With text-wrapping tools, you can seamlessly weave illustrations and other elements into your text. You can learn how to wrap text in Indesign for a website design mockup, a school presentation or to improve the readability of a magazine article design you’re working on. If you’re thinking of becoming a graphic designer one day, learning how to wrap text around pictures, objects and other elements is a skill you will use when designing brochures, flyers, social media graphics and book covers.

Text Wrapping Essentials

InDesign is open to a design that explains how to order pizza. A large image of a pizza sits at the top, the title, “How to Order Pizza,” in the middle, and the three main steps visible inside the boxes. 
Still from Skillshare class Practical Graphic Design: Learn Adobe InDesign Through Fundamental Design Principles by Kyle Aaron ParsonYou can use Text Wrap to place text both inside and outside of an object. 

Using the Text Wrap InDesign tool in Indesign doesn’t have to be complicated, especially if you take the time to explore its many capabilities. Once you have your text and your desired object or image on your canvas, select the object you want to wrap with text and then go to Window > Text Wrap to open the Text Wrap options. 

Here you’ll find five icons at the top of the Text Wrap box. These icons represent: 

  • No Text Wrap to remove any text wrapping around the desired object. This is the default option for all images, objects and elements currently on your canvas. 
  • Wrap Around Bounding Box to wrap text around all sides of your photo, object or frame. You can choose how far off the edge of your desired image you want the text to start. 
  • Wrap Around Object Shape to wrap text around a specific shape.
  • Jump Object will stop text from appearing in the space to the left and right of your image or object. 
  • Jump to Next Column will move all of your text to the next column or text frame. 

Each of these text wrap options has its own settings that you can adjust based on the unique needs of your project. The best way to truly understand each of these options is to have a little fun exploring them. If you want to learn how to wrap text around an image in InDesign try exploring the Wrap Around Bounding Box first. 

You might make a brochure for a made-up vacation or a website for an imaginary dog grooming business and explore Text Wrap there before using it on a client project. Add some text and an image or shape and see how the different Text Wrap settings affect the text on your page. Remember to keep the essential elements of graphic design in mind when playing around with the form of your text and the space around your image. 

5 Ways to Use the Text Wrap Tool in InDesign

You can use the Text Wrap tool to create an eye-catching album cover, make branding materials for a new business venture or for an important work presentation. No matter why you want to learn how to use the Text Wrap tool, it’s good to know a few different ways you can use it depending on your project. Here are a couple of ways you can try out:

1. Around an Image

Images play an important role in the life of a graphic designer. They help communicate complex ideas, break up big chunks of text and increase user engagement. You can use text wrap around an image to make your text easier to read, better connect your image and text and achieve more design-forward layouts. 

2. Anchored Object

InDesign is open to a design that explains how to order pizza. The title “How to Order Pizza” sits at the top of the page next to a small square image of pizza. The rest of the page is filled with the three steps to ordering a pizza. 
Still from Skillshare class Practical Graphic Design: Learn Adobe InDesign Through Fundamental Design Principles by Kyle Aaron ParsonIf you wanted the pizza image to always move with the title, you could anchor “How to Order a Pizza” to the pizza image. 

An anchored object is an object that stays connected to a certain location within text. Anchoring an object can help visually integrate it into the text while making for an easier overall design workflow.   

3. Images With Captions

If your image needs an explanation, citation or just a fun caption, you can use text wrap to add words to any side of it. You might need to play around with the Text Wrap settings a little bit to get the text where you need it to go. Have fun deciding if your text works best at the bottom or to the right or left of your image. 

4. Inverted Text Wrap

InDesign is open to a design that explains how to order pizza. At the top of the explanatory flyer, you can see a thin strip of a photo of a pizza. Just below the photo is the title “How to Order a Pizza” and then the three steps are written inside three floating, colored circles. 
Still from Skillshare class Practical Graphic Design: Learn Adobe InDesign Through Fundamental Design Principles by Kyle Aaron ParsonYou can use Text Wrap to place your text inside any shape, like these colorful, floating circles. 

Also known as “wrap inside” and “text within shape,” inverted Text Wrap is when the text appears inside your desired shape, image or object instead of outside. You can create inverted text by selecting the “invert” option within the Text Wrap pop-up. You can use inverted Text Wrap for unique letterforms, text shapes and headlines or callouts. 

5. Ignore Text Wrap

By default, Text Wrap will be turned off on new images and shapes. If you have a design that already includes Text Wrap and you want to turn it off, go into the Text Wrap menu and click the “No Text Wrap” icon. 

Pro Tips For a Perfect Word Wrap in InDesign

When mastering the basics of word wrap in InDesign, you first have to embrace experimentation. Trying new—and sometimes weird—ideas can be the best way to explore every setting and see which appeals most to you. Depending on the types of graphic design you specifically work with, you can also see which settings best work with your design aesthetic and the overall goals of your projects. Design-wise a few things to keep in mind are:

  • Spacing
  • Readability
  • Color contrast
  • Balance
  • Strategic placement

While you’re creating you should also think about:

  • Removing any anchor points
  • Choosing the right Text Wrap option depending on your project
  • Altering the offsets for a perfect composition

Create Unique Text Designs for Your Illustrations

Just like that, you have a new skill to add to your design repertoire. Even if you’re just starting out on your design journey, taking the time to add skills like Text Wrap to your skillset can help you get out of your comfort zone, stay competitive in your field and adapt to new projects. If you want to keep developing your text-wrapping skills or dive deeper into InDesign or graphic design in general, Skillshare has the best class selection for beginners and professionals looking to learn about graphic design.

Written By
Calli Zarpas

Calli Zarpas

Producer & Writer by occupation. Ceramicist & Newsletter Editor by avocation.

  • Click here to share on Twitter
  • Click here to share on Facebook
  • Click here to share on LinkedIn
  • Click here to share on Pinterest