Unlike Microsoft Word, PowerPoint does not provide an easy way to wrap text in slides. However, there are creative workarounds to achieve the same “wrapping” effect. This guide shows you how to wrap text in all versions of PowerPoint.
Method #1: wrap text using a text box
This method involves manually inserting spaces to wrap text. Here’s how you can do it:
- First, insert a picture in a PowerPoint slide. Go to the Insert tab and select Pictures.
Select Pictures. - Select an image and click Insert.
Browse through your computer files to find an image. - Click on the image and go to the Home tab. Click Arrange, then select Send to Back.
Send object to the back. - Now let’s add text to the slide. Click the Insert tab and select Text Box.
Select the Text Box tool. - Click and drag the cursor over the image where you want to place the Text Box.
Drag the cursor over the whole image. - Type or copy your text into the Text Box. Use the space bar to space text where necessary. You can also create new text boxes around the image.
Space the text depending on your image design.
Method #2: wrap text by importing a Microsoft Word document
You can wrap text in Microsoft Word and import it into your PowerPoint slide. Follow these steps:
Create a new MS Word document in PowerPoint
- Open your PowerPoint document and select Insert. Then, select Object.
Click the Object tool. - An “Insert Object” dialogue box will appear. Select the Create new option, scroll down the “Object type” list and click Microsoft Word Document, then click OK.
Scroll down the list and select Microsoft Word Document. - A blank MS Word window will appear on the slide. Type inside the window and insert an image.
Copy or type text into the window. - Once the image is inserted, the “Layout Options” tool icon appears next to the image. Click it to preview the preset text wrapping styles available.
Click the icon to preview the text wrap styles. - Select a text wrapping style and double-click outside the Microsoft Word window to return to the PowerPont design view.
The text wrap will appear neatly on the slide.
Import an existing Word document into PowerPoint
- Go to the Insert tab and select Object.
Click the Object tool. - In the “Insert Object” dialogue box, select the option Create from file and click Browse.
Select Create from file > Browse. - Locate and select the word document you created and click Open.
Click Open. - The document will open in a window within the slide. Resize or drag the window to a new position on the slide, then double-click the window to enter edit mode.
Double-click the MS Word window. - Select the image in the document and click the Layout Options to change the text wrap style.
Select a text wrap style. - MS Word will apply the text wrap style chosen. Click outside the window to return to PowerPoint.