Draw shapes and lines

Shapes and lines are drawn objects. You can fill them with color, outline them, and type text inside a shape.

Draw a shape

1. Click Insert > Illustrations > Shapes. (Also Home > Objects > Shapes.)
2. Pick a shape. The groups are Lines, Rectangles, Basic Shapes, Block Arrows, Equation Shapes, Flowchart, Stars and Banners, Callouts, and Action Buttons.
3. Drag on the page.

While you drag, hold Shift for an even shape: an Oval becomes a circle, and a Rectangle becomes a square. Hold Ctrl to draw from the center outward. If you click without dragging, you get a shape one inch across. After one shape, the pointer goes back to normal. Press Esc to cancel before you draw.

Draw lines and arrows

Pick Line, Arrow, or Double Arrow from the gallery's Lines group, or from Shape Format > Lines. Drag on the page. Hold Shift to keep the line level, upright, or at a 45-degree angle. To change a line later, drag the handle at either end.

Three more tools draw by hand:

• Curve: click points. The line bends smoothly through them.
• Freeform: Shape: click points for straight sides, or hold the button and drag to draw freehand.
• Freeform: Scribble: hold the button and draw one stroke.

To finish a curve or freeform, double-click or press Enter. Click the first point to close it into a filled shape.

Join objects with connectors

A line can stick to other objects. Connector: Elbow and Connector: Curved draw bent and curved ones. As you draw near a shape, text box, picture, or table, its attach points show. The end snaps to the middle of a side. When you move, resize, or turn the object, the line follows. Drag the yellow handle to move an elbow's bend. Drag a line away by itself to detach it.

Change fill, outline, and effects

Select the shape and open the Shape Format tab.

• Shape Styles: the gallery gives quick looks.
• Shape Fill: pick a color, No Fill, Picture Fill…, or Fill Effects… for a gradient, texture, or pattern.
• Shape Outline: pick a color. The arrow beside it sets weight, dashes, and arrowheads.
• Shape Effects: Shadow, Reflection, Glow, Soft Edges, Bevel, and 3-D Rotation. Shadow Options… sets the shadow's color, blur, distance, and angle. 3-D Rotation tilts the shape in perspective.

For every setting at once, click the small button at the corner of the Shape Styles group to open the Format Shape window.

Add text to a shape

Double-click the shape and type. You can also select it and press Enter, or right-click it and choose Add Text.

Reshape a shape

• Change Shape (in Insert Shapes) swaps in another shape.
• A yellow diamond handle, on shapes that have one, adjusts the shape's form. On a rounded rectangle, it sets how round the corners are.
• Edit Points lets you move the corners. White squares mark each point. Drag a point to move it. Ctrl+click a point to delete it, or Ctrl+click an edge to add one. Press Esc when you are done.

Related

• Move, align, group, and layer objects
• Add and adjust pictures
• Icons, barcodes, and other objects
• The Shape Format tab