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In Office for Mac, you can move a text box, shape, WordArt, or picture by dragging, and you can change the position of an object by rotating or flipping it. For Word, see Set text direction and position in a shape or text box in Word.

  1. Click the object that you want to move.

  2. Drag the object to where you want it.

    • To move multiple objects, hold down Shift as you select the objects.

    • To move an object up or down, or sideways in small increments, click the object, hold down Command, and then press an arrow key. Note that in Word you can only use this to move up or down.

    • To constrain an object so that it moves only horizontally or vertically, hold down Shift as you drag the object.

  1. Click the object that you want to rotate.

  2. Click the rotation handle at the top of the object, and then drag in the direction that you want.

    Shaoe with rotation handles

    • To constrain the rotation to 15-degree angles, press and hold Shift while you drag the rotation handle.

    • When you rotate multiple shapes, they do not rotate as a group, but instead each shape rotates around its own center.

    • Alternatively you can select the object, hold down Option and press the left or right arrow keys to rotate.

  1. Click the object you want to rotate.

  2. On the Shape Format tab or Picture Format tab, in the Arrange group, click Rotate.

    Rotate button on the Format tab

    • If you don't see the Shape Format or Picture Format tabs, make sure that you selected a text box, shape, WordArt, or picture.

    • The Rotate button could be hidden if your screen size is reduced. If you don't see the Rotate button, click Arrange to see hidden buttons in the Arrange group.

      Rotate button on the Arrange menu Rotate button on the Arrange menu

  3. Click More Rotation Options.

    Office for Mac Shape Rotate Menu
  4. In the dialog box or pane that opens, enter the amount that you want to rotate the object in the Rotation box. You can also use the arrows to rotate the object exactly where you want.

  1. Click the object you want to rotate.

  2. On the Shape Format tab or Picture Format tab, in the Arrange group, click Rotate.

    Rotate button on the Format tab

    • If you don't see the Shape Format or Picture Format tabs, make sure that you selected a text box, shape, WordArt, or picture.

    • The Rotate button could be hidden if your screen size is reduced. If you don't see the Rotate button, click Arrange to see hidden buttons in the Arrange group.

      Rotate button on the Arrange menu Rotate button on the Arrange menu

  3. To rotate the object 90 degrees to the right, click Rotate Right 90°, or to rotate the object 90 degrees to the left, click Rotate Left 90°.

    Office for Mac Shape Rotate Menu

You can create the effect of a mirror image or flip an object upside-down (invert it) by using the Flip tools.

  1. Click the object that you want to rotate.

  2. On the Shape Format tab or Picture Format tab, in the Arrange group, click Rotate.

    Rotate button on the Format tab

    • If you don't see the Shape Format or Picture Format tabs, make sure that you selected a text box, shape, WordArt, or picture.

    • The Rotate button could be hidden if your screen size is reduced. If you don't see the Rotate button, click Arrange to see hidden buttons in the Arrange group.

      Rotate button on the Arrange menu Rotate button on the Arrange menu

  3. Do one of the following:

    • To turn an object upside-down, click Flip Vertical.

    • To create a mirror image of the object, click Flip Horizontal.

      Office for Mac Shape Rotate Menu

When you group objects, you are combining the objects together so that you can format, move, or copy them as a group.

  1. Hold down Shift, click the objects that you want to group together, and then depending on the type of object that you clicked, click the Shape Format tab or the Picture Format tab.

  2. Click the Group icon, and then click Group.

    Group objects

Tip: If Group appears dimmed or unavailable that's usually because you haven't already selected two, or more, objects that can be grouped together.

See also

Insert pictures in Office for Mac

Crop a picture

PowerPoint

  1. Click the object that you want to move.

    To select multiple objects, hold down Shift, and then click the objects that you want.

  2. Drag the object to where you want it.

    • To move multiple objects, hold down Shift as you select the objects.

    • To move an object up, down, or sideways in small increments, click the object, and then press an arrow key.

    • To constrain an object so that it moves only horizontally or vertically, hold down Shift as you drag the object.

Note: To rotate text in PowerPoint for Mac, you must first place the text in a text box, and then rotate the text box.

  1. Click the object that you want to rotate or flip, and then, depending on the kind of object that you clicked, click the Format tab or the Format Picture tab.

    To select multiple objects, hold down Shift, and then click the objects that you want.

  2. Under Arrange, click Rotate.

    Arrange group

    To rotate an object to any degree, on the object, drag the rotation handle Rotation handle.

  3. Do any of the following:

    To

    Do this

    Rotate an object to the right

    Click Rotate Right 90

    Rotate an object to the left

    Click Rotate Left 90

    Flip an object up or down

    Click Flip Vertical

    Flip an object left or right

    Click Flip Horizontal

When you group objects, you are combining the objects together so that you can format, move, or copy them as a group.

  1. Hold down Shift, click the object that you want to group together, and then, depending on the type of object that you clicked, click the Format tab or the Format Picture tab.

  2. Under Arrange, click Group, and then click Group.

    Arrange group

Tip: If Group appears dimmed or unavailable that's usually because you haven't already selected two, or more, objects that can be grouped together.

Excel

  1. Click the object that you want to move.

    To select multiple objects, hold down Shift, and then click the objects that you want.

  2. Drag the object to where you want it.

    • To move multiple objects, hold down Shift as you select the objects.

    • To move an object up, down, or sideways in small increments, click the object, and then press an arrow key.

    • To constrain an object so that it moves only horizontally or vertically, hold down Shift as you drag the object.

Note: To rotate text in Excel for Mac, you must first place the text in a text box, and then rotate the text box.

  1. Click the object that you want to rotate or flip, and then, depending on the kind of object that you clicked, click the Format tab or the Format Picture tab.

    To select multiple objects, hold down Shift, and then click the objects that you want.

  2. Under Arrange, click Rotate.

    Arrange group

    To rotate an object to any degree, on the object, drag the rotation handle Rotation handle.

  3. Do any of the following:

    To

    Do this

    Rotate an object to the right

    Click Rotate Right 90

    Rotate an object to the left

    Click Rotate Left 90

    Flip an object up or down

    Click Flip Vertical

    Flip an object left or right

    Click Flip Horizontal

When you group objects, you are combining the objects together so that you can format, move, or copy them as a group.

  1. Hold down Shift, click the object that you want to group together, and then, depending on the type of object that you clicked, click the Format tab or the Format Picture tab.

  2. Under Arrange, click Group, and then click Group.

    Arrange group

Tip: If Group appears dimmed or unavailable that's usually because you haven't already selected two, or more, objects that can be grouped together.

See also

Align objects

Resize an object

Manipulate objects in layers

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