How can I rotate the text box in Preview

Found out how to do this when I did it by accident:

Select the text box, then hold down Command. With two fingers on the trackpad (forefinger and middle finger), keep one finger stationary (forefinger) and let the second finger rotate the textbox in whichever direction you want. This is tricky to do because sometimes the cursor or the page moves instead of the textbox... I tried doing it again several times but it only works sometimes. Unfortunately I don't know (and I don't think there is) anything in the toolbar in Preview to do this.

Using El Capitan on Macbook Air, Preview Version 8.1 (877).

I had the same problem but solved it in Preview. You just need to rotate the image in the direction you want the text to be before creating the text box, then you can rotate it back to the original position and the text will stay in the position you created it. Hope this helps in the future.

It would be great if you could do this with a mouse/keyboard! I just spent 20 minutes trying to use a mouse, then read this, learned I could do it with the trackpad, which is great. Keyboard/mouse would be very helpful, though, especially for those without a trackpad/notebook!

Ok, I had the same problem and I'm not sure how to do this if you have a mouse, but it definitely works with the trackpads on MacBooks. This can rotate text boxes as well as pictures, too. Use two fingers (pointer and thumb) and place them on the trackpad. Then, move them farther apart or closer together in any direction you need, almost as if you are pinching them together. Hopefully this helps you out!😁

you are referring to the PDF glitch, where preview orients its text boxes in respect to the "original" page rotation. These are just 90° turns. This string is seeking to rotate the text box to any desired angle, which is done just as blueswirly suggested above.

Works very inconsistently for me (i.e., most of the time it doesn't work and I'm scrolling the page instead). Should be able to drag the corner of the box like MS Word shapes. Much easier and more predictable.

This may require a word document app such as Pages to do this ... How to rotate an image/text box by degrees in Pages?

Pages is available from the App Store.

Give this a try ...

With an image open in Preview, select the text then from the menu bar click Tools > Rotate Left or Right.

I am trying to do the same thing. 20-45 degrees. Any luck?

Same here! Looking for a 45 degrees option.

This works for me, no matter what.

Macbook Pro El Capitan v10.11

Works for me without holding down the Command.

OS X El Capitan, v.10.11.3

awesome. Thanks to all of you. All text boxes and shapes, can be easily turned by selecting and two finger twist. You saved my life🙂