialog box appears:
   

   When you convert this drawing object to a frame, some of the drawing
   object's formatting may be lost. Do you want to continue?

5. Click OK.