How to Nail Down Those Wandering Callouts

Q: I use callouts frequently to add graphic aids to my memos. But soon after I put them in their proper place and start working on another part of the memo, some of them just seem to have a mind of their own, and they pick up and wander to some other section in the memo. It just drives me crazy. How do I get them nailed down?

A: Yes, it’s annoying how they seem to float about so freely. The callouts wander because, as you work on other parts of the memo, the pagination and layout of a page can change, and so they move to accommodate those changes. One possible solution is to try using Word’s Group command; it usually nails them down.

If you’re working in Word 2003 or an older version, follow these steps: Display the Drawing toolbar (View, Toolbars, Drawing) and insert your graphic. Place your callouts where you want them and click once on your graphic to select it. Then hold down the Shift key as you click, in turn, on each of your callouts. Finally, click on the Draw menu and select Group. Sometimes I have to do that exercise twice before the Group activates.

In Word 2007, follow the same initial steps, making sure the Format tab of the Ribbon is displayed. Then hold down the Shift key and click on each callout. Finally, in the Arrange group, click the Group tool and then on Group.