Word 97 stupid text boxes and vertical alignment

[weirdami]

Someone tell me why Word 97 won't let me vertically align the text in a text box. The help paper clip dude says it can. It says to click that button, but the button doesn't exist.

I'm trying to make VHS tape labels and I used the automatic table deal and then put a snazzy picture on the labels that I want to put text on top of. (The picture has an empty box in the middle where I'm trying to put the text. The "put the picture under the text" thing doesn't work inside the table cells for some reason so I have to put a text box on top of the picture. I can center horizontally, but I can't vertically center the text in the text boxes.

Is there a way to center a text box inside a table cell? Is there a way to vertically center text inside a text box inside a table cell? If you can tell how to type text into a table cell (which mysteriously does allow vertical alignment) and then put a picture under the text so you can see the text which is nicely centered in the cell, that might be good, too.

It's like they never expected anyone to ever do what I'm trying. Arg!


[I'm using Word 97, and that's all I have. Unless there's a _freeware_ Windows program you can suggest for a Pentium 1, 44MHz, don't suggest that I use some other pet program of yours. My last post about something degenerated into name calling about Mozilla or something, so this disclaimer seems needed. :-(]

[mikeymike]

With OpenOffice (open source) I just vertically-aligned text in two seconds flat

I haven't used Word in yonks, but try going into Format > Font and check all of the available tabs.

[peteremery]

To create vertical text in a text box, using Word97, you have to create a table within the text box, say one row by one column, then enter your text within this cell, then select the text - taking care not to select the cell, and right click.  From the menu select text direction, and choose what you want.

Its a bit long winded but it works.

[Framiga]

ohhh!!! thanks a lot . . PageStream

Thanks from here to the eternity :-)

[weirdami]

@peteremery

Thanks that does work. And, for some good reason, I dont really have to position the cell very good. Just gotta make it bigger than the table cell below. Odd, but if it works, it's good. :-) edit - that trick doesn't seem to work horizontally, though.

Turns out what you suggested is what I was doing before putting the picture down, using just the first table. Problem is I haven't figured out how to get the picture to shove to the bottom so the text can be seen on top of the picture (those buttons are ghosted). Could save having to double up on tables that way.

[blobrana]

Hum,
So Microsoft Works...

[weirdami]

@blobrana

...like rusty pliers work.

[ptek]

Microsoft Word = Microsoft Worst
 :lol:

[odin]

Worst=Sausage...