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Text boxes and frames are both containers for text that can be positioned on a page and sized.

If you are familiar with earlier versions of Microsoft Word, you used frames when you wanted to wrap text around a graphic. Now, you wrap text around a graphic of any size or shape without first inserting it in a text box or frame.

However, you must use a frame instead of a text box when you want to position text or graphics that contain certain items.

Use a text box when you want to do any of the following:

• Make text flow from one part of a document to another part by linking the text boxes.
• Format the text container by using the options on the Drawing toolbar (toolbar: A bar with buttons and options that you use to carry out commands. To display a toolbar, press ALT and then SHIFT+F10.). You can apply 3-D effects, shadows, border styles and colors, fills, and backgrounds.
• Rotate and flip text boxes.
• Change the orientation of text in a text box by using the Text Direction command (Format menu).
• Group your text containers and change the alignment or distribution of them as a group.

Use frames when your text or graphics contain the following:

• Comments (comment: A note or annotation that an author or reviewer adds to a document. Microsoft Word displays the comment in a balloon in the margin of the document or in the Reviewing Pane.), as indicated by comment marks (comment mark: Each time you add a comment to a document, Microsoft Word inserts a comment mark in the document. Comment marks appear when you click Markup on the View menu.).
• Footnotes or endnotes, as indicated by note reference marks (note reference mark: A number, character, or combination of characters that indicates that additional information is contained in a footnote or endnote.).
• Certain fields (field: A set of codes that instructs Microsoft Word to insert text, graphics, page numbers, and other material into a document automatically. For example, the DATE field inserts the current date.), including AUTONUM, AUTONUMLGL, AUTONUMOUT — used for numbering lists and paragraphs in legal documents and outlines — TC (Table of Contents Entry), TOC (Table of Contents), RD (Referenced Document), XE (Index Entry), TA (Table of Authorities Entry), and TOA (Table of Authority) fields.

When you open a document that contains frames from a previous version of Word, Word keeps the frames. When you select a frame, the Frame command appears on the Format menu.