Looking for a quick overview? Focussing in on a part of your whiteboard? Find out here how to zoom, fit and center elements in MS Whiteboard.
First, Plump and Shadowed at the Horizon
When you scan the horizon for a moon supposedly full and you see the earth’s shadow, it’s a lunar eclipse. The earth, of course, is in line between the sun and earth’s biggest satellite.
So, peek the other way from the moon, and you should see… the sun? What is going on here?
As is its wont, the earth’s atmosphere bends light. It bends most the light entering at a shallow angle, so what you see at the horizon is just below it. (Since red wavelengths are bent most, the moon will appear red, too, as that part of the sunlight goes around the earth.)
So, we get to see both the sun and the moon eclipsed by the earth in what is called a selenelion eclipse.
Now, want to see both ends of a whiteboard—at the same time together with the center on your screen?
How to Zoom, Fit and Center Elements in MS Whiteboard
Zoom In and Out Freely
Time needed: 1 minute
To zoom in and out of whiteboards in Microsoft Whiteboard:
- Use the
and 
buttons to zoom in and out of a whiteboard. Here’s where: The buttons are in the bottom right corner.
MS Whiteboard keyboard shortcuts: You can also press Ctrl - (Windows and Linux) or Option - (Mac) and Ctrl + (Windows and Linux) or Option + (Mac) to zoom out and in respectively.
Mouse: Use the scroll wheel on the mouse to zoom in and out with zooming centered on the mouse cursor.
Trackpad: On a trackpad, you can pinch and spread two fingers to zoom in and out.
- Click the current zoom level and choose from presets to jump to a zoom level.
To 100% and back: Choose the selection tool and double-click in the background to jump to 100% zoom (with display centered on the point you double-clicked); double-click again to return to the previous zoom level.
Make fonts bigger without zooming? How to Change the Font Size in MS Whiteboard
Fit Everything and Focus Elements
To fit the whole whiteboard content on the screen in MS Whiteboards:
- Deselect everything on the whiteboard.
Here’s how: Pick the selection tool, for instance, and click in the background. - Click Fit to Screen in the zooming toolbar in the lower right corner.
To center display at an element zoomed to 100% (or to fit):
- Select the element or elements you want to center.
Here’s how: Click any element using the selection tool.
More than one: You can hold Option (Mac) or Ctrl (Windows and Linux) while you click to add elements to the selection or remove them from it.
Encompassing: Drawing an outline around items with the selection tool will pick all elements within. - Click Center to Selection in the zooming toolbar.
Here’s what happens: Whiteboard will focus display on the center of the selection, then zoom in so all the selection is visible up to a maximum of 100%.
How to Zoom, Fit and Center Elements in MS Whiteboard: FAQ
What is the maximum zoom level?
The most you can zoom in MS Whiteboard is by 500%.
What is the minimum zoom level?
The most you can zoom out in Microsoft Whiteboard is to 0.5%.
(How to zoom, fit and center elements tested with MS Whiteboard 24.10705, first published July 2024, last updated December 2024)