“Rotating the ruler” in Word means one of two things. If you want to draw lines at an angle, use the Ruler tool on the Draw tab: click Draw > Ruler, then rotate it with your mouse’s scroll wheel or two fingers on a touchscreen. The current angle appears on the ruler. If you want a ruler down the side of the page, you can’t rotate the regular ruler, but you can turn on the vertical ruler in File > Options > Advanced > Show vertical ruler in Print Layout view.
Here’s how to use both, plus how to get a ruler on a landscape page or rotated text.
How to rotate the drawing ruler in Word
- Click the Draw tab. If you don’t see it, go to File > Options > Customize Ribbon and check Draw.
- Click Ruler. A straightedge appears on the page.
- Rotate it:
- Mouse: Hover over the ruler and turn the scroll wheel.
- Touchscreen: Put two fingers on the ruler and twist.
- Keyboard: Click the ruler and use the arrow keys with modifier keys, where supported in your version.
- Drag the ruler to move it. The angle shows in the middle, so you can set exact angles like 45° or 90°.
- Choose a pen on the Draw tab and draw along the edge. Your line snaps to the ruler.
- Click Ruler again to hide it.
The Draw ruler is available in Word for Microsoft 365 and Word 2019 or newer on touch-enabled or pen-enabled Windows devices, and it may not appear on every PC. If it’s grayed out, try enabling Draw with Touch or use Insert > Shapes > Line instead.
How to draw an angled line without the ruler
- Click Insert > Shapes and choose Line.
- Hold Shift while dragging to snap the line to 15° increments.
- For an exact angle, right-click the line, choose Size and Position, and set Rotation.
How to show the vertical ruler
- Click View and check Ruler.
- If only the horizontal ruler appears, go to File > Options > Advanced.
- Under Display, check Show vertical ruler in Print Layout view, then click OK.
- Make sure you’re in View > Print Layout. The vertical ruler doesn’t show in Web Layout or Draft view.
Rulers on landscape pages and rotated text
- Landscape pages: The rulers adjust automatically to the page’s new width and height when you choose Layout > Orientation > Landscape.
- Rotated text in tables or text boxes: When you change text direction with Text Direction, the ruler for that text rotates too while your cursor is inside it. That’s the only case where Word’s regular ruler turns sideways.
Change the ruler’s measurement units
Go to File > Options > Advanced > Display and choose Show measurements in units of inches, centimeters, millimeters, points, or picas.
What you can do with the ruler
- Set tab stops. See how to use tabs in Word.
- Drag the indent markers for first-line and hanging indents. See how to make a hanging indent in Word.
- Drag the gray areas at the ends to change page margins.
Frequently asked questions
Why don’t I see the Draw tab?
Add it in File > Options > Customize Ribbon. Some Draw tools require a touchscreen or pen-capable device.
Can I rotate the ruler in Word for Mac?
Word for Mac doesn’t have the Draw tab ruler. Use Shapes with Shift to draw straight or angled lines.
Can I print the ruler?
No. Rulers are only on-screen guides.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.