Office supplies ready-made shapes, ranging from hearts to lightning bolts to stars. The ready-made shapes are available directly on the Shapes gallery on the Insert and Format tabs. Once you have placed a shape on a document, you can resize it using the sizing handles. Many shapes have an adjustment handle, a small yellow or pink diamond located near a resize handle that you can drag to alter the shape. For precision when resizing, use the Format AutoShape dialog box to specify the new size of the shape.
Click the Object Palette tab on the Toolbox.
Click the Shapes tab.
To narrow down the list of shapes, click the drop-down, and then select a category.
Click the shape you want to draw.
Drag the pointer on the document where you want to place the shape until the drawing object is the shape and size that you want.
The shape you draw uses the line and fill color defined by the document’s theme.
Select the shape you want to resize.
Drag one of the sizing handles.
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To resize the object in the vertical or horizontal direction, drag a sizing handle on the side of the selection box.
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To resize the object in both the vertical and horizontal directions, drag a sizing handle on the corner of the selection box.
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To resize the object with precise measurements, click the Format menu, click AutoShape, click the Size tab, specify exact height and width settings, and then click OK.
Select the shape you want to adjust.
Click one of the adjustment handles (small yellow diamonds), and then drag the handle to alter the form of the shape.
Did You Know?
You can connect two shapes. Click the Object Palette tab on the Toolbox, click the Shadows tab, click a connector (located in the Lines and Connector category), position the pointer over an object handle (turns red), drag the connector to the object handle (turns red) on another object. An attached connector point appears as red circles, while an unattached connector point appears as light blue.
When you need to create a customized shape, use the Office freeform tools. Choose a freeform tool from the Lines category in the list of shapes. Freeforms are like the drawings you make with a pen and paper, except that you use a mouse for your pen and a document for your paper. A freeform shape can either be an open curve or a closed curve. You can edit a freeform by using the Edit Points command to alter the vertices that create the shape.
Click the Object Palette tab on the Toolbox.
Click the Shapes tab.
Click the drop-down, and then click Lines and Connectors.
Click the freeform connector shape you want.
Click the document where you want to place the first vertex of the polygon.
Move the pointer, and then click to place the second point of the polygon. A line joins the two points.
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To draw a line with curves, drag a line instead of clicking in steps 5 and 6.
Continue moving the mouse pointer and clicking to create additional sides of your polygon.
Finish the polygon. For a closed polygon, click near the starting point. For an open polygon, double-click the last point in the polygon.
You can add text to a shape in the same way you add text to a text box. Simply, select the shape object, and then start typing. Shapes range from rectangles and circles to arrows and stars. When you place text in a shape, the text becomes part of the object. If you rotate or flip the shape, the text rotates or flips too. You can use tools, such as an alignment button or Font Style, on the Font and Alignment and Spacing panels to format the text in a shape like the text in a text box.
Instead of changing individual attributes of a shape—such as shape fill, shape outline, and shape effects—you can quickly add them all at once with the Shape Quick Style gallery. The Shape Quick Style gallery (New!) provides a variety of different formatting combinations.
Select the shapes you want to modify.
Click the Formatting Palette tab on the Toolbox.
Click the Quick Styles tab on the Quick Styles and Effects panel.
Click the scroll up or down arrows to see additional styles.
The current style appears highlighted in the gallery.
Click the style you want from the gallery to apply it to the selected shape.
Did You Know?
You can add a Quick Style to a text box. A shape is a text box without a fill and outline (border), so you can apply a Quick Style to a text box using the same steps.
See Also
See “Adding Other Effects to a Shape” on page 118 for information on applying other effects using the Quick Styles and Effects panel.
Instead of changing individual attributes of text in a shape, such as text fill, text outline, and text effects, you can quickly add them all at once with the WordArt Quick Style gallery. The WordArt Quick Style gallery (New!) provides a variety of different formatting combinations.
Select the shapes with the text you want to modify.
In Excel or PowerPoint, click the WordArt tab on the Elements Gallery.
Click the 2-D Styles or 3-D Styles button to display the type of WordArt style you want.
Click one of the WordArt styles.
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You can click the arrows on the right to display more styles.
You can change the look of a shape by applying effects (New!), like shadows, reflections, glow, soft edges, bevels, and 3-D rotations. Apply effects to a shape by using the Shape Effects gallery for quick results, or by using the Format Shape dialog box for custom results. From the Shape Effects gallery you can apply a built-in combination of 3-D effects or individual effects to a shape. If you no longer want to apply a shape effect to an object, you can use undo to remove it.
Select the shape you want to modify.
Click the Formatting Palette tab on the Toolbox.
Click the Quick Styles and Effects panel to expand it.
Click the one of the following sub-tabs to display an effect:
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Shadows to select one of the shadow types.
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Glows to select one of the glow variations.
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Reflections to select one of the reflection variations.
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3-D Effects to select one of the 3-D variations.
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Text Transformations to select one of the WordArt variations.
See Also
See “Adding a Quick Style to a Shape” on page 116 for information on applying a quick style using the Quick Styles and Effects panel.
Click the scroll up or down arrows to see additional styles.
Click the effect you want from the gallery to apply it to the selected shape.
To specify additional shape options, click More Options, select the options you want, and then click OK.
When you create a closed drawing object such as a square, it applies the Fill color to the inside of the shape, and the Line color to the edge of the shape. A line drawing object uses the Line color. You can set the Fill to be a solid, gradient, texture or picture, and the Line can be a solid or pattern. If you want to make multiple changes to a shape at the same time, the Format AutoShape or Shape Format dialog box allows you to do everything in one place. If the solid color appears too dark, you can make the color fill more transparent. If you no longer want to apply a shape fill to an object, you can remove it.
Select the shape you want to modify.
Click the Formatting Palette tab on the Toolbox.
Click the Colors, Weights, and Fills panel to expand it.
For the Fill or Line color, drag the Transparency slider or enter a number from 0 (fully opaque) to 100 (fully transparent).
All your changes are instantly applied to the shape.
Select the shape you want to modify.
Click the Formatting Palette tab on the Toolbox.
Click the Colors, Weights, and Fills panel to expand it.
Click the Line Color button.
Select the line color option you want.
To format a line, click the Style or Dashed button, select a line style, and then specify the Weight you want for the line.
To remove a color fill, click the Line Color button, and then click No Line.
Applying a shape fill to a drawing object can add emphasis or create a point of interest in your document. You can insert a picture or texture into a shape. You can insert a picture from a file, or paste one in from the Clipboard. Stretch a picture or texture to fit across the selected shape or repeatedly tile it horizontally and vertically to fill the shape. If the image appears too dark, you can make the picture more transparent. You can also set an option to have the picture or texture rotate with the shape.
Select the shape you want to modify.
Click the Formatting Palette tab on the Toolbox.
Click the Colors, Weights, and Fills panel to expand it.
Click the Fill Color button, and then click Fill Effects.
Select the fill color option you want.
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Click the Picture tab, click Choose a Picture, locate and select a picture file you want, and then click Insert.
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Click the Texture tab, and then select a texture.
Drag the Transparency slider or enter a number from 0 (fully opaque) to 100 (fully transparent).
To have the picture or texture rotate with the shape, either select the Rotate picture with shape check box, or select the Rotate texture with shape check box.
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For picture, select the Tile check box to tile the picture in the shape or clear it to stretch the picture in the shape.
Click OK.
Gradients are made up of two or more colors that gradually fade into each other. They can be used to give depth to a shape or create realistic shadows. Apply a gradient fill to a shape by using a gallery or presets for quick results, or by using the Format Shape dialog box for custom results. A gradient is made up of several gradient stops, which are used to create non-linear gradients. If you want to create a gradient that starts blue and goes to green, add two gradient stops, one for each color. Gradient stops consist of a position, a color, and a transparency percentage.
Select the shape you want to modify.
Click the Formatting Palette tab on the Toolbox.
Click the Colors, Weights, and Fills panel to expand it.
Click the Fill Color button, and then click Fill Effects.
Click the Gradient tab.
Click the Style drop-down, and then select a gradient style: linear (parallel bands), radial (radiate from center), rectangle (radiate from corners), and path (radiate along path).
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If available, click the Direction drop-down, and then select a gradient direction.
To add another color to the gradient, click the Color drop-down, and then select a gradient color.
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Click Add Color or Delete Color to add or delete the selected color.
Drag the triangle slider to adjust the gradient.
Drag the Transparency slider or enter a number from 0 (fully opaque) to 100 (fully transparent).
Click OK.
In addition to using grids and guides to align objects to a specific point, you can align a group of objects to each other. The Align and Distribute commands make it easy to align two or more objects relative to each other or to the page. To evenly align several objects to each other across the document, either horizontally or vertically, select them and then choose a distribution option. Before you select an align command, specify how you want Office to align the objects. You can align the objects in relation to the document or to the selected objects.
Select the objects you want to distribute.
Click the Formatting Palette tab on the Toolbox.
Click the Size, Rotation, and Ordering panel to expand it.
Click the Distribute button.
On the Distribute menu, click the alignment method you want.
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Click Align to Page (Word) or Align to Slide (PowerPoint) to check the item if you want the objects to align relative to the page or slide. Click the command to uncheck the item if you want the objects to align related to each other.
On the Distribute submenu, click the distribution command you want.
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Click Distribute Horizontally to evenly distribute the objects horizontally.
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Click Distribute Vertically to evenly distribute the objects vertically.
Select the objects you want to align.
Click the Formatting Palette tab on the Toolbox.
Click the Size, Rotation, and Ordering panel expand it.
Click the Align button.
On the Align menu, click the alignment method you want.
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Click Align to Page (Word) or Align to Slide (PowerPoint) to check the item if you want the objects to align relative to the page or slide. Click the command to uncheck the item if you want the objects to align related to each other.
On the Align menu, click the alignment command you want.
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Click Align Left to line up the objects with the left edge of the selection or document.
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Click Align Center to line up the objects with the center of the selection or document.
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Click Align Right to line up the objects with the right edge of the selection or document.
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Click Align Top to line up the objects with the top edge of the selection or document.
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Click Align Middle to line up the objects vertically with the middle of the selection or document.
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Click Align Bottom to line up the objects with the bottom of the selection or document.
PowerPoint guides can align an individual object or a group of objects to a vertical or horizontal guide. Using guides makes it easier to create, modify, and align a shape. You can use dynamic or static guides. Dynamic guides (New!) appear as you need them when you drag an object, while static guides appear when you enable them. You can select from a variety of options, such as snapping objects to the grid or to other objects and displaying drawing guides on-screen. To align several objects to a guide, you first turn the guides on. Then you adjust the guides and drag the objects to align them to the guide.
In PowerPoint, click the View menu, and then point to Guides.
On the menu, click the guide command you want.
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Dynamic Guides. A check mark indicates the guide is turned on; no check mark indicates the guide is turned off.
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Static Guides. A check mark indicates the guide is turned on; no check mark indicates the guide is turned off.
On the menu, click the snap to method you want.
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Snap to Grid. Snaps an object to an invisible grid on the slide.
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Snap to Shape. Snaps an object to another shape.
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To move a guide, drag it.
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To add a new guide, press and hold the Option key, and then drag the line to the new location. You can place a guide anywhere on the slide.
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To remove a guide, drag the guide off the slide. You cannot remove the original guides, they must be turned off.
Multiple objects on a document appear in a stacking order, like layers of transparencies. Stacking is the placement of objects one on top of another. In other words, the first object that you draw is on the bottom and the last object that you draw is on top. You can change the order of this stack of objects by using Bring to Front, Send to Back, Bring Forward, and Send Backward commands on the Arrange button on the Size, Rotation, and Ordering panel.
Select the objects you want to arrange.
Click the Formatting Palette tab on the Toolbox.
Click the Size, Rotation, and Ordering panel expand it.
Click the Arrange button.
On the Arrange menu, click the stacking method you want.
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Bring to Front. Moves a drawing to the top of the stack.
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Bring to Back. Moves a drawing to the bottom of the stack.
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Send Forward. Moves a drawing up one location in the stack.
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Send Backward. Moves a drawing down one location in the stack.
After you create an object, you can change its orientation on the document by rotating or flipping it. Rotating turns an object 90 degrees to the right or left; flipping turns an object 180 degrees horizontally or vertically. For a more freeform rotation, which you cannot achieve in 90 or 180 degree increments, drag the green rotate lever at the top of an object. You can also rotate and flip any type of picture–including bitmaps–in a document. This is useful when you want to change the orientation of an image, such as changing the direction of an arrow.
Select the object you want to rotate or flip.
Click the Formatting Palette tab on the Toolbox.
Click the Size, Rotation, and Ordering panel expand it.
Click the Rotation button, and then click the option you want.
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Rotate. Click Rotate Right or Rotate Left.
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Flip. Click Flip Vertical or Flip Horizontal.
Objects can be grouped, ungrouped, and regrouped to make editing and moving them easier. Rather than moving several objects one at a time, you can group the objects and move them all together. Grouped objects appear as one object, but each object in the group maintains its individual attributes. You can change an individual object within a group without ungrouping. This is useful when you need to make only a small change to a group, such as changing the color of a single shape in the group. You can also format specific shapes, drawings, or pictures within a group without ungrouping. Simply select the object within the group, change the object or edit text within the object, and then deselect the object. However, if you need to move an object in a group, you need to first ungroup the objects, move it, and then group the objects together again. After you ungroup a set of objects, Office remembers each object in the group and regroups those objects in one step when you use the Regroup command. Before you regroup a set of objects, make sure that at least one of the grouped objects is selected.
Select the shapes you want to group together.
Click the Formatting Palette tab on the Toolbox.
Click the Size, Rotation, and Ordering panel to expand it.
Click the Grouping button, and then click Group.
Did You Know?
You can use the Tab key to select objects in order. Move between the drawing objects on your document (even those hidden behind other objects) by pressing the Tab key.
You can use the shortcut menu to select Group related commands. Control-click the objects you want to group, point to Grouping, and then make your selections.
You can no longer ungroup tables. Due to the increased table size and theme functionality, tables can no longer be ungrouped.
If you want to add text outside one of the standard places, such as a paragraph, cell, or placeholder, you can create a text box. A text box is an object container for text. After you create a text box, you can edit the size, shape, color, and other aspects of a text box, just as you can with a graphic. You can also format the text, just as you can with other text.
Click the Insert menu, and then click Text Box.
Click and drag to draw a text box.
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To add text that wraps, drag to create a box, and then start typing. Hold down Shift as you draw to create a square text box.
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To add text that doesn’t wrap, click and then start typing.
Type or paste text into the box.
To change formatting in the text box, select the text box, and then do any of the following:
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Format Text dialog box. Click the Format menu, click Text Box, or double-click one of the text box’s sides, set the options you want, and then click OK.
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Colors, Weights, and Fills panel. Click the Formatting Palette tab, expand the Colors, Weights, and Fills panel, and then select the options you want.
To delete a text box, select it, and then press Delete.
Click outside the selection box to deselect the text box.
