How To Create a Drop Cap In Google Docs

Google Docs is an amazing word processor that lets you do a variety of things in a few simple clicks. Creating a drop cap in Google Docs can transform the visual appeal of your document, adding a touch of elegance and style right from the first letter. Whether drafting a novel, preparing a report, or designing a newsletter, learning how to create a drop cap in Google Docs is an essential skill that can make your document stand out. Although it does not have a direct method of adding a Drop Cap like in Microsoft Word, there is an easy and quick workaround.

So, let's look at how to create a Drop Cap in Google Docs.

What does the Drop Cap mean in Google Docs?

Have you ever encountered a large capital letter at the start of a web page, news article, or novel that spans multiple rows? That's a drop cap. A drop cap is the initial letter of a word within a paragraph or text block. It takes the form of an uppercase letter, larger than the surrounding text and can extend over two or more lines.

While commonly found in books, drop caps also find their application in specific document types. Whether you're crafting an essay or other creative content, incorporating this stylistic touch can add a subtle flair to your work.

How to Do a Drop Cap in Google Docs

Step 1: Open a document

Go to the Google Docs home page and open a new document by clicking on the plus icon.

Alternatively, you can use an existing document. Make sure to delete the first alphabet and place the cursor in the beginning before moving to the next steps as follows:

Step 2: Go to the Insert Tab and Start a new drawing

Go to the Insert tab and click on the Drawing drop-down. Then, start a new drawing by click on +New.

Step 3: Insert text box

In the drawing canvas that opens, click on the Text Box icon.

Step 4: Draw the text box

You should see a plus shaped cursor. Use it to draw a text box.

Step 5: Select Word Art

Go to the "Actions" drop-down in the drawing canvas menu and select "Word Art".

Step 6: Type the letter

You will see a small rectangular box pop-up in the canvas area. Type the desired alphabet in this box and hit enter.

Note: If you are not looking to customise the drop cap, then you can skip the below steps and save the drop cap.

How to Edit Drop Cap in Google Docs

Step 1: Change the font

By default, a very basic character would be inserted. To change that, go to the three dots in the canvas menu and select an interesting font from the font drop-down.

Step 2: Change the colour

You can also change the colour of the Drop cap to match the colour of the rest of your document. Click on fill colour icon from the canvas menu and select the desired colour.

Step 3: Adjust the size

Use the corners of the text box to adjust the size as required.

Step 4: Save and close

Click on the "Save and Close" to save the changes and insert the drop cap in the document.

Step 5: Wrap Text

Once the drop cap is inserted, click on it and select the Wrap text option. This will enable you to type around the drop cap.

Now you are all set to start adding text to your document:

If you are unhappy with how the drop cap looks, you can re-edit it as many times as you want. Click on the drop-cap and select the edit option to make changes:

Conclusion

In this article, we learned how we can add a drop cap in Google Docs. A drop cap is a great tool to add an aesthetic and dramatic appeal to writing. It is often used in newspapers, novels, stories and other kinds of writings. You cannot add a drop cap in Google Docs using a built-in tool but using the drawing tool to achieve this is just as easy.

Thanks to this amazing word processor, you can change the colour, size and font of the drop cap as desired. Not just this, you can even italicise or bold the text and change its border style.