Add shapes - Microsoft Support (2024)

To follow these steps, you need to open or create a report. To do that, on the Report tab, click Recent to open an existing report, or click More Reports to select a report from the list in the Reports dialog box or create a new report.

1. In the open report, on the Design tab, click Shapes.

   

2. Click the shape you want, click anywhere in the workspace, and then drag to place the shape.

   

   To create a perfect square or circle (or constrain the dimensions of other shapes), press and hold Shift while you drag.

Insert a shapeor select an existing shape, and then enter text.

1. Right-click the shape and selectAdd Text or Edit Text, or just start typing.

   Note:The text that you add becomes part of the shape — if you rotate or flip the shape, the text rotates or flips also.

2. To format and align your text, click the Home tab, and then choose options from the Font, Paragraph, or Alignment groups, depending on the program you're using and what kind of formatting you want to apply. (Text formatting options are limited in Project.)

Note:These commands aren't available in Project.

1. Select the shape to change.

   8226; To change multiple shapes, press Ctrl while you select the shapes to change.

2. On the ShapeFormator Formattab, select Edit Shape.

3. Select Change Shapeand choose a new shape from the gallery.

If you need to add the same shape repeatedly, you can do so quickly by using Lock Drawing Mode.

Note:Instead of adding individual shapes to create a drawing, you might want to Choose a SmartArt graphic. In a SmartArt graphic, the arrangement of the shapes and the font size in those shapes is updated automatically as you add or remove shapes and edit your text.

1. On the Insert tab, select Shapes.

2. Right-click the shape to add, and then selectLock Drawing Mode.

   

3. Click anywhere in the workspace, and then drag to draw the shape.

4. Repeat step 3 to add the shape as many times as you like.

   Tip:To create a perfect square or circle (or constrain the dimensions of other shapes), press and hold Shift while you drag.

5. After you add all the shapes you want, press Esc to turn off Lock Drawing Mode.

Note:This feature isn't available in Project.

1. Select the text in the shape that you want to add bullets or numbering to.

2. Select the Home tab on the ribbon, and in the Paragraph group, select Bullets or Numbering.

   

   You can find different bullet styles and numbering formats by clicking the down arrow next to Bullets or Numbering.

Quick Styles let you apply a style to your shape with one click. You'll find the styles in the Quick Style gallery. When you hover over a Quick Style thumbnail, you can see how the style affects your shape.

1. Click the shape you want to change.

2. Select the ShapeFormator Formattab, and in the Shape Styles group, select the Quick Style you want to use.

   

   To see more Quick Styles, select

   

   Quick Styles or

   

   More.

   

To learn how to change fill color, border color, or text color, see Change the colors in a text box or shape.

1. Right-click the shape and click Add Text or Edit Text, or just click inside the shape and start typing .

   Note:The text that you add becomes part of the shape — if you rotate or flip the shape, the text rotates or flips also.

2. To format and align your text, click the Home tab, and then choose the available formatting options. For example, you can change font color, styles, sizes, change alignment or indentation, change the text orientation, to name a few.

1. Click the shape you want to change.

   To change multiple shapes, press while you click the shapes you want to change.

2. On the Shape Format tab, click , point to Change Shape, and click the new that you want.

1. Select the shape you want to copy.

2. Press the option key and drag the shape anywhere you want. Release the mouse, and a copy of the shape is created. You can drag and release the shape as many times as necessary.

1. Select the text in the shape that you want to add bullets or numbering to.

2. On the Home tab, click the arrow next to Bullets or Numbering.

   

3. Press Enter every time you want a new bullet or number, or press Enter twice to end the list.

1. Click the shape you want to change.

2. Select the Shape Format tab, and in the style gallery, choose the style you want.

   

   To see more styles, select below the style gallery.

1. Click the shape you want to change.

2. Click the Shape Format tab, and select Shape Fill.

3. Do one of the following:

   1. To use a different fill color, under Theme Colors or Standard Colors, select the color that you want to use.

   2. To remove the color from the selected chart element, selectNo Fill.

   3. To use a fill color that is not available under Theme Colors or Standard Colors, click More Fill Colors. In the Colors dialog box, use the available options to pick a color, and then selectOK.

   4. To fill the shape with a picture, selectPicture. In the Insert Picture dialog box, choose the picture that you want to use, and then selectInsert.

   5. To use a gradient effect for the selected fill color, selectGradient, and then choose the gradient style that you want to use.

      For additional gradient styles, selectMore Gradients, and then in the Format Chart Area pane, under Fill, choose the gradient options that you want to use.

   6. To use a texture fill, selectTexture, and then choosethe texture that you want to use.

1. Select your shape, and then choose the Shape Format tab.

2. In the Shape Styles group, selectShape Effects, point to an effect category, and choose the effect that you want.

   

1. On the Shape Format tab, select Format Pane.

2. In the Format Shape pane, select the Fill & Line tab, and then choose either Fill or Line.

3. Drag the Transparency slider to achieve the effect you want.

   

1. On the Insert tab, select Shapes.

   

2. Select the shape you want from the drop-down gallery.

   A default-sized shape is immediately inserted in the middle of the visible page.

3. Select a sizing handle on the perimeter of the shape and drag inward or outward to change the size of the shape.

   To create a perfect square or circle (or constrain the dimensions of other shapes), press and hold Shift while you drag.

4. To move the shape, point the mouse at it until the pointer turns into a four-headed arrow. Then click and drag to move the shape where you want it.

   When a shape is selected in your document, a Shape tab appears on the toolbar ribbon. It has buttons for things you can do with the shape such as adding a fill color or outline, or choosing a predefined shape style.

   Note:If you have the Simplified Ribbon turned off, the tab name in step #4 is Format. For more information on the Simplified Ribbon see The new look of Microsoft 365.

Insert a shape, or select an existing shape, and then enter text, as follows:

1. Right-click the shape and select Edit Text.

   A blinking cursor appears in the center of the shape.

2. Type the text you want to add to the shape.

3. To format and align your text, select the Home tab, and then choose options from the Font, Paragraph, or Alignment groups.

   

Quick styles let you apply a style to your shape with one click. You'll find the styles in the Shape gallery.

1. Select the shape you want to change.

2. On the Shape tab, open the Shape Styles gallery and select the quick style you want to use.

   

   Select the down arrow on the end of the gallery to open it and see the complete list of options:

   

   You can pause the mouse pointer over an option in the gallery to see a short description of it.

1. Select the shape you want to change.

2. On the Shape tab, select the down arrow next to Fill to open the gallery of fill colors.

3. Select a color.

4. To make the shape transparent, select No Fill at the bottom of the color gallery.

1. Select the shape you want to change.

2. On the Shape tab, select the down arrow next to Outline to open the gallery of outline colors.

3. Select a color.

4. At the bottom of the gallery there are also options for the thickness (Weight) of the outline, and whether the outline is solid, dotted, or a dashed line. Point at Weight or Dashes to see a pop-out list of options.