Simple clear advice in plain English

How to get borderless text boxes

Avoid manually setting borders on other boxes

Q I use text boxes in some documents and, when I’ve created the first one, I format it with ‘No line’ to remove the border, then right-click ‘Set Autoshape Defaults’. This means that all subsequent text boxes inherit the no border option. The snag is that the ‘defaults’ setting does exactly what it says, so all shapes then have no outline, rendering them invisible, and I have to format each one manually.

Is there a way to apply the default no line only to text boxes and not to other shapes? I’m using Word 2003.
James Kelly

A There is a cunning way round this that gives you borderless text boxes but visible lines for other shapes. Set the Autoshape defaults to something visible, such as a one-point black line. Now create a text box, type some placeholder text in it ­ for example ‘Text’ and format it with no line.

With the box still selected, go to Insert, Autotext, New. Accept the name ‘Text’ for the entry (or choose another), and OK out of the dialogue.

Now type ‘Text’ and press F3. A text box will appear without a border and containing the placeholder ‘Text’, which helps to locate it. Other Autoshapes from the Drawing toolbar will retain the default settings.

Reader Comments

   

Add your comment

All fields must be completed. Your email address will not be displayed or used to send marketing messages.

All messages will be checked by moderators before appearing on the site.

See our Privacy Policy for more information.

Related articles

Using Word text boxes illustration

Insert and style Word text boxes

One of the most effective ways to make something stand out is to put it inside a text box. We show you how to make a text box catch the reader’s attention

Extensions for Open Office Writer

Use Open Office Writer as a free alternative to Microsoft Word

Open Office Writer is a great piece of software that has hundreds of features. Here we show you 10 lesser-known features that you might not have discovered yet

Word's undo feature

How to fix common PC errors

It’s easy to hit the wrong key when using a PC and throw yourself into a panic. There's no need to worry - we have easy fixes for 30 common everyday errors

Question & Answer

Q.Why are some of the keys on my keyboard doing strange...

> Read the answer

Q.Is my phone’s Bluetooth any use?

> Read the answer

Q.Can I switch boot drives so that I can work on older...

> Read the answer

Best deals on the web

img

Apple iMac 21.5" (MC309)

£926.40- Buy it now

img

Dell Inspiron 620 ST Intel Core i3-2100 3.10GHz / 3GB / 500GB / DVDRW / Win 7 Home Premium

£329.00- Buy it now

img

ZooStorm 7877-1023

£386.38- Buy it now

Latest issue & subscription deals

Poll

Are you concerned about viruses that target mobile phones?

Jargon Buster

Computing terms explained in plain English

Bittorrent

A technology for downloading files. Allows even very large files to be downloaded quickly.

Great shopping deals from Computeractive