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![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(128, 8%, 22%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EA%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
To my surprise, Format shape -->Text box --> Text direction does not have an option to rotate text 180 degrees. Is this option available through other menues or is there a very good reason to withhold this option? It could've been very helpful, especially when asymmetrical shapes with text in them are flipped. Perhaps there is an option to rotate the shape, but not the text?
A family of Microsoft presentation graphics products that offer tools for creating presentations and adding graphic effects like multimedia objects and special effects with text.
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Answer accepted by question author
Text Rotation >>More options>>3D Rotation
Change the Z axis settings.
Dear Hans,
Thanks fro your reply.
First, manual rotation of a green circle rotates the whole shape, not just the text inside it. This is irrelevant to my question.
Second, contrary to your statement, there are some options to rotate text without rotating a shape (Format shape -->Text box --> Text direction). My question was why 180 degree rotation is specifically excluded from these options and whether it is available through other means.
Where do I find these dialogue boxes? When I use the 'Format Text Effects' on right click then go to 3D Format and alter the z-axis it si still rotating the whole shape even tho I have only the text selected.
Ahah!! I found it there is a 'Keep text flat' box that has to be checked.
Thanks, John! It works!
I guess, it would be too naive to ask why, in its infinite wisdom, Microsoft has decided that in this version of PowerPoint this specific rotation of a 2-D text has to be achieved only via a 3-D rotation menu, and not via a menu that enables other flips.
Click anywhere in or on the text box.
You should see a green circle above the text box, connected to it by a line.
Drag this green circle to rotate the text box. If you rotate it over 180 degrees, the text will be upside down.
Tip: if you hold down Shift while dragging, you rotate in 15 degree increments.
As far as I know there is no option to rotate the text without the shape or the shape without the text.