How to Draw, Add and Edit Shapes in Microsoft Word

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How to Add a Shape in Microsoft Word

To insert a shape in Word, you can choose between two options. The first option would be to insert in-built/default shapes, while the second would be to draw a shape. These two options have their respective advantages, which are explained below:

Insert an In-Built/ Default Shape in Word

Microsoft Wordhas an Insert Shape feature on the Ribbon, which houses some commonly known shapes. If your document requires a standard shape such as a square or circle, using the Insert Shape feature saves you time. Here’s how to insert a standard shape in your Word document.

Step 1:Launch Microsoft Word.

Step 2:Open the needed document.

Step 3:On the Word Ribbon, click theInserttab.

Step 4:Click theShapesoption in theIllustrationsgroup.

Step 5:From the Shapes drop-down, select the shape you would like to add from any of these sections:

Step 6:Place the+icon on the Word canvas and drag your mouse to get the desired size of your selected shape.

Draw a Shape in Word

You can draw a shape if it isn’t among theInsert Shapeoptions in the Word Ribbon. You can create a unique shape with theFreeform Shape,Freeform Scribble, andConnectortools in Word. Here’s how to do that.

You can use Freeform tools for shapes with a hand-drawn appearance or both straight and curved segments. Here’s how to do that:

Step 1:Open Microsoft Word.

Step 2:Open the needed document.

Step 3:On the Word Ribbon, click theInserttab.

Step 4:Click theShapesoption in theIllustrationsgroup.

Step 5:In the Lines section, click either of these options:

Step 6:Place the+icon on the Word canvas and drag your mouse to draw your desired shape.

Step 7:To draw a curved segment, keep holding down your mouse as you draw till you get your desired shape. To draw a straight segment, click one location, move your pointer to a different location, and then click again.

Step 8:After drawing your shape, click the starting point of the drawing to close the shape.

In Word, the connector is a line with connection points at each end. You can connect these different connection points to create a shape or attach it to other shapes to create a new shape. Here’s how to do so:

Step 1:Launch the Microsoft Word app.

Step 2:Open the needed document.

Step 3:On the Word Ribbon, click theInserttab.

Step 4:Click theShapesoption in theIllustrationsgroup.

Step 5:In the Lines section, click either of these options:

Step 6:Place the+icon on the Word canvas and drag your mouse to create the connector’s initial shape.

Step 7:RepeatStep 5to join new connectors to the original connector until you get your desired shape.

How to Edit a Shape in Microsoft Word

After inserting or drawing your shape in Microsoft Word, you may want to change it. You may want to change from a square to a rectangle or a right-angled triangle to an equilateral one. Here’s how you can edit the shapes:

Change a Shape to Another Shape

To change one shape to another, here’s how you can do so:

Step 1:Click the original shape in the Word document to view theShape Formattab on the Word Ribbon.

Step 2:In the Shape Format tab, click theEdit Shapeoption.

Step 3:ClickChange Shape.

Step 4:Select your preferred shape from the following:

Your old shape will be replaced with your new selection.

Edit Points in a Shape

If you would like to maintain the default appearance of a standard shape but slightly edit its form, you can do so by editing points of the shape. Here’s how to do so:

Step 1:Click the original shape in the Word document to view theShape Formattab on the Word Ribbon.

Step 2:In the Shape Format tab, click theEdit Shapeoption.

Step 3:ClickEdit Points. This will show the major points of the shape.

Step 4:Click and drag any of the points on the shape to change its form.

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Last updated on 04 July, 2024

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