What is WordArt®?

WordArt® is a stylized print application used in Microsoft Word®. It is used to make bold and add character to text throughout a document, and is included in most Microsoft writing programs. WordArt® can be used for titles, headings and subheadings, or simply to make plain text more extravagant. Variations on Microsoft’s original application can be found in the form of iWork® for Apple, ScriptFu®, StarOffice®, and FontWork®.

Many different special effects can be applied to WordArt® text, and these effects can be combined for many styles. To utilize the text, the toolbar key or drop down menu should be clicked, at which point a text box appears. Like any other text, the words to be altered are typed with the keyboard. After the text is decided upon, the different styles and formats of the WordArt® are picked. There are multiple colors and shades of text, as well as many designs on the text, like shadows, fades, and stripes.

The text comes in curved and blocked shapes, both thick and thin, and can be manipulated in many ways. Once the size, type, and shape of the text are decided, it can be stretched to be made wider or thinner. It can also be curved at the edges to bend around other text or pictures. It can be spun sideways or upside down, or printed in a spiral.

WordArt® is popular because it comes with all of the Microsoft suite applications, including PowerPoint WordArt® and Office WordArt®. The text effects can be applied to spreadsheets, graphs, charts, power points, and text documents. They can be accompanied with text or pictures, and can overlap any of these features to create 3D effects and many different layouts. WordArt® is popular for school projects as well as office and organizational presentations.

Easily used by those who are not very computer-savvy, WordArt® can be accessed with the toolbar icon on any Microsoft program. The icon is the image of a double-blocked letter “A” tilted to the side. Most programs carry as many as 25 different text variations. The manipulative effects of the text are easy to control for children, with simple typing, stretching and moving, and do not require HTML knowledge.

Alternatives to WordArt® include simply increasing the size of plain text, spacing it out, and adding color, or copying and pasting text from the internet or other applications. These alternatives are less practical and some Microsoft programs will not allow copied and pasted text from the internet. These kinds of texts are also much less manageable, making the formatted text of WordArt® easier to manage.