One of the best ways to add more interest to your documents is to add shapes.
Word gives you lots of different shapes to choose from, and they can be customized to
suit your needs, using your own color palette, preferences, and more.
To get started, go to the Insert tab... click the Shapes command... then take a look at
the menu and see if there's anything you like.
In this example, we're going to start with the ribbon shape here.
Now, to draw your shape, click, hold & drag your mouse roughly where you it to go.
The shape will appear with your current default color scheme.
We're going to talk about how to change that in a minute.
Right now, I'd like to add one more shape before we move on.
The great thing about shapes is the fact that they can be combined and customized to create
your own unique graphics.
Mastering this element can take time, but with a little practice—and a little creativity—you
can create almost anything.
When you're working with multiple shapes, you may reach a point where you want to change
the order so the correct shape is in front.
This comes up a lot in Word, so it's a good technique to know.
Just right-click one of your shapes... then go down to Bring to Front and Send to Back.
You may need to experiment with these options to make sure your shapes are arranged the
way you want.
In this example, I've selected the heart, and I want to move it behind the ribbon.
So I'm going to choose Send Backwards... and that'll do it.
Now we can make some adjustments to our shapes.
The first thing I'm going to do is make the ribbon a little smaller using the sizing handles
here.
These can be found on the sides and the corners of any shape or object in Word.
Every shape also has a rotation handle that you can drag in any direction.
See how it changes the position?
If your shape has any yellow handles (like the ones you see here), you can use those
to make other adjustments.
In this case, they change the proportions of the ribbon, but it just depends—some
shapes don't have this option at all.
Next, let's take a look at the Format tab, which appears any time you have a shape selected.
From here, you can change the fill color, outline, and basically anything related to
the shape's appearance.
The quickest way to change the look of your shape is to use one of the pre-defined shape
styles.
These options depend on the colors and shape effects that are part of your current theme.
Just mouse over each one for a preview, and see if there's anything you like.
You can also use the commands on right to choose your own formatting options.
In this example, I'm going change the outline color... and then apply a shadow using the
Shape Effects command.
You can even change the shape itself if you want to try something different.
This option is good if you've already applied some formatting, and you don't want to lose
it by starting over from scratch.
Just click the Edit Shape command on the far left of the Format tab.
Then you can choose a new shape from the menu.
I'm going to go with a slightly different ribbon.
I've gone ahead and finished tweaking the size, color, and placement of my shapes.
Now I'd like to add a bevel effect to the heart, and show you a couple different ways
to use 3-D formatting.
To get started, select the shape you want to format.
Then click the Shape Effects command... and look to the two options at the bottom of the
menu.
Bevel adds thickness and a sculpted edge to the shape, while 3-D Rotation makes it look
like you're viewing the object from a different angle.
3-D Rotation works best when the shape has some depth.
So we're going to apply a bevel first... which gives the heart a subtle three-dimensional
effect.
Let's go back to 3-D Rotation... and mouse over some of the options for a preview.
Now we can really see the effect of the bevel.
Notice how the edges catch the light, and the shape looks truly three-dimensional?
I'm looking for something fairly subtle, so I'm going to choose an option from the middle
section of the menu.
How about this one?
There, that looks perfect.
Now it's time for the finishing touch—adding some text to the ribbon.
To add text to a shape, all you have to do is select the one you want... then start typing.
This instantly turns the shape into a text box.
You can even format the text using the options on the Home tab.
Here it is with a different font.
There are lots of things you can do with shapes in Word—this graphic is just one example.
So give it a try, and see what you can come up with.
You can use just one shape at a time, or you can try combining them to create something
new.