Easy Steps to Create a Add Drop Caps in Microsoft Word

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Written by Darlene Antonelli, MA

Last Updated: February 24, 2025 Fact Checked

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Ever thought of adding an artistic touch to your Word documents, such as stories and articles? Well, Drop Cap is one such feature that makes the first letter of the first paragraph larger than the rest of the text. This not only helps you embellish your document but also makes it appear eye-catching. This wikiHow article covers the process step-by-step so you can create and customize drop caps in Word.

Things You Should Know

Add a drop cap to make your text interesting and dynamic to capture the attention of your readers.
Select the text and go to "Insert > Drop cap" (Windows) or select "Drop Cap" from the Format menu (Mac).
Edit your drop cap by going to "Insert > Drop Cap > Drop Cap Options".

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Windows

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You must select existing text to be able to use the Drop Cap menu, if you have space selected, the option will be greyed out in your menu.^{[1]
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It's in the editing ribbon next to File and Home.^{[2]
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Click Drop Cap. You'll find this in the "Text" grouping of the menu and more options will drop down.^{[3]
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- If you don't see this option, click the icon in the "Text" panel that has an A with several lines.
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Select an option. If you want to keep the drop cap aligned with your text and in your paragraph, select Dropped. If you want to add your drop cap to the outside of your text, select In margin.^{[4]
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- To remove the drop cap, select the text then go to Insert > Drop Cap > None.
5
Customize the drop cap (if you don't like the default). Highlight your drop cap, then go to Insert > Drop Cap > Drop Cap Options. You'll have some options to customize your drop cap:^{[5]
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- Font lets you change the font, which will only apply to your drop cap not the rest of your text.
- The option of Lines to drop will change how big your drop cap appears.
- Distance from text allows you to change how far away your drop cap is from your text.
- Click OK when you're done to save your changes to your drop cap.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Mac

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It's the default view mode, but if it isn't active, you won't see the drop cap menus. If you're not sure if you're in "Print Layout," go to View and click Print Layout.^{[6]
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2
Select the first letter of a paragraph. You must select existing text to be able to use the Drop Cap menu, if you have space selected, the option will be greyed out in your menu.^{[7]
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- When you highlight the text, a menu should appear. If not, right-click your selection.
You'll find this in the "Format" menu that appears next to your cursor.
4
Select an option for the drop cap. If you want to keep the drop cap aligned with your text and in your paragraph, select Dropped. If you want to add your drop cap to the outside of your text, select In margin.^{[8]
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- To remove the drop cap, select the text then go to Drop Cap > None.

Community Q&A

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Question

Can I drop cap the first letter in every paragraph at once?

Community Answer

No, I don't believe so, as the cursor position tells Word where you want the drop cap to be. Also, doing that to every paragraph would likely get messy and excessive.

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Question

What is a Word Drop Cap applied to?

Community Answer

A Word Drop Cap is applied to word settings. It can help you organize the page.

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Question

What if "Drop Cap" is greyed out?

Community Answer

Try highlighting the letter you want to turn into a drop cap and then do it again.

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Tips

Aside from the drop-cap-only options, you can also apply normal text options to your drop cap. This means that you can even add a background or drop-shadow to your font. Select the drop cap, then go to Home and apply the font effects from there.^{[9]
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