margins

Making Text Align to the Edge of the Text Box

Text boxes in PowerPoint are like mini-word documents. Each one has its own margins, tabs and formatting.

The text box formatting options (margins, tabs, line spacing, etc.) for each text box can be modified in the Format Shape dialog. Select a text box > FORMAT > open the FORMAT SHAPE pane > TEXT OPTIONS > TEXT BOX. Or right-click any text box and select FORMAT TEXT EFFECTS > TEXT BOX.

Just one example of where modifying a text boxes internal margins can help the visual layout is when a design needs the text to flush align with other objects, vertically and/or horizontally, the text box margins interfere with the results.

For this example, it is making the 3 objects, 2 boxes and 1 text box, all with the ALIGN LEFT tool, vs. manually adjusting the position of the text box so the text inside it is visually aligned with the objects above it. 

The left edge of all three align, but visually the text is indented, but they are actually aligned to the left edge.

Instead of manually moving the text box left to visually align the text with the two boxes, adjust the text box margins – set the left margin to zero.

To illustrate, here is are two text boxes. They have identical formatting, but the lower one has a solid fill to show the text margin. The top text box has a zero left margin. The bottom text box has the default .1″ inset margin pushing the text away from the true left edge.

To make the text align to the left edge, go to the Format Tab and click on the small arrow under the text portion for the FORMAT SHAPE menu.

Select TEXT BOX in the left column and on the right in the INTERNAL MARGIN section change the LEFT to “O”.

The text now aligns flush to the left edge.

At TLC Creative we are constantly working with text box internal margin settings to create visual layouts. It is easier if each text box is visualized as a mini-Word document with it’s own settings.

Troy @ TLC

 

 

By |2018-06-25T08:06:11-07:00June 25th, 2018|Tutorial|

PowerPoint Text Box Cell Padding (Margins)

One great feature of PowerPoint is knowing that every text box is basically a mini Word document which means adjusting the cell padding can be done quickly and easily.

Cell padding-1

By default, all text is inset a small amount in each text box. Here is an example from the Microsoft PowerPoint 2016 default template. There is .1″ all the way around.

Cell padding-2

The cell padding, or inset, is easily customized. Select a text box, right-click and select Format Shape.

Cell padding-3

In the Formatting text pane, click the Text Options.

Cell padding-4

Click the text box icon.

Cell padding-5

Adjust the Left/Right/Top/Bottom margins exactly as needed.

Cell padding-6

Here is the same text box with a 0″ margin all the way around so the text is right next to the placeholder now.

Cell padding-7

And here is a callout bar with the text set to start 1″ in from the left edge.

Cell padding-8

Just some formatting ideas for your next presentation. Otherwise, you are stuck wondering why the text in a shape is not in the position it should be.

 

– Troy@TLC

 

By |2016-08-10T08:25:42-07:00April 6th, 2016|Tutorial|
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