Learning Resources
Examples of the shadow, outline, emboss, and engrave font effects.
You can add a great deal of impact to text just by changing the font effect.
Just open the Font dialog box (Format menu). Under Effects, in the center section, you'll see these four effects:
- Shadow darkens the text and adds a slight shadow behind it.
- Outline removes the solid fill of the text, leaving just an outline.
- Emboss makes the text look like it's raised off the page in relief.
- Engrave makes the text appear pressed into the page.
Some usage tips:
- Often, these effects show up best when you use a larger font size.
- In many cases, the effects look great when used in combination with other more basic effects, such as different fonts and font styles (for example, bold and italic).
- Like anything fancy, these effects tend to work best when used sparingly, for example when limited to headings or emphasis text.
As you've seen in previous lessons, the best way to figure out what works is to try different combinations and see the results in the Preview section of the dialog box. You'll get a chance to practice at the end of the lesson.