To invert text in Word so the letters appear mirrored, put your text in a text box and set X Rotation to 180° under 3-D Rotation. To turn text upside down, rotate the entire text box by 180° instead. These steps cover Word for Microsoft 365 and Word 2024 on Windows and Mac, with narrower platform requirements noted where needed.
The short version
- Mirror letters: Put your text in a text box and set X Rotation to 180°.
- Turn text upside down: Select the text box and enter 180 in Rotation through More Rotation Options.
- Keep text editable: Use a text box or WordArt when you need to edit the words afterward.
- Start in a browser: Choose Editing > Open in Desktop App to apply mirroring in desktop Word.
- Mirror only the printout: Use the Mac print dialog or a supported printer driver's mirror setting.
| Method or control | Result | Where to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Ribbon 3D Rotation | Mirrored editable letters | Windows and Mac desktop Word |
| Format Shape and X Rotation | Horizontal reflection | Windows desktop Word |
| Format Shape and Y Rotation | Vertical reflection | Windows desktop Word |
| WordArt with 3-D Rotation | Mirrored decorative text | Windows and Mac desktop Word |
| Rotation set to 180° | Upside-down object | Windows and Mac desktop Word |
| Rotate Right 90° or Rotate Left 90° | Quarter turns | Windows and Mac desktop Word |
| Rotation handle or Mac keyboard controls | Manual object rotation | Windows and Mac desktop Word |
| Text direction | Sideways text inside a stationary box | Windows and Mac desktop Word |
| Paste Special as a picture | Flipped text image | Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows |
| Open in Desktop App | Access to desktop rotation controls | Word for the web with desktop Word installed |
| Flip Horizontally | Mirrored printout | macOS print dialog |
| Reverse Page Orientation | Upside-down printed page | macOS print dialog |
| Epson Mirror Image | Mirrored printer output | Epson ET-2850 Series/L4260 Series driver |
| Preview flip controls | Flipped existing image | Preview on Mac |
| Chart title Alignment | Rotated chart title | Charts in Windows and Mac desktop Word |
VBA Shape.Rotation | Automated object rotation | Desktop Word with macros permitted |
Mirror editable text in a text box
Choose Insert > Text Box, create a box, and enter the text you want to mirror. Select the box's border to select the object. Open Shape Format > Text Effects > 3D Rotation > 3D Rotation Options.
Under 3-D Rotation, set X Rotation to 180°, then click outside the box. This mirrors the letters horizontally while keeping the text editable. To remove the visible border, select the box and choose Shape Format > Shape Outline > No Outline.
On Windows, you can reach the same mirror control by right-clicking the text box border and choosing Format Shape > Effects > 3-D Rotation. Enter 180 in X Rotation. To remove the box's background, choose Fill & Line > Fill > No fill.
Fix missing rotation controls or unchanged letters
If the object controls are missing, select the text box border again instead of selecting the words inside it. For mirrored letters in an editable text box, use 3-D Rotation and set X Rotation to 180°. The ordinary Flip Horizontal object command is not an equivalent way to mirror editable text.
If you are using Word for the web, choose Editing > Open in Desktop App. You need an installed, licensed desktop copy of Word for this route. Apply the text-box mirroring or rotation steps there, then save the document.
Mirror WordArt or text inside a shape
For decorative lettering, choose Insert > WordArt, select a style, and enter your text. Select the WordArt object before opening its formatting controls. You can also select an existing shape containing text to mirror its lettering.
On Windows, choose Shape Format > Text Effects > 3D Rotation > 3D Rotation Options. On Mac, choose Shape Format > Format Pane. Under 3-D Rotation, set X Rotation to 180°.
Your text remains editable inside the object. Microsoft excludes WordArt from its ordinary horizontal flipping instructions, so use 3-D Rotation to mirror its letters.
Reflect text vertically on Windows
For a top-to-bottom reflection in Word for Windows, right-click the border of the text box or shape containing your text. Choose Format Shape > Effects > 3-D Rotation, then enter 180 in Y Rotation. This vertically reflects the lettering and produces a different result from rotating the whole object through 180°.
Use vertical reflection when you need the letters flipped from top to bottom. If you want text that reads normally when you turn the page upside down, use the object's Rotation setting instead.
Turn text upside down or rotate it sideways
To turn text upside down, select its text box, WordArt, or shape. Choose Shape Format > Rotate > More Rotation Options, then enter 180 in Rotation.
For a quarter turn, choose Shape Format > Rotate, then select Rotate Right 90° or Rotate Left 90°. Select the same command twice for a 180° turn. These commands rotate the whole object, including its text.
You can also select the text box and drag its rotation handle. Hold Shift while dragging to constrain rotation to 15° increments. On Mac, another option is to select the object, hold Option, and press Left Arrow or Right Arrow.
Change text direction inside a stationary box
Use Text direction when you want sideways text while the text box or shape stays stationary. On Windows, right-click the object's border and choose Format Shape > Size/Layout & Properties > Text Box. Under Text direction, choose the 90° or 270° orientation.
On Mac, hold Control and click the border, then choose Format Shape > Text Options > Textbox > Text direction. Choose the 90° or 270° orientation you need. This changes the direction of the text without mirroring its letters.
Flip text converted to a picture
In Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows, you can convert copied text into an image and flip that image. Copy the text, then choose Home > Paste > Paste Special. Select Paste, choose an available picture format such as Picture (Enhanced Metafile), and select OK.
Select the resulting image and choose Picture Format > Rotate > Flip Horizontal or Flip Vertical. The result is a picture, so you cannot edit its words as ordinary Word text. Available picture formats depend on the clipboard content and platform; use the text-box method if the picture option you need is unavailable.
For text already captured as an image on Mac, open the image in Preview and choose Tools > Flip Horizontal or Flip Vertical. Save the image for use in your Word document. If you need to capture the text first, you can take a screenshot on your device; Preview's flip controls work on the resulting image.
Mirror or invert only the printed page
On Mac, you can mirror the printout without changing the editable document. With the document open, choose File > Print, scroll down, and select Layout. Enable Flip Horizontally, then select Print.
For an upside-down printed page, open File > Print > Layout and enable Reverse Page Orientation. Select Print to produce the rotated output. This setting changes the printed page orientation.
For the Epson ET-2850 Series/L4260 Series with the Epson driver, open the printer settings from Word's print dialog. On Windows, open More Options and select Mirror Image. On Mac, open Print Settings and select Mirror Image.
Print the document, then uncheck Mirror Image to restore normal output. This Epson control requires the supported model and driver. Avoid applying printer mirroring to text you have already mirrored in Word, because that applies the reflection a second time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does mirroring text reverse the order of its characters?
Mirroring reflects the appearance of your letters. Reversing character order is a separate operation, so you cannot use these rotation settings as a character-reversal command.
Can you mirror text if you start in Word for the web?
Use desktop Word for the mirroring and rotation workflow. In Word for the web, choose Editing > Open in Desktop App, then apply the text-box mirroring steps in desktop Word and save the document.
How do you rotate a chart title in Word?
On Windows, select the chart title or axis title, then choose Format > Current Selection > Format Selection. In Format Chart Title, choose Layout and Properties > Alignment, then adjust Text direction or Custom angle. On Mac, select the title and choose Format > Format Pane > Title options > Size & Properties > Alignment, then adjust Text direction or Custom angle. These controls change the title's orientation.
Can you automate a shape's rotation with a Word macro?
Yes, in desktop Word with VBA available and macros permitted, you can set a shape's Rotation property in an existing VBA procedure. For example, ActiveDocument.Shapes(1).Rotation = 180 turns the first floating shape upside down. Identify the intended object before running the procedure, because this example targets the first shape. VBA automation is unavailable in Word for the web.
Do you need to install another tool to mirror text in desktop Word?
You do not need an additional tool or download for the desktop Word methods. You can create and mirror editable text using Word's built-in text boxes or WordArt.