How to Use a Drop Cap in Word 2003

Use a drop cap in Word 2003 to add eye-catching, professional flare to your documents. A drop cap is an extra-large capital letter at the beginning of a paragraph. Word 2003 lets you create drop caps without complex formatting.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Word 2003
• Computer

1. Type a paragraph in Microsoft Word 2003.

2. Position the cursor somewhere inside the paragraph you want to begin with a drop cap.

3. Click the "Format" menu.

4. Choose “Drop Cap.”

5. Select “Dropped.” This will embed the first letter in the paragraph, so the text wraps around it.

6. Select “In Margin.” This puts the first letter in the margin, so the text appears beside the dropped cap.

7. Choose a font for the dropped cap only. By default, it will resemble the rest of the text.

8. Choose the number of lines dropped. This affects how large the letter will be.

9. Choose the distance between the dropped cap and the text.

10. Click "OK."

Tips & Warnings

• For best results, keep the number of lines dropped to about four or one-quarter of the number of lines the paragraph contains.
• Keep dropped caps smaller if you use them several times on the same page.
• Make sure you're satisfied with the appearance of the dropped cap. A dropped cap can look strange leading off a short paragraph.