Ever wonder how to create those awesome looking letters at the beginning of a storybook…like the “O” in “Once upon a time…”?  You can do it with a Drop Cap, and in Publisher, they are simple to do!

Drop caps are stylistic typographic elements, typically an oversized initial letter, which extend down into a paragraph by two or more lines.  In Publisher, they are measured by the number of lines they overlap.  For example, a drop cap with a setting of 3 extends down into the first three lines in a paragraph.

You can choose from several pre-defined drop cap styles in the Drop Cap gallery, on the Text Box Tools | Format tab, or you can create a custom drop cap.  To create a custom drop cap:

1. Place the insertion point in the paragraph.
2. On the Text Box Tools | Format tab, in the Typography group, click Drop Cap and choose Custom Drop Cap to open the Drop Cap dialog box.
3. Select the letter position and size.
4. Edit the Size of letters box to specify the number of lines the character is dropped in the paragraph.
5. Edit the Number of letters box to specify the number of characters included in the drop cap. Use the Preview window to verify your results.
6. Under Select letter appearance, check or clear options to select font, font style, and color options.
7. Click Apply to view the results in the layout, and adjust them if necessary.
8. When the settings are correct, click OK.

Learn Drop Cap and many other tips and tricks in a Publisher class at Full Circle.