How to Outline Words in Google Slides

Updated on:

May 5, 2026

By:

Use this interactive demo to learn how to add outlined text to your Google Slides presentation.

Quick summary

To outline words in Google Slides, you use the Word Art feature under the Insert menu, then style the text with a custom border color and border weight. This method lets you create bold, outlined typography directly inside any Google Slides presentation without third-party tools.

Steps

In the top menu, click Insert.
Select Word Art from the dropdown menu.
Type the word or phrase you want to outline.
In the top toolbar, click Border color.
Choose the outline color you want.
In the top menu, click Border weight.
Set your desired weight or thickness for the outline.
Your words now have an outline in Google Slides.

📌 Why this matters

Outlined text in Google Slides makes slide headings and key messages stand out visually, improving audience engagement and presentation design quality. Google Slides does not offer a native text outline option, so using Word Art with border color and border weight is the only built-in workaround. Knowing this technique helps educators, marketers, and business professionals create polished, eye-catching slides without leaving the Google Workspace environment. This skill is especially valuable for anyone designing title slides, infographics, or branded presentation templates inside Google Slides.

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