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This Microsoft Word Tips & Microsoft Word Help page discusses some of the peculiarities users may experience when working with "classic" WordArt in Word 2010/2013.  It also contains a few observations on "new" WordArt.

For the purpose of this tips page, I define "classic" WordArt to be WordArt that has the properties of WordArt created in Word versions 2003/2007.  Compared to the "new" WordArt, or WordArt created with Word 2010/2013, classic WordArt is likely more familiar to long time Word users, and offers a broader range of initial styles.

The initial "classic" and "new" WordArt styles (i.e., text effects) are illustrated below.  For reasons known only to the Word 2013 developers, the available WordArt Styles (predefined text effects) was reduced from thirty (30) in Word 2010 to fifteen (15) in Word 2013.

Classic WordArt Styles Gallery (Word 2003/2007)



WordArt Styles Word 2010



WordArt Styles Word 2013

Note: The actual appearance of the styles (text effects) in the Word 2010/2013 galleries will change depending on the theme colors applied in the document.

Classic WordArt

WordArt objects in Word 2003 and Word 2007 are basically the same. The difference is the user interface for inserting and formatting the object (a menu and toolbar for Word 2003, the ribbon and a contextual tab for Word 2007).

• Both begin life as an inline shape object with a text effect applied.  The available predefined text effects are the same in both Word versions.
• To be rotated in the document, both must be converted from an inline shape object to a shape object; either programmatically or by layout formatting (e.g., square, tight, behind, in front of text).
• Both Word 2003 and Word 2007 documents containing classic WordArt can be opened in either Word 2010 or Word 2013.  The WordArt objects in these documents retain their classic properties and can be further edited or refined using the WordArt Tools Format contextual tab.

Word 2003 format document opened using Word 2010

• Classic WordArt can be copied from Word 2003 or Word 2007 documents and pasted into a Word 2010 document.  WordArt pasted in Word 2010 documents retains its classic properties and can be further edited or refined using the WordArt Tools Format contextual tab.
• Both Word 2003 and Word 2007 documents containing classic WordArt opened in Word 2010 can be converted to Word 2010 format documents.  The WordArt objects in these documents retain their classic WordArt properties and can be further edited or refined using the WordArt Tools Format contextual tab.
• Classic WordArt copied and pasted in Word 2013 documents "do not" retain their classic WordArt properties.  These objects are converted to a standard inline shape object that can be further edited or refined using the Drawing Tools contextual tab.
• Both Word 2003 and Word 2007 documents containing classic WordArt opened in Word 2010 can be converted to Word 2013 format documents.  The WordArt objects in these documents after conversion "do not" retain their classic WordArt properties. These objects can be further edited or refined using the Drawing Tools contextual tab.

Classic WordArt object pasted in a Word 2013 document.

• You can add classic WordArt to Word 2003 and Word 2007 documents opened in Word 2010 or Word 2013 by adding the WordArt (compatibility mode) control to your Word 2010 and Word 2013 ribbon or quick access toolbar.
• Unlike in Word 2003 and 2007, classic WordArt added with Word 2010 and Word 2013 using this method begin life as a floating shape object.

Classic WordArt begins life in Word 2000/2013 documents as a floating shape object

• The WordArt (compatibility mode) control is dimmed and unavailable when a Word 2010 or Word 2013 format document is the active document.

At this point, it appears that there is no way to use the familiar classic WordArt in a Word 2013 format document in Word 2013.

• Fortunately a VBA technique can be employed to create classic WordArt objects in both Word 2010 and Word 2013 format documents.
• WordArt objects created using this method can be either floating or inline.
• Additionally, and best of all, the WordArt Tools Format contextual tab is available in both Word 2010 and Word 2013 when this method is used.

WordArt inserted using a VBA procedure.

VBA Procedure

The procedure used is simple and can easily be added to the a keyboard shortcut or the QAT.

Sub ClassicWordArtInsert()
Dim oShp As Word.Shape
Dim oILS as Word.InlineShape
  Set oShp = ActiveDocument.Shapes.AddTextEffect(Office.MsoPresetTextEffect.msoTextEffect1, _
       "Your Text Here", "Arial", 36, _
       Office.MsoTriState.msoFalse, Office.MsoTriState.msoFalse, 0, 0, Selection.Range)
  If MsgBox("Do you want your classic WordArt object inline with text?", _
            vbQuestion + vbYesNo, "Classic Inline") = vbYes Then
    Set oILS = oShp.ConvertToInlineShape
  End If
  On Error Resume Next
  oShp.Select
  oILS.Select
  On Error GoTo 0
lbl_Exit:
  Exit Sub
End Sub

See: Installing Macros for instructions on how to set up and use the macros provided in this Microsoft Word Help & Microsoft Word Tips page.  This link provides another link that shows you how to add the macro to the QAT.

New WordArt

New WordArt begins life as a floating shape object (textbox type) with a set of predefined text effects applied to the default text.

Note: Showing Word 2010 WordArt Styles Gallery

The effects available to further edit and refine the default entry in practically unlimited.  For example you can use the Drawing Tools Format contextual tab and the Text Effect tools to apply countless variations of shadow, reflection, glow, bevel, rotation and transformation effects.

Issue

Due to known issues in the application object model, it is impossible to programmatically insert a WordArt object with one of the new predefined WordArt styles applied, or programmatically create and insert your own WordArt styles with certain properties applied that are available via the user interface.

These built-in styles and the user interface include properties that are simply not accessibly with the VBA object model (e.g., gradient stops, shadow angle and distance, line cap styles, etc.).

You can come close.  For example, the following illustrates a WordArt object created programmatically compared to a similar WordArt object created using the new WordArt style gallery in a Word 2010 document.

Note:  Remember, a Word 2010/2013 WordArt object is just a textbox with text effects applied to the content.

Sub AttemptToDuplicateWordArt()
'This code attempts to duplicate a Word 2010 WordArt Style.
'The style attempted is the one in the third row, third column of the gallery.
Dim oShp As Word.Shape
Dim sngLeft As Single
Dim sngTop As Single
sngLeft = Selection.Information(wdHorizontalPositionRelativeToPage)
sngTop = Selection.Information(wdVerticalPositionRelativeToPage)
Set oShp = ActiveDocument.Shapes.AddTextbox(msoTextOrientationHorizontal, sngLeft, sngTop, 275, 48)
  With oShp
     .Line.Visible = msoFalse
     With .TextFrame.TextRange
       .Text = "Your text here"
       With .Font
         .TextColor.RGB = RGB(0, 0, 0)
         .Size = 36
         .Bold = True
         With .Line
           .ForeColor.RGB = RGB(122, 122, 122)
           .Style = msoLineSingle
           .Visible = msoTrue
           .Transparency = 0
           .Weight = 0.83
         End With
         With .Fill
           .ForeColor.RGB = RGB(122, 122, 122)
           .OneColorGradient msoGradientHorizontal, 1, 0.8
           .GradientAngle = 90
           'The following would error as the .GradientStop property is _
            not accessible with the VBA object model.
           '.GradientStops.Insert RGB(255, 255, 255), 9, 0, 1
           '.GradientStops.Insert RGB(255, 255, 255), 9, 0, 2
           '.GradientStops.Insert RGB(122, 122, 122), 50, 0, 3
           '.GradientStops.Insert RGB(255, 255, 255), 79, 0, 4
           '.GradientStops.Insert RGB(255, 255, 255), 100, 0, 50
         End With
       End With
       .Select
     End With
  End With
End Sub

This is truly unfortunate considering the vastly expanded text effects formatting options available.

Conclusion

That's it! I hope you have found this tips page useful and informative.

This page was last updated on March 09, 2021

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