Changing the length and position of a line or arrow

To change anything about a line or arrow, start by clicking to select it. You can tell when a line has been selected because round selection handles appear at either end. Follow these instructions to move a line or adjust its length or angle:

• Changing the angle of a line: Drag a selection handle up, down, or sideways. You can see where your line will be when you release the mouse button.
• Changing the length: Drag a selection handle away from or toward the opposite selection handle.
• Changing the position: Move the pointer over the line itself and click when you see the four-headed arrow. Then drag the line to a new location.

Changing the appearance of a line, arrow, or connector

What a line looks like is a matter of its color, its weight (how wide it is), its dash status (it can be filled out or dashed), and its cap (its ends can be rounded, square, or flat). To change the appearance of a line, start by selecting it, going to the (Drawing Tools) Format tab, and opening the drop-down list on the Shape Outline button (this button is in the Shape Styles group). As shown in Figure 4-3, you see a drop-down list with commands for handling the appearance of lines, arrows, and connectors:

• Color: Select a color on the drop-down list (refer to Figure 4-3).
• Width: Choose Weight on the drop-down list (refer to Figure 4-3) and then choose a line width on the submenu. You can also choose More Lines on the submenu to open the Format Shape task pane and change the width there. Enter a Width setting in points to make the line heavier or thinner.
• Dotted or dashed lines: Choose Dashes on the drop-down list and then choose an option on the submenu. Again, you can choose More Lines to open the Format Shape task pane and choose from many dash types and compound lines (refer to Figure 4-3).
• Line caps: Click the Shape Styles group button to open the Format Shape task pane (refer to Figure 4-3). Then select a cap type (Square, Round, or Flat).

You can also change the appearance of a line on the (Drawing Tools) Format tab by opening the Shape Styles gallery and selecting a style.

Attaching and handling arrowheads on lines and connectors

Arrows, of course, have arrowheads, and arrowheads on lines and connectors can go on either side or both sides of a line. What’s more, arrowheads come in different sizes and shapes. To handle arrowheads on lines and connectors, select your line or connector and go to the (Drawing Tools) Format tab. Then use one of these techniques to handle the arrowheads:

• Open the drop-down list on the Shape Outline button, choose Arrows (refer to Figure 4-3), and select an arrow on the submenu.
• Click the Shape Styles group button to open the Format Shape task pane. Then choose Arrow settings to describe where you want the arrowheads to be, what you want them to look like, and what size you want them to be.

To attach an arrowhead or arrowheads to a line or connector you’ve already drawn, select the line and proceed as though you were attaching arrowheads to a line that already has an arrow.

Connecting shapes by using connectors

Under Lines, the Shapes gallery offers six different connectors. Use connectors to link shapes and text boxes to form a diagram. Connectors differ from conventional lines in an important way: After you attach one to a shape, it stays with the shape when you move the shape. You don’t have to worry about remaking all the connections after you move a shape. You can move shapes at will and let the connectors between shapes take care of themselves.

Figure 4-4 shows three types of connectors in action. (By the way, if you came here to explore how to make a diagram, be sure to check out Chapter 2 of this minibook as well. It explains Office SmartArt diagramming.)

To connect shapes in Word, the shapes must be on the drawing canvas. Book 2, Chapter 6 describes the Word drawing canvas. (On the Insert tab, click the Shapes button and choose New Drawing Canvas to create one.)

Drawing a shape

Follow these steps to draw a shape:

1. On the Insert tab, click the Shapes button to open the Shapes gallery.

   You can also insert shapes from the Shapes gallery on the (Drawing Tools) Format tab.

2. Select a shape in the gallery.

   If you’ve drawn the shape recently, you may be able to find it at the top of the gallery under Recently Used Shapes.

3. Click and drag slantwise to draw the shape, as shown at the top of Figure 4-6.

   Hold down the Shift key as you drag if you want the shape to retain its proportions. For example, to draw a circle, select the Oval shape and hold down the Shift key as you draw.

Changing a shape’s symmetry

A yellow circle, sometimes more than one, appears on some shapes. By dragging a circle, you can change a shape’s symmetry. Figure 4-6 (shown previously), for example, shows the same shape (the Sun shape) altered to show different symmetries. Notice where the yellow circles are. By dragging a yellow circle even a short distance, you can do a lot to change a shape’s symmetry.

Using a shape as a text box

Here’s a neat trick: Rather than use the conventional rectangle as a text box, you can use a shape. Figure 4-7 shows examples of shapes being used as text boxes. By placing words on shapes, you can make the shapes illustrate ideas and concepts.

Follow these instructions to handle text box shapes:

• Entering the text: Click in the shape and start typing. In Word, you can right-click and choose Add Text if you have trouble typing in the shape.
• Editing the text: Click in the text and start editing. That’s all there is to it. If you have trouble getting inside the shape to edit the text, select the shape, right-click it, and choose Edit Text on the shortcut menu.
• Changing the font, color, and size of text: Select the text, right-click the text, and choose Font. Then, in the Font dialog box, choose a font, font color, and a font size for the text.
• Allowing the shape to enlarge for text: You can allow the shape to enlarge and receive more text. On the (Drawing Tools) Format tab, click the Shape Styles group button, and in the Text Options/Text Box category of the Format Shape task pane, select the Resize Shape to Fit Text option button.

Freehand drawing with a pen or highlighter

Follow these steps to draw on a page, slide, or worksheet with a pen, pencil, or highlighter:

1. Go to the Draw tab.

2. In the Pens gallery, choose a pen, pencil, or highlighter.

   As shown in Figure 4-8, use one of these techniques:

   • Tap or click the pen or highlighter you want.
   • Tap or click the down-arrow on a pen or highlighter. From the menu that appears, choose a line thickness and line color.

3. Drag onscreen with your finger or the mouse.

   As you make your drawing, you can return to the Pens gallery and choose different drawing tools, colors, and lines types.

4. Press Esc when you finish drawing by freehand.

To add a drawing tool to the Pens gallery, tap or click the Add Pen button. Then choose Pencil, Pen, or Highlighter on the drop-down menu and select a line thickness and color. To remove a drawing tool, open its drop-down menu and choose Delete.

Changing the look of freehand drawings

Not that you necessarily want to open this can of worms, but you can edit drawings. Starting on the Draw tab, here are instructions for changing the look and appearance of drawings:

• Selecting a line: Tap or click the line. Round selection handles appear to show the line is selected.
• Selecting more than one line: Hold down the Ctrl key and tap or click lines. In PowerPoint and Excel, you can also tap or click the Lasso Select button and drag slantwise across the drawing.
• Erasing a line: Tap or click the Eraser button and then tap or click the line. When you finish erasing, tap or click the Eraser button again (or press Esc). In PowerPoint, you can open the drop-down list on the Eraser button to choose erasers of different sizes.
• Changing a line’s color and thickness: Select a line and then choose a different option in the Pens gallery.
• Resizing: After you select a line, use one of these techniques to resize it:
  • Drag a corner handle to change a shape’s size and retain its symmetry.
  • Drag a side, top, or bottom handle to stretch or scrunch it.
• Moving: After you select a line, move the pointer on top of it. When you see the four-headed arrow, start dragging.
• Rotating: Select a line and drag its Rotate button.
• Deleting: Select a line and press Delete.

Drawing a math expression

The Insert tab offers the Equation Editor (click the Equation button) for writing mathematical equations, and you’re welcome to give it a spin, but much more useful than the Equation Editor is another tool on the Draw tab called Math Input Control. As shown in Figure 4-9, you can use it to construct mathematical expressions.

To write a math expression, go to the Draw tab and tap or click the Ink to Math button. The Math Input Control dialog box appears (refer to Figure 4-9). Keep your eye on the Preview area while you follow these instructions to construct your equation:

• Writing: Tap or click the Write button and drag onscreen to write your expression.
• Erasing numbers and symbols: Tap or the Erase button and drag to erase a number or symbol.
• Correcting errors: If the Ink Equation Editor enters the wrong number or symbol, tap or click the Select and Correct button and then tap or click the part of the expression that is incorrect. A drop-down menu appears. If the correct number or symbol is on the menu, select it.
• Erasing the expression: Tap or click the Clear button to wipe the slate clean and start anew.

Click the Insert button to land the equation on an Excel worksheet, Word page, or PowerPoint slide.

Creating WordArt

Follow these steps to create WordArt:

1. On the Insert tab, click the WordArt button.

   A drop-down list with WordArt styles appears.

2. Select a WordArt style.

   Don’t worry about selecting the right style; you can choose a different one later on.

3. Enter text in the WordArt text box.

   Congratulations. You just created WordArt.

Editing WordArt

Usually, you have to wrestle with WordArt before it comes out right. Select the words, go to the (Drawing Tools) Format tab, and use these techniques to win the wrestling match:

• Editing the words: Click in the WordArt text box and edit the text there.
• Choosing a new WordArt style: Open the WordArt Styles gallery and choose a style.
• Changing the letters’ color: Click the Text Fill button and choose a color on the drop-down list.
• Changing the letters’ outline: Click the Text Outline button and make choices to change the letters’ outline.

To apply color or an outline to some of the letters or words, select the letters or words before choosing options on the (Drawing Tools) Format tab.

Selecting objects so that you can manipulate them

Before you can move or change the border of a graphic, text box, or other object, you have to select it. To select an object, simply click it. Sometimes, to align or decorate several objects simultaneously, you have to select more than one object at the same time. To select more than one object:

• Ctrl+click them. In other words, hold down the Ctrl key as you click the objects.
• On the Home tab, click the Select button and choose Select Objects on the drop-down list. Then click on one side of the objects you want to select and drag the pointer across the other objects.
• Display the Selection pane. It lists objects on the drawing canvas (Word), slide (PowerPoint), or worksheet (Excel). You can click or Ctrl+click object names in the pane to select objects. Figure 4-14 shows the Selection pane. Use these techniques to open it:
  • On the (Drawing Tools) Format tab or (Picture Tools) Format tab, click the Selection Pane button.
  • On the Home tab, click the Select button and choose Selection Pane on the drop-down list. (You may have to click the Editing button first, depending on the size of your screen.)

After you select an object, its selection handles appear. Objects have eight selection handles, one at each corner and one at each side. To tell whether an object is selected, look for its selection handles.

Hiding and displaying the rulers and grid

Word, PowerPoint, and Excel offer two rulers, one along the top of the window and one along the left side. Use the rulers to help place and align objects. To display or hide these rulers, use one of these techniques:

• On the View tab, click the Ruler check box. (You may have to click the Show button first, depending on the size of your screen.) To see the rulers, you must be in Print Layout view In Word and Page Layout view in Excel.
• In PowerPoint, you can also hide or display rulers by right-clicking a slide (but not an object or frame) and choosing Ruler on the shortcut menu.

In Word and PowerPoint, the grid can come in very handy for aligning objects. On the View tab, click the Gridlines check box to see the grid. (You may have to click the Show button first.) The grid settings in PowerPoint are quite sophisticated (see Book 4, Chapter 4 for details).

By the way, fans of the metric system will be pleased to know that you can display centimeters (or millimeters, points, or picas) on the ruler instead of inches. On the File tab, choose Options. In the Options dialog box, go to the Advanced category, open the Show Measurements in Units Of drop-down list, and choose a unit of measurement.

Filling an object with color, a picture, or a texture

Shapes, text boxes, and WordArt images are empty when you first create them, but you can fill them with a color, picture, gradient, or texture by following these basic steps:

1. Select the object that needs a facelift.

2. Apply a color, picture, gradient, or texture to the object.

   Use one of these application techniques:

   • On the Format tab, click the Shape Fill button. Then, on the drop-down list, choose a color, picture, gradient, or texture.
   • Click the Shape Styles group button to open the Format task pane, as shown in Figure 4-16. Then choose a color, picture, gradient, or texture.

   Click the Shape Fill button and choose No Fill to remove the color, picture, gradient, or texture from an object.

Figure 4-16 shows the same object filled with a color, picture, gradient, and texture. Which do you prefer? Your choices are as follows:

• Color: Applies a single color to the object.
• Picture: Places a picture in the object. You see the Insert Picture dialog box. Choose a picture and click the Insert button.
• Gradient (Word and PowerPoint only): Applies gradient color shading to the object. You can choose between various shading styles.
• Texture: Offers 24 patterns meant to simulate various surfaces. The choices include Granite, Paper Bag, and Pink Tissue Paper. Be sure to use the scroll bar to see all the choices.
• Pattern: Applies a pattern to the object. Select Pattern Fill in the Format task pane and then choose a pattern.

Making a color transparent

A transparent color is like gauze because instead of being solid, it shows what’s behind it. Transparent colors are especially useful in text boxes because the text shows through and can be read easily. Follow these steps to make the fill color in a text box, shape, or WordArt image transparent or semi-transparent:

1. Right-click the object and choose Format.

   The Format task pane opens (see Figure 4-16).

2. In the Fill category, drag the Transparency slider to choose how transparent a color you want.

   At 100%, the color is completely transparent and, in fact, not there; at 1%, the color is hardly transparent at all.

You can also make a graphic transparent by recoloring it. See Chapter 3 of this minibook.

Putting the outline around an object

The outline is the line that runs around the perimeter of an object. Put an outline color around an object to give it more definition or make it stand out. Figure 4-17 shows examples of outlines. What a shape outline looks like has to do with the color, width, and dash style you choose for it.

Follow these steps to change an object’s outline:

1. Select the object.

2. Change the outline.

   Use one of these techniques to change the outline:

   • On the Format tab, click the Shape Outline button. Then, on the drop-down list, choose a color, weight, and dash type.
   • Click the Shape Styles group button to open the Format task pane (see Figure 4-17). Then, under Line, choose a color, width, and dash type.

   To remove the outline from an object, click the Shape Outline button and choose No Outline or choose No Line in the Format task pane.

Tricks for aligning and distributing objects

When several objects appear in the same place, use the Align and Distribute commands to give the objects an orderly appearance. You can make your Word page, PowerPoint slide, or Excel worksheet look tidier by aligning the objects or by distributing them so that they are equidistant from one another. Office offers special commands for doing these tasks.

Aligning objects

The Align commands come in handy when you want objects to line up with one another. Suppose you need to align several shapes. As shown in Figure 4-18, you can use an Align command to line up the shapes with precision. You don’t have to tug and pull, tug and pull until the shapes are aligned with one another. In the figure, I used the Align Top command to line up the shapes along the top. In Word and PowerPoint, besides aligning objects with respect to one another, you can align objects or with respect to the page (in Word) or the slide (in PowerPoint). For example, you can line up objects along the top of a slide.

Follow these steps to line up objects:

1. Move the objects where you roughly want them to be, and if you want to align objects with respect to one another, move one object to a point that the others will align to.

   When Office aligns objects with respect to one another, it aligns them to the object in the leftmost, centermost, rightmost, topmost, middlemost, or bottommost position, depending on which Align command you choose.

2. Select the objects you want to align.

   Earlier in this chapter, “Selecting objects so that you can manipulate them” looks at selection techniques.

3. Go to the Format tab.

   You can also go to the Layout tab in Word.

4. Click the Align button, and on the drop-down list, choose whether to align the objects with respect to one another or with respect to the page or page margin (in Word) or a slide (in PowerPoint).

   Depending on the size of your screen, you may have to click the Arrange button to get to the Align button.

5. Click the Align button again and choose an Align command — Left, Center, Right, Top, Middle, or Bottom.

6. If necessary, drag the objects on the page.

   That’s right — drag them. After you give an Align command, the objects are still selected, and you can drag to adjust their positions.

Distributing objects so that they are equidistant

The Distribute commands — Distribute Horizontally and Distribute Vertically — come in handy for laying out objects on a page or slide. These commands arrange objects so that the same amount of space appears between each one. Rather than go to the trouble of pushing and pulling objects until they are distributed evenly, you can simply select the objects and choose a Distribute command.

Figure 4-19 demonstrates how the Distribute commands work. In the figure, I chose the Distribute Horizontally command so that the same amount of horizontal (side-by-side) space appears between the objects. Distributing objects such as these on your own is a waste of time when you can use a Distribute command.

Follow these steps to distribute objects horizontally or vertically on a page or slide:

1. Arrange the objects so that the outermost objects — the ones that will go on the top and bottom or left side and right side — are where you want them to be.

   In other words, if you want to distribute objects horizontally across a page, place the leftmost object and rightmost object where you want them to be. Office will distribute the other objects equally between the leftmost and rightmost object.

2. Select the objects.

3. Go to the Format tab.

   You can also go to the Layout tab in Word.

4. Click the Align button and choose a Distribute option on the drop-down list.

   To find the Align button, you may have to click the Arrange button first, depending on the size of your screen.

When objects overlap: Choosing which appears above the other

On a page or slide that is crowded with text boxes, shapes, and graphics, objects inevitably overlap, and you have to decide which object goes on top of the stack and which on the bottom. In a Word document, you have to decide as well whether text appears above or below objects.

Objects that deliberately overlap can be interesting and attractive to look at. On the right side of Figure 4-20, for example, a graphic image and text box appear in front of a shape. Makes for a nice effect, no? These pages explain controlling how objects overlap with the Bring and Send commands and the Selection pane.

Rotating and flipping objects

Rotating and flipping objects — that is, changing their orientation — is a neat way to spruce up a page or slide, as Figure 4-21 demonstrates. You can rotate and flip these kinds of objects: lines, shapes, text boxes, graphics, and WordArt images. To flip or rotate an object, select it and do one of the following:

• Roll your own: Drag the object’s rotation handle, the semicircle that appears after you select it. Hold down the Shift key as you drag to rotate the shape by 15-degree increments.
• Choose a Rotate or Flip command: On the Format tab, click the Rotate button and choose an option on the drop-down list (refer to Figure 4-21). The Rotate commands rotate objects by 90 degrees; the Flip commands flip objects over. The Rotate button is also found on the Layout tab (in Word), the Page Layout tab (in Excel), and the Home tab (in PowerPoint). You may have to click the Arrange button to see the Rotate button, depending on the size of your screen.
• Open the Format task pane or Layout dialog box: On the Rotate drop-down list, choose More Rotation Options to open the Format task pane or Layout dialog box. Enter a degree measurement in the Rotation text box.

To rotate several objects simultaneously, Ctrl+click to select each object and then give a rotation command.

Grouping objects to make working with them easier

Consider the graphic image, shape, and text box in Figure 4-22. To move, resize, or reshape these objects, I would have to laboriously move them one at a time — that is, I would have to do that if it weren’t for the Group command.

The Group command assembles different objects into a single object to make moving, resizing, and reshaping objects easier. With the Group command, you select the objects that you want to “group” and then you wrap them into a bundle so that they become easier to work with.