Using the Drawing Toolbar to Create Objects

You can use the Drawing toolbar to add visual objects such as rectangles, ovals, AutoShapes, WordArt, and clip art to your presentation. You can also use the Drawing toolbar to apply shading, 3D, color , and other effects to existing objects.

To open this toolbar, choose View, Toolbars, Drawing. Table 14.1 lists all the buttons on this toolbar.

Table 14.1. Drawing Toolbar Buttons

Button	Name	Description
	Draw	Displays a menu with a variety of drawing options such as placement and formatting
	Select Objects	Activates a pointer that lets you select drawing objects
	AutoShapes	Displays a menu of AutoShape types from which to choose
	Line	Lets you draw a line
	Arrow	Lets you draw an arrow
	Rectangle	Lets you draw a rectangle
	Oval	Lets you draw an oval
	Text Box	Lets you place a text box on your slide
	Insert WordArt	Opens the WordArt Gallery
	Insert Diagram or Organization Chart	Opens the Diagram Gallery from which you can insert a diagram or organization chart
	Insert Clip Art	Opens the Insert Clip Art task pane
	Insert Picture	Opens the Insert Picture dialog box from which you can add a picture, such as a GIF or JPEG, to your slide
	Fill Color	Opens the Fill Color palette from which you can choose a fill color or pattern
	Line Color	Opens the Line Color palette from which you can choose a line color or pattern
	Font Color	Opens the Font Color palette from which you can choose a font color
	Line Style	Lets you apply several different line styles to a selected line
	Dash Style	Lets you apply several different dash styles to a selected line
	Arrow Style	Lets you apply several different arrow styles to a selected arrow
	Shadow Style	Opens the Shadow palette from which you can choose a shadow to apply to a selected object
	3D Style	Opens the 3D palette from which you can choose a 3D effect to apply to a selected object

Adding Lines and Arrows

You can add lines and arrows to your presentation to draw attention to something, show how things are connected, or show how one thing leads to another. For example, you might want to add a line beneath a word or phrase to draw attention to it. You might also use an arrow to point to text or an object of special importance. You can also draw simple graphics with the line, rectangle, and oval tools.

NOTE

PowerPoint's drawing tools won't work well or easily when you need more complex graphics. Use a drawing tool better suited to the job, such as Microsoft Visio or Jasc Paint Shop Pro, to create the graphic. Then insert the graphic into PowerPoint.

NOTE

If you use the drawing tools to emphasize text, remember that the drawing objects don't move even when you add or remove text. You have to move each drawing object manually.

Creating a Line

To draw a line on your presentation, click the Line button on the Drawing toolbar. The mouse pointer becomes a plus sign. Click (and hold down) where you want the line to begin and drag to where you want the line to end.

If the line looks crooked or is the wrong length, you can adjust it. First, select the line. Then hover your mouse over one of the circles that appear at the end of the line. The mouse pointer becomes a line with an arrow head at both ends. Click and drag the circle to lengthen the line or adjust its angle.

If the line isn't in the right place, you can move it. First, select the line. Then hover your mouse over the line. The mouse pointer becomes a cross with arrow heads at all four ends. Click and drag the line to move it.

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Press the Shift key as you drag the mouse to create straight horizontal or vertical lines. This lets you draw lines at angles evenly divisible by 15 (0, 15, 30, 45, and so forth), which makes it much easier to create a straight line. Press the Ctrl key as you drag the mouse to draw a line from a center point, lengthening the line in both directions as you drag.

To change the line's style, select the line and click the Line Style button. The Line Style palette appears, as shown in Figure 14.1.

Figure 14.1. Create thick or thin, single, double, or triple lines in your presentation.

You can choose from several single and double lines and one triple line from 1/4 point to 6 points wide. For additional options, select More Lines, which opens the Format AutoShape dialog box where you can set additional line options. You can also open this dialog box by right-clicking on the line and choosing Format AutoShape.

You can change your line to a dashed line by clicking the Dash Style button and choosing a dash style.

You can also use the Line Style palette to format lines associated with other objects such as arrows, rectangles, ovals, and AutoShapes.

Creating an Arrow

To draw an arrow on your presentation, click the Arrow button. The mouse pointer becomes a plus sign. Click (and hold down) where you want the line to begin and drag to where you want the line to end. You can adjust and move the arrow in the same way you adjust and move a line.

To choose an arrow style, select the arrow and click the Arrow Style button on the Drawing toolbar. The Arrow Style palette appears, as shown in Figure 14.2.

Figure 14.2. You can choose to place arrows at either or both ends and select from several different arrow styles.

For more arrow options, choose More Arrows, which opens the Format AutoShape dialog box.

Figure 14.3 shows several lines and arrows you can create in PowerPoint.

Figure 14.3. You can create many styles of lines and arrows.

Adding Rectangles and Ovals

You can draw rectangular and oval shapes directly on your presentation. Using shapes lets you emphasize important information (contained in your shape) or group information or illustrate other ideas or concepts.

To draw a rectangle, click the Rectangle button on the Drawing toolbar. The mouse pointer becomes a plus sign. Click where you want the rectangle to appear, and drag to draw the rectangle.

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To draw a square, press the Shift key while you draw the shape.

To draw an oval, click the Oval button on the Drawing toolbar. The mouse pointer becomes a plus sign. Click where you want the oval to appear, and drag to draw the oval.

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To draw a perfect circle, press the Shift key while you draw the shape.

Figure 14.4 shows how you can use rectangles and ovals in a slide.

Figure 14.4. Rectangles and ovals can illustrate a process, group like items, and more.

You can then reshape and resize these images or apply other formatting to them.

You can add text to a rectangular or oval shape. If you only want to add a word or two, select the object and type in the text you want to enter. Or click the Text Box button on the Drawing toolbar and create a text box inside the original object. Be sure, however, that the text box fits into the object without overlapping its borders.

Adding Text Boxes

Use a text box when you need to add text to a slide outside its original text placeholders or when you need to frame special text. To create a text box, click the Text Box button on the Drawing toolbar, click where you want to place the text box on the slide, and start typing. Figure 14.5 shows a text box.

Figure 14.5. A text box calls attention to something you want to say and lets you place the text exactly where you want it.

You format text in a text box as you would any other text, including formatting the font, font size, color, and style.

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Some people prefer using text boxes over text placeholders for entering text into their slides. Text boxes give you greater control over text placement ”create as many text boxes as you need and arrange them on the slide any way you want. To use text boxes instead of text placeholders, choose a slide layout that doesn't contain any text placeholders.

Adding AutoShapes

An AutoShape is any shape you can draw in a presentation. Rectangles and ovals are AutoShapes ”so common that they get their own toolbar buttons. Other AutoShapes, such as a hexagons, triangles , and stars, are available on the AutoShape menu on the Drawing toolbar.

AutoShapes let you easily highlight, diagram, and illustrate using callouts, flowcharts, block arrows, and other special objects.

To insert an AutoShape, click the AutoShapes button on the Drawing toolbar and choose the type of AutoShape you want from the menu. Options include the following:

• Lines ” Includes straight lines and arrows, as well as special line forms such as curves, scribbles, and freeform.

• Connectors ” Draws lines between objects, but when you move an object, the connector stays attached and moves with it. You can choose from three different kinds of connectors to connect objects ”straight, elbow , and curved .

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  To force a connection between two objects to be the shortest distance, reroute the connector. To do this, click the Draw button on the Drawing toolbar and choose Reroute Connectors.

  
  

• Basic Shapes ” Includes common shapes such as

  • Polygons such as a hexagon, a triangle, a parallelogram, and so on

  • 3D shapes such as a box and a cylinder

  • Fun shapes such as a crescent moon, a smiley face, and a lighting bolt

  • Grouping and connecting shapes such as brackets and braces

• Block Arrows ” Offers large block arrows, curved and bent arrows, and callouts with arrows.

• Flowchart ” Offers flowchart images such as process, decision, document, input, and terminator.

• Stars and Banners ” Offers waves, scrolls , ribbons , explosions, and pointed stars.

• Callouts ” Includes several kinds of callouts. A callout is a line with a text box connected to one end. You put the line's free end on something you want to highlight, place the text box to the side, and type descriptive text in it.

• Action Buttons ” Includes several action buttons. Action buttons make your presentation interactive, performing actions such as navigating among slides, running programs, and playing sounds.

To place an AutoShape on a slide, click AutoShapes on the Drawing toolbar. Then click the menu for the kind of AutoShape you want (Lines, Basic Shapes, and so on), and click the AutoShape from the palette that appears. Click on your slide where you want the AutoShape to appear, and drag until the AutoShape is the right size. You can then format the AutoShape as you would any other object. Figure 14.6 shows some sample AutoShapes.

Figure 14.6. You can illustrate, highlight, and diagram with AutoShapes.

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Choose More AutoShapes from the AutoShapes menu to open the Insert Clip Art task pane, which offers even more AutoShapes.