Microsoft Office XP
Drawing in Office XP
Adding visual components to your projects can enhance or emphasize your message. Office provides tools that allow you to draw objects. You can draw your own or select from a number of ready-made shapes that can then be colored and sized as preferred. You can also add text to the shapes you draw.
This document covers the following:
Drawing Objects
Office allows you to create simple shapes and objects with its built-in drawing tools. Once you have drawn an object, you can format the object in several ways.
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From the Drawing toolbar, click the tool for the object you want to draw
If the Drawing toolbar is not visible, from the View menu, select Toolbars » Drawing -
Position your pointer where you want the object to start
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Click and drag the pointer to where you want object to end
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Release the mouse button
The shape appears.
Working with AutoShapes
Office comes with a set of ready-made shapes you can use in your documents. The shapes can be resized, rotated, flipped, colored, and combined with other shapes, such as circles and squares, to make more complex shapes. The AUTOSHAPES button on the Drawing toolbar contains several categories of shapes, including lines, basic shapes, block arrows, flowchart elements, stars and banners, and callouts.
Working with AutoShapes: Drawing an AutoShape
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Open the project that you would like to add the AutoShape to
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On the Drawing toolbar, click AUTOSHAPES
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From the submenu that appears, select the shape category you want
A palette of shapes appears. -
Click the shape you want
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Position your pointer where you want the shape to start
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Click and drag the pointer where you want the shape to end
An outline indicating the size of your shape appears. -
Release the mouse button
The AutoShape appears in your document.
Working with AutoShapes: Drawing a Custom AutoShape
By using the three freehand drawing tools - Curve, Freeform, and Scribble - you can create your own shape. Curve lets you draw shapes that have curves. Freeform lets you draw shapes that have both straight lines and curves. Scribble lets you draw shapes with fine detail.
| Curve | Freeform | Scribble |
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To access custom shapes:
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From the Drawing toolbar, click Autoshapes
A submenu appears. -
Select Lines
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Select the drawing tool you want to use
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If you select Curve, click and release the mouse button to begin your shape. As you draw, click the mouse button to anchor a curve. To finish your drawing, double click.
If you select Freeform, click and release the mouse button to begin your shape. As you draw, click the mouse button to anchor the endpoints of straight lines or click and drag the mouse to draw curves - you can do both in one drawing. To finish your drawing, double click.
If you select Scribble, click and drag the mouse to draw your shape. To finish your drawing, release the mouse button.
To edit the custom shape:
You can use the same process to modify (i.e., change the appearance) and manipulate (i.e., change the position) your drawing as you do with AutoShapes. However, Office features an additional method, called Edit Points, to fine-tune the look of custom shapes. These allow you to reshape small segments of your drawing.
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Select your custom shape
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From the Drawing toolbar, click DRAW
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From the Draw submenu, select Edit Points
Black dots, Edit Points, will appear at various places in your shape. -
Click and drag an Edit Point to make the desired changes
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When you are finished editing your object, to turn off Edit Points, click anywhere on the page
Formatting AutoShapes
Once you have created an object in your document, you can change its appearance by moving, adjusting the size, and changing the color of the object. When selected, an object has "handles" that can be used to stretch the object taller or shorter, wider or thinner, or proportionally larger or smaller. You can also manipulate your objects several other ways, such as coloring them, shading them, and adjusting them to fit text inside.
Formatting AutoShapes: Moving
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Select the object
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Click and drag the object to the desired position
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Release the mouse button
Formatting AutoShapes: Adjusting the Size
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Select the object
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Click and drag a handle until the shape is the size you want
HINT: To maintain the shape's width-to-height ratio, hold down [Shift] while you drag a corner handle. -
Once your shape has reached the desired size, release the mouse button
Formatting AutoShapes: Changing the Color
You can change the color of objects on your documents using the FILL COLOR button on the Drawing toolbar.
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Select the object you want to recolor
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On the Drawing toolbar, click the arrow next to the FILL COLOR button
A submenu appears. -
Select a color for your object
HINTS:
For additional color options, select More Fill Colors...
OR
To select patterns, textures, shading styles, and other options, select Fill Effects...
OR
If you do not want color in your object, select No Fill
Working with Text in Objects
You can add text to objects. This eliminates the need to create a text box within an object
Working with Text in Objects: Adding Text
NOTE: You cannot add text to shapes from the Lines or Connectors categories in the AutoShapes menu
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Right click the shape » select Add Text
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Type the text
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OPTIONAL: To format the font and size of the text, use the Formatting toolbar
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OPTIONAL: To format the color of the text, use the Drawing toolbar
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When you are done entering and formatting the text, click anywhere outside of the object
Working with Text in Objects: Editing Text
You can always go back and edit text in an existing object.
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Select the object that contains the text you want to edit
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Select the text
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Make the desired changes
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When finished, to deselect the text, click outside the object
