How to Make the First Letter Large in Microsoft Word

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Start strong with your Word text elements.
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Paragraph breaks, kerning and line spacing are ways you can lay out your page in Microsoft Word 2013, but one way to really draw the eye and give a reader a sharp starting point is with a drop cap. This stylistic choice makes the first letter large in Microsoft Word paragraphs, something you might see in a children's book but fully available for all of your Word documents.

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Large and In Charge

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Click the cursor onto the line or paragraph where you want to feature a dropped cap. Note that you do not have to highlight the section of text. Click the "Insert" tab, then click the "Add a Drop Cap" menu, which is a small button in the Text section of the ribbon, with an A and some small lines. Choose "Dropped" or "In the Margin" for the drop cap look. You can hover and toggle between the two options and see your text shift slightly to the right, selecting the one that best fits your document.

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Stop, Drop and Roll

Word will insert a drop cap that matches your current font selection, but you have more control than that. Click the "Drop Cap Options" item in the menu to open the "Drop Cap" window. Here you can select a different font, such as something ornate to make the drop cap stand out, as well as the layout of the drop cap itself. For more formatting options, highlight the drop cap letter, click the "Home" tab, and use the Font color, Font, or Text Effects buttons to design an eye-catching drop.

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