How to Mirror Text in Word

Sometimes, users need to mirror text in Microsoft Word for any of a number of different reasons. Mirroring text basically refers to flipping it – text can be flipped from one side to the other, or be flipped upside down depending on how you want it. Unfortunately, there is actually no option to mirror text in Microsoft Word, at least not under normal circumstances. The circumstances under which Word allows users to mirror text are when the text that you want to mirror is located inside a text box. Word can only mirror text if the text that needs to be mirrored is inside a text box, otherwise, the word processor won’t be able to mirror the text.

When you create a text box, however, the text box that pops up has an actual outline, but don’t worry – the text box’s outline can simply be removed once you’re done mirroring the text inside it. The text inside a text box can be mirrored in almost all of the versions of Microsoft Word that Windows users commonly use today (this includes Microsoft Word 2010, 2013 and 2016). However, flipping the contents of a text box to create a mirror image works a bit differently in Microsoft Word 2010 than it does in Microsoft Word 2013 and 2016.

To mirror text in Microsoft Word 2010

Here’s how you can mirror the text located inside a text box while using Microsoft Word 2010:

1. Navigate to the Insert tab in Microsoft Word’s toolbar.
2. Click on Text Box to have a text box pop up where your cursor is in the open document.
3. Type the text you want to create a mirror image of into the text box and format it, however, you want it to be formatted.
4. Right-click on the text box and click on Format Shape.
5. In the left pane of the Format Shape dialog box, click on 3-D Rotation.
6. In the right pane of the Format Shape dialog box, under the Rotation section, set the value of X: to 180°. Doing so will create a normal mirror image of the text inside the text box. If you would like to create an upside-down mirror image of the text inside the text box, leave the value of X: as it is and change the value of Y: to 180°. 
7. Click on Close to close the Format Shape dialog.

Once done, the contents of the text box will have been mirrored exactly how you wanted them to be.

To mirror text in Microsoft Word 2013 and 2016

If you want to mirror text in Microsoft Word 2013 or 2016, on the other hand, you need to:

1. Navigate to the Insert tab in Microsoft Word’s toolbar.
2. Click on Text Box to have a text box pop up where your cursor is in the open document.
3. Type the text you want to create a mirror image of into the text box and format it, however, you want it to be formatted.
4. Right-click on the text box and click on Format Shape.
5. In the Format Shape pane, click on Effects. 
6. Under 3-D Rotation, type 180° into the X Rotation box. Doing so will create a normal mirror image of the text inside the text box. If you would like to create an upside-down mirror image of the text inside the text box, leave the X Rotation box as it is and type 180° into the Y Rotation box. 

And you’re all done! The contents of the text box will have been successfully mirrored how you wanted them to be.