Make Your Documents Stand Out: The Impactful Use of Text Box in Google Docs

Have you ever wanted to add an extra touch to your Google Docs, especially when you share your document with colleagues? Maybe you want to highlight a quote, statistic, or key point. Or maybe you want to create a simple infographic, brochure or poster. Whatever the reason, adding a text box in Google docs can help you achieve your goal.

However, how do you add a text box in Google Docs? Unlike other word processors, Google Docs does not have a direct option to insert a text box.

Furthermore, here are some quick steps you can follow to add text boxes in Google docs:

• First, open your document.

• Next, click “Insert” in the top menu.

• Then, choose “Drawing” option and then select “New.”

• After that, a drawing canvas will appear. Click the text box icon.

• Finally, draw your text box and start typing the text you want.

You can customize its size, position, color, box border and font. Furthermore, you can also move it and place it anywhere in your document. Text boxes are useful for drawing attention to important information, adding visual interest, and breaking up long blocks of text.

Instead, you must use the drawing tool, which allows you to create and insert various shapes, including text boxes.

In this blog post, we’ll show you how to add a text box in Google Docs in a few easy steps. Additionally, we will also show you how to customize your text box and make it look more attractive.   

How to insert text box in Google Docs ?

There are different ways to insert a text box in Google Docs, depending on your needs and preferences. Below are some common methods with detailed steps that you can use to add text boxes in Google docs:

This is the easiest way to add a text box to your document. Initially, you can customize the color, border, font and other formatting options of the text box and move it easily.

Furthermore, follow below mentioned steps to use the drawing function to insert text box in Google docs:

• First, open Google docs and open your document.

• Then, click “Insert” > “Drawing” > “New” in the top menu bar.

• Next, click the text box icon in the top toolbar.

• Then, draw the text box as a custom shape in the drawing window, where you can enter your text

• Finally, to insert the text box into your document, click “Save and Close”.

By using a single cell table

This is another way to create a text box that is aligned with the text and has a border.

Additionally, you can also resize and adjust the table as you like. Furthermore, follow below mentioned steps to use a single cell table to insert text box in Google docs:

• First, open Google docs and open your document.

• Then, on the top menu bar, select “Insert” > “Table” > “1 x 1” from the dropdown menu.

• Consequently, a single cell table will appear in your document. Enter your text in the cell.

• Next, to change the color, thickness, or style of the border, click on the table and then click the “Table” menu at the top. Go to “Table Properties” and then pick the options you want.

• Finally, to change the background color, border color, font, or other formatting options, click the cell and use the toolbar as usual.

Use a text box shape

This is a way to create a text box that has a shape, such as a rectangle, circle, or star. Moreover, you can also fill the shape with a color or image and add text on top.

Furthermore, follow below mentioned steps to use a text box shape to insert text box in Google docs:

• First, open Google docs and open your document. Then, click “Insert” > “Drawing” > “New” in the top menu bar.

• Next, click the shape icon or insert image icon in the top toolbar and select the shape you want from the drop-down menu.

• Then, draw the shape in the drawing space and adjust its size and position.

• After that, to fill the shape with a color or image, click the shape and then click the “Fill Color” icon in the top toolbar. This will open the paint bucket tool, which allows you to choose a color or click “Customize” to upload an image from your computer or the web.

• Additionally, to add text on top of the shape, right-click on the shape and select Text from the contextual menu. Alternatively, you can click the text box icon in the top toolbar and draw a text box inside the shape. Enter your text and format it however you want

• Finally, click “Save and Close” to add the text box shape to your document.

Also Check: Change margins in Google Docs

How to insert text box in Google Docs mobile ? (Android or iPhone)

If you want to add text to your Google Docs document that stands out from the rest, you may want to use text boxes. Consequently, in this section, we will show you how to insert a text box in Google Docs mobile using a simple method.

​Furthermore, follow below mentioned steps to add text boxes in Google docs on mobile devices:

Use a single cell table

This is a way to insert a text box that is aligned with the text and has a border on Google Docs mobile app (Android or iPhone). You can also resize and adjust the table as you like. Follow below mentioned steps to use a single cell table:

• First, open your document and tap the “+” icon in the bottom right corner.

• Next, tap “Table” and select “1 x 1” from the grid.

• Consequently, a single cell table will appear in your document. Enter your text in the cell.

• Then, to change the color, thickness, or style of the border, tap the table and then tap the “Table” icon at the top. Go to “Table Properties” and then pick the options you want.

• Finally, to change the background color, font, or other formatting options, tap the cell and use the toolbar as usual.

Note: This is the only method that works on Google Docs mobile, as the drawing tool is not available in the app.

Also Check: Use speech to text on Google Docs

How to add editable text box in Google Docs ?

An editable text box is a text box that you can edit after inserting it into your document. To add an editable text box in Google Docs, you can use the drawing tool method as follows:

• First, open your document and click “Insert” > “Drawing” > “New” in the top menu bar.

• Next, click the text box icon in the top toolbar.

• Then, draw the text box in the drawing area and enter your text.

• After that, click “Save and Close” to add the text box to your document.

Subsequently, to edit the text box later, you can double-click it or click it and then click “Edit.” Additionally, you can also move, resize or delete the text box as you like.

Also Check: How to insert signature in Google Docs ?

How to insert text box in Google Docs over image ?

There are two ways to insert a text box in Google Docs over an image. You can use the drawing tool or the text wrapping function. These are the steps for each method:

Using the drawing tool

This is a way to create a text box that has a shape, such as a rectangle, circle, or star. Moreover, you can also fill the shape with a color or image and add text on top.

Furthermore, follow mentioned steps to use the drawing tool feature to add text boxes in google docs:

• First, open your document and click “Insert” > “Drawing” > “New” in the top menu bar.

• Next, click the shape icon in the top toolbar and select the shape you want from the drop-down menu.

• Then, draw the shape in the drawing window and adjust its size and position.

• After that, to fill the shape with a color or image, click the shape and then click the “Fill Color” icon (which looks like a paint bucket icon) in the top toolbar. Choose a color or click “Customize” to upload an image from your computer or the web.

• Additionally, to add text on top of the shape, click the text box icon in the top toolbar and draw a text box inside the shape. Enter your text and format it however you want.

• Finally, click “Save and Close” to add the text box shape to your document.

Using the text wrapping feature

This is a way to place text over an image by changing the alignment of the text on the image. Next, you can use this feature to hide the text below the image. Alternatively, you can add the text on the image by decreasing the transparency of the image.

Furthermore, follow below mentioned steps to use the text wrapping feature to add text box in Google docs over an image:

• First, open your document and insert your image into it.

• Next, select the image and then look at the bottom for text wrapping options. Click “In front of text.”

• Then, to adjust the transparency of the image, click on the image and then click “Image Options” at the top. From the right sidebar, move the slider under “Transparency” to the desired level.

• After that, to add text over the image, click on the image and then drag it to the position where you want the text to appear. Subsequently, start typing your text normally.

How to move a text box in Google Docs ?

To move a text box in Google Docs, you must use the drawing tool to create and insert the text box. Then you can change the text wrapping option to make the text box movable. Furthermore, follow below mentioned steps to move text boxes in Google docs:

• First, open your document and click “Insert” > “Drawing” > “New” in the top menu bar.

• Next, click the text box icon on the top toolbar and draw a text box in the drawing area. Enter your text and format it however you want.

• Then, to insert the text box into your document, click “Save and Close”.

• After that, click the text box to select it. At the bottom, you can find text wrapping options. Click “In Front of Text” or “Behind Text” so that the text box can be moved.

• Additionally, hover your mouse over the text box until the cursor changes to a four-way arrow.

• Finally, click and drag the text box to its new location in the document. Release the mouse button icon when the text box is repositioned.

How to edit text box in Google Docs ?

There are different ways to edit a text box in Google Docs, depending on what you want to achieve. Follow below mentioned methods to edit text in Google docs:

Edit text

• First, double-click the text box: This opens the text editing box within the text box itself, allowing you to type, edit and format text directly.
• Alternatively, right click on the text box and select “Edit Text” – this also opens the text editing feature box.

Format the text box

• Next, right-click on the text box and select “Formatting Options” – This opens a panel with several options to customize the appearance of the text box, such as borders, color, padding, line style, and more.

• Additionally, click in the text box and use the formatting toolbar: Similar to regular text, the toolbar above the document allows you to change the font, size, color, alignment, and other formatting options.

Resize and move the text box

• Then, click and drag the handles on the edges of the text box: this will allow you to resize it.

• Finally, click and drag the text box – this will move it to a different location in the document.

Why can’t I insert a text box in Google Docs ?

While Google Docs does not offer a dedicated “text box” feature, there may be a misunderstanding or a different solution available depending on what you are trying to achieve. Here’s what you might want to know:

Google Docs does not have traditional text boxes

Google Docs prioritizes clean, fluid text formatting, so it doesn’t have a dedicated “text box” feature like other word processors. Text formatting options such as paragraphs, lists, and tables are preferred for most text organization needs.

Alternatives for text box type functionalities

Drawing Tool: You can use the “Draw” tool to create an element similar to a text box. Go to Insert > Drawing > New. Then click on the text box icon and draw the shape you want. Enter your text and customize its appearance. However, note that this text will not flow with the surrounding text and behaves more like an image.

Tables: For easy separation of content, you can use a single-cell table. Insert a table with one row and one column. This creates a box-like element for the text. While it’s not as flexible as a real text box, it offers basic text separation and wrapping.

Conclusion

Text boxes, in particular, are a great way to make your Google Docs more attractive and informative. They can help you emphasize key points, add visual elements, and organize your content.

In this blog post, we show you three different ways to insert a text box in Google Docs: Using the drawing tool, using a single-cell table, and using a text box shape.

You can choose the method that suits your needs and preferences and then customize your text box however you want.

Additionally, we’ve included some tips on how to add a text box on mobile and how to make it editable.

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