Most professional graphic designers would agree that the basic WordArt options built into Word are poorly designed; however, you can edit the basic designs with these tips and techniques to create text effects that enhance your message.
Using WordArt as a Cut-Out on Photographs
Begin by displaying the Drawing and WordArt toolbars. Click View, Toolbars and select Drawing and WordArt from the menu. Both toolbars open at the bottom of your window. Select the Insert WordArt icon, choose the first option in the WordArt dialog box and click OK to open the Edit WordArt Text dialog box.
Enter your text. Remember that even beautifully designed text effects are hard on the readers’ eyes, so keep your text under five words. Next change the font. From the Font drop-down menu, choose a font that contains the word “Bold” in its title, like Rockwell Extra Bold. Adjust the size of the font, if desired, and click OK. Your WordArt will open in the document. Click it and select the Format WordArt icon (paint bucket and brush) on the WordArt toolbar.
In the Format WordArt dialog box, select the Color and Lines tab. Next click the down-arrow in the Fill Color option and select Fill Effects. In the Fill Effects dialog box, choose the Picture tab. Select the picture you want to appear in the text and click OK. Click OK in the Fill Effects dialog box and your picture will be inserted into the text you typed.
More often than not, you’ll want to remove the default lines that appear around the letters. Click the Format WordArt dialog box again. This time select the down-arrow under Lines and select No Line.
Applying 3-D Effects
Select your WordArt, and then select the 3-D Style icon (3-D green box) from the Drawing toolbar. Choose any one of the 3-D options. Again, default settings for the 3-D options need to be modified to make them less distracting.
Click the 3-D Style icon and select 3-D Settings to open the 3-D Settings toolbar. Most of the settings in this toolbar are self-explanatory: Tilt Up, Tilt Left, Direction, Color.
The two options to use for maximum effect are Depth and Lighting. The default 3-D Styles tend to be too deep, making text hard to read. Keep your Depth below 20 pts. for a crisp, clean look. The Lighting option lets you control how your 3-D effect moves from dark to light. This is a subtle effect so watch your preview carefully to see the change when you move from one lighting effect to another. Experiment with the 3-D Settings until you create the WordArt text that will make your audience say “Wow!”
Note
Steps outlined here are done in Word 2003. Most versions of Word should use the same steps outlined. Use Help in your version to find any menus or dialog boxes that differ than the ones depicted.
 |
 |
 |
 |
