Choose the letter shapes first
Write the intended heading and choose a rounded or broad family available in your own font menu. Compare repeated letters and the spaces inside a, e and o. A very narrow design may stay narrow after an outline effect; an effect cannot replace the underlying letter proportions.
Apply Word’s text effect
Microsoft documents selecting text or WordArt, opening Home > Text Effects and choosing the desired effect. The Outline submenu provides additional outline choices. Begin with a short heading so you can judge the treatment before using it on an entire worksheet or poster.
Keep counters and gaps open
Compare the outlined result at its final display or print size. A thick outline may close small counters or crowd neighboring letters. Use a simple supporting line below the heading rather than outlining every paragraph in the document.
Choose the appropriate output
Keep the Word text editable when another person needs to revise it. For copy-and-paste enclosed characters, use the separate bubble-text generator; that changes the characters and serves a different purpose. To remove a Word effect, Microsoft documents selecting the text and using Home > Clear Formatting, which can also remove other formatting.
Your questions, answered.
Do I need to install a font to add an outline?
Word documents outline as a text effect. A new font is only needed if your available letter shapes do not suit the design.
Are outlined Word letters the same as copied bubble symbols?
No. Word applies formatting to editable letters; enclosed Unicode symbols are different characters.
Sources & background
Sources supporting this page’s explanations. Practical examples are our editorial suggestions.