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Text alignment and vertical alignment in Figma - Step-by-Step Guide

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Introduction
Text alignment and vertical alignment help you position text inside shapes or frames. This makes your dashboard or report look neat and easy to read by controlling where the text sits horizontally and vertically.
When you want the title of a chart to be centered above it for better focus
When you need labels inside bars or boxes to align left for consistency
When you want to vertically center text inside buttons or cards for balanced design
When you want to align text to the top of a frame to match other elements
When you want to justify paragraph text for a clean block look in reports
Steps
Step 1: Select the text layer
- Layers panel or canvas
The text layer is highlighted and ready for editing
Step 2: Open the Text section
- Right sidebar properties panel
Text formatting options appear, including alignment controls
Step 3: Click the horizontal alignment button
- Text section in the right sidebar (options: Left, Center, Right, Justify)
Text inside the selected layer aligns horizontally as chosen
Step 4: Click the vertical alignment button
- Text section in the right sidebar (options: Top, Middle, Bottom)
Text inside the frame or bounding box aligns vertically as chosen
Step 5: Adjust the text box size if needed
- Canvas by dragging text box edges
Text reflows and alignment updates visually inside the new box size
Before vs After
Before
Text inside a button is aligned left and sits at the top, making it look unbalanced
After
Text inside the button is centered horizontally and vertically, making the button look balanced and neat
Settings Reference
Horizontal text alignment
📍 Right sidebar > Text section
Controls how text lines up horizontally inside the text box
Default: Left
Vertical text alignment
📍 Right sidebar > Text section
Controls how text lines up vertically inside the text box or frame
Default: Top
Common Mistakes
Trying to vertically align text without a fixed height text box
Vertical alignment only works if the text box has a height larger than the text content
Resize the text box height first, then apply vertical alignment
Using justify alignment on short lines
Justify alignment can create uneven spacing on short lines, making text look odd
Use left, center, or right alignment for short text lines
Summary
Text alignment controls horizontal and vertical positioning of text inside boxes.
Use the right sidebar Text section to set alignment options in Figma.
Vertical alignment needs a text box taller than the text to work properly.

Practice

(1/5)
1. Which of the following best describes text alignment in Figma?
easy
A. It controls the horizontal placement of text within a text box.
B. It controls the vertical placement of text within a text box.
C. It changes the font size of the text.
D. It changes the color of the text.

Solution

  1. Step 1: Understand text alignment meaning

    Text alignment refers to how text is positioned horizontally inside its container, such as left, center, or right.

  2. Step 2: Differentiate from vertical alignment

    Vertical alignment controls vertical placement, not horizontal, so it is not text alignment.

  3. Final Answer:

    It controls the horizontal placement of text within a text box. -> Option A

  4. Quick Check:

    Text alignment = horizontal placement [OK]
Hint: Text alignment = horizontal, vertical alignment = vertical [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Confusing vertical alignment with text alignment
  • Thinking text alignment changes font size
  • Mixing color changes with alignment
2. Which Figma property would you use to center text vertically inside a frame?
easy
A. Text Align: Center
B. Vertical Align: Bottom
C. Text Align: Left
D. Vertical Align: Middle

Solution

  1. Step 1: Identify vertical alignment property

    Vertical alignment controls text placement from top to bottom inside a container.

  2. Step 2: Choose the middle vertical alignment

    To center text vertically, use Vertical Align set to Middle.

  3. Final Answer:

    Vertical Align: Middle -> Option D

  4. Quick Check:

    Vertical center = Vertical Align: Middle [OK]
Hint: Vertical center uses Vertical Align: Middle [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Using Text Align instead of Vertical Align
  • Choosing Left or Bottom for vertical centering
  • Confusing horizontal and vertical alignment
3. Given a text box with width 200px and height 100px, if you set Text Align: Right and Vertical Align: Bottom, where will the text appear?
medium
A. Text will appear centered both horizontally and vertically.
B. Text will appear at the top-left corner.
C. Text will appear at the bottom-right corner.
D. Text will appear at the bottom-left corner.

Solution

  1. Step 1: Analyze horizontal alignment

    Text Align: Right places text at the right edge horizontally.

  2. Step 2: Analyze vertical alignment

    Vertical Align: Bottom places text at the bottom edge vertically.

  3. Final Answer:

    Text will appear at the bottom-right corner. -> Option C

  4. Quick Check:

    Right + Bottom = bottom-right corner [OK]
Hint: Right + Bottom = bottom-right corner placement [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Mixing up left and right alignment
  • Confusing top and bottom vertical alignment
  • Assuming center alignment by default
4. You set Text Align: Center but the text still appears left aligned. What is the most likely cause?
medium
A. The text box width is too small to show center alignment.
B. The text box is set to auto width, ignoring alignment.
C. The font size is too large.
D. Vertical alignment is set to Top.

Solution

  1. Step 1: Understand auto width effect

    If the text box width is auto, it shrinks to fit text, so center alignment has no effect.

  2. Step 2: Check other options

    Vertical alignment or font size do not affect horizontal centering. Small width limits space but does not force left alignment.

  3. Final Answer:

    The text box is set to auto width, ignoring alignment. -> Option B

  4. Quick Check:

    Auto width disables horizontal alignment effects [OK]
Hint: Auto width text boxes ignore horizontal alignment [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Blaming vertical alignment for horizontal issues
  • Assuming font size affects alignment
  • Ignoring text box sizing settings
5. You want to create a dashboard label that is always centered horizontally and vertically inside a 300x100 px frame, regardless of text length. Which combination of settings is best?
hard
A. Set text box width and height to fixed 300x100, Text Align: Center, Vertical Align: Middle
B. Set text box width to auto, height fixed 100, Text Align: Left, Vertical Align: Top
C. Set text box width fixed 300, height auto, Text Align: Right, Vertical Align: Bottom
D. Set text box width and height to auto, Text Align: Center, Vertical Align: Middle

Solution

  1. Step 1: Fix text box size to frame size

    To center text regardless of length, the text box must match the frame size (300x100 fixed).

  2. Step 2: Apply center alignments

    Set Text Align to Center for horizontal centering and Vertical Align to Middle for vertical centering.

  3. Final Answer:

    Set text box width and height to fixed 300x100, Text Align: Center, Vertical Align: Middle -> Option A

  4. Quick Check:

    Fixed size + center align = perfect centering [OK]
Hint: Fixed size box + center alignments = centered text [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Using auto width or height causing misalignment
  • Choosing left or right text align for centering
  • Ignoring vertical alignment for vertical centering