Basic Shapes and Text

Using & Formatting Shapes

In this topic, you’ll learn how to customize your shapes. This topic explains how to change the
shape outline and fill. We’ll also cover how to add shadows, how to change the line types and
ends, and even how to modify the corners.

Changing the Outline

You can choose any color for your lines. The Shape group includes a gallery to choose one of the
following for your line color:

 Automatic – Makes the line black.

 Theme Colors – Includes a palette of colors based on the drawing’s theme.
 Standard Colors – Includes a palette of 10 standard colors.
 More Colors – Opens the Colors dialog box to choose from more colors or to enter the
values for a precise color.

You can also choose from a number of standard line widths for your lines or shape outlines.

Use the following procedure to select a color for their lines from the gallery.

1. Select the shape you want to change.

2. Select the arrow next to the Line tool on the Ribbon to display the gallery. Or select the
same tool from the context menu (appears when you right click a shape).

3. Select the color to change the line color.

Use the following procedure to open the Colors dialog box.

1. Select the shape you want to change.

2. Select the arrow next to the Line tool on the Ribbon to display the gallery. Or select the
same tool from the context menu (appears when you right click a shape).
3. Select MORE COLORS to open the Colors dialog box.

In the Standard Colors dialog box, simply click on the color and select OK to use that color.

In the Custom Colors dialog box, you can click on the color, or you can enter the red, green, and
blue values to get a precise color. When you have the color you want, select OK.
Changing the Fill
You can choose the same or a different color for the fill in your shape. The Fill dialog box allows
you to select the details for your shape fill, including various transparency levels for patterns.
The dialog allows you to preview your changes before applying them.

Use the following procedure to open the Fill dialog box.

1. Select the shape you want to change.

2. Select the arrow next to the Fill tool on the Ribbon to display the gallery. Or select the
same tool from the context menu (appears when you right click a shape).
3. Select Fill Options from the Ribbon.
Use the following procedure to add a pattern to a shape.

1. Select the shape you want to change.

2. Select the arrow next to the Fill tool on the Ribbon to display the gallery. Or select the
same tool from the context menu (appears when you right click a shape).
3. Select Fill Options from the Ribbon.
4. Select the color for the background from the Color drop down list.
5. Select the style of pattern from the Pattern drop down list.
6. Select the color of the pattern from the Pattern Color drop down list.
7. Select the Transparency for the fill color and pattern. Use the slider to select a value from
0% to 100%.
8. Select Apply to apply the fill to your shape.
9. Select OK to close the Fill dialog box.
Adding Shadows
To learn how to add a shadow to a shape and to introduce the Shadow dialog box for
customizing a shadow.

Use the following procedure to open the Shadow dialog box.

1. Select the shape you want to change.
2. Select the arrow next to the Shadow tool on the Ribbon to display the gallery.
3. Select Shadow Options from the Ribbon.
Changing Line Types and Ends
You can use a variety of line types (such as dashes) and end types (such as arrows) on your lines.

Use the following procedure to change line types.

1. Select the shape you want to change.

2. Select the arrow next to the Line tool on the Ribbon. Or select the same tool from the
context menu (appears when you right click a shape).
3. Select Dashes.
4. Select the type of line you want to use.
Use the following procedure to change the line end.

1. Select the shape you want to change.

2. Select the arrow next to the Line tool on the Ribbon. Or select the same tool from the
context menu (appears when you right click a shape).
3. Select Arrows.
4. Select the type of end you want to use.
Modifying Corners
The Line dialog box allows you to change a number of details for your shape lines, including
modifying the corners. You can select from a gallery of different corners or customize the
rounding by measurement.

Use the following procedure to apply round corners.

1. Select the shape you want to change.

2. Select the arrow next to the Line tool on the Ribbon. Or select the same tool from the
context menu (appears when you right click a shape).
3. Select Weight, Dashes or Arrows.
4. Select More Lines or More Arrows.

5. Select the type of corner that you would like to use in the Round corners area.
6. Select Apply to apply the changes to your shape.
7. Select OK to close the Line dialog box.
Grouping Shapes
1. Draw a bounding box around all shapes.

2. Home tab > Arrange group > Group button > click Group. Notice that the magenta selection
rectangles around the individual shapes have disappeared, indicating that all shapes are now
grouped.

NOTE: You can also group shapes by right-clicking on a shape within the selection rectangle
and clicking the Group menu entry.

A group is also a shape that you can apply borders or fills, add fields and text, add shape data.

The default behavior for grouped shapes is the first click selects the group; the second click
selects a shape within the group.
Formatting Text & Lines

Visio 2010 allows you to enhance your text in many ways. In this topic, we’ll discuss the
different types of formatting, as well as cover the most basic types of formatting for your text.
This includes the font face, size, and color, as well as adding effects to the text. We’ll also
discuss how to use the Format Text dialog box.

Changing Font Face and Size

You can easily change the font face to any font installed on your computer. You can use the Font
group on the Ribbon, or you can use the context menu that appears when you select text and
right-click the mouse.

The Font face list includes the theme fonts first, and then the most recently used fonts, then the
other fonts installed on your system in alphabetical order.

The font size is measured in points, which is unit of measure in typography.

Use the following procedure to change the font face and size using the Ribbon tools.

1. Select the text you want to change. Or you can select the shape.
2. Select the arrow next to the current font name to display the list of available fonts.
3. Use the scroll bar or the down arrow to scroll down the list of fonts.
4. Select the desired font to change the font of text.
 5. With the text still selected, select the arrow next to the current font size to see a list of
common font sizes.

6. Use the scroll bar or the down arrow key to scroll to the size you want and select it. You
can also highlight the current font size and type in a new number to indicate the font size
you want.

Use the following procedure to view the font context list that appears when you select text.

1. Select the text you want to change.

2. Right-click to display the context menu appears.

3. Select the new font face or font size just as you would on the Ribbon.
Changing the Font Color
You can choose any color for your text. The font group includes a gallery to choose one of the
following for your font color:

 Theme Colors – Includes a palette of colors based on the document’s theme.

 Standard Colors – Includes a palette of 10 standard colors.
 More Colors – Opens the Colors dialog box to choose from more colors or to enter the
values for a precise color.

Use the following procedure to select a color for their fonts from the gallery.

1. Select the text you want to change.

2. Select the arrow next to the Font Color tool on the Ribbon to display the gallery. Or
select the same tool from the context menu (appears when you right click).

3. Select the color to change the font color.

Adding Effects
You can choose several effects for your text. The font group on the Ribbon and the font context
menu allow you to easily change the font to:

 Bold
 Italic
 Underline
 Strikethrough

Use the following procedure to add text effects.

1. Select the text you want to change.

2. Select the effects tool you want to use from the Ribbon. Bold and Italic are also available
from the context menu.

Using the Format Text Dialog

The Format Text dialog box allows you to control several aspects of font formatting at one time.
It also allows you to set the character spacing.

Use the following procedure to open the Format Text dialog box.

1. Select the text you want to format.

2. Select the square at the bottom right corner of the Font group in the Ribbon.
Format Text dialog box Font tab.

Format Text dialog box Character Spacing tab.

Formatting Blocks of Text
In Visio, text resides in blocks, whether it is part of a shape or not. In this module, you’ll learn
how to work with those text blocks. This module explains how to set the alignment and change
the indents and paragraph spacing. This module also explains how to add bullets and numbering.

Setting the Alignment

You can align your text to the left, to the right, or in the center. You can also justify the text. You
can also align your text to the top, to the middle, or to the bottom of the text block.

Use the following procedure to adjust the alignment for the paragraph.

1. Click on the text block or shape you want to adjust (the text does not have to be selected).

2. Select the desired alignment tool from the Ribbon. You can also select multiple shapes.
Changing the Indent
You can easily indent your text, or remove an indentation, using the tools on the Ribbon.

Use the following procedure to adjust the indent for text.

1. Click on the text block or shape you want to adjust (the text does not have to be selected).

2. Select the desired indent tool from the Ribbon. You can also select multiple shapes.

Changing Paragraph Spacing

The Paragraph tab of the Format Text dialog box allows you to add space before or after a
paragraph. It also allows you to adjust the line spacing within a paragraph.

Use the following procedure to open the Paragraph tab of the Format Text dialog box and adjust
the space above, space below, and line spacing options.

1. Click on the text block or shape you want to adjust (the text does not have to be selected).
2. Select the square at the bottom right corner of the Paragraph group in the Ribbon.
3. Select the Paragraph tab.
4. You can use the up and down arrows to adjust the Spacing Before and after the
paragraph. The arrows adjust the points in typographical increments. You can also enter
any number in the BEFORE and AFTER fields to adjust the spacing more precisely.
5. The Line field allows you to select set the line spacing as a percentage. Single spacing
would be 100%.
6. Select Apply to apply the Paragraph settings to your text block.
7. Select OK to close the Text dialog box.
Adding Bullets
The Ribbon includes a tool on the Paragraph group to quickly create a bulleted list. You can also
use the Format Text dialog box to use custom bullets.

Use the following procedure to create a simple bulleted list.

1. Select the text block or text you want to turn into a bulleted list.
2. Select the Bullets tool from the Ribbon.

Bullet Library

1. Select the square at the bottom right corner of the Paragraph group in the Ribbon to open
the Format Text dialog box.
2. Select the Bullets tab.
Use the following procedure to create a custom bullet.

1. Select the square at the bottom right corner of the Paragraph group in the Ribbon to open
the Format Text dialog box.
2. Select the Bullets tab.
3. Select the Font size for your bullet from the drop down list.
4. Enter a text position measurement or use the up and down arrows to select it.
5. Enter the custom bullet character in the Bullet Characters field.
6. Select the font for the bullet character from the drop down list.
7. Select Apply.
8. Select OK to close the dialog box.
Rotating Text
In addition to aligning text, you can rotate your text blocks. The Rotate tool on the Ribbon
rotates your entire text block counter-clockwise 90° at a time. You can also use the Text Block
tool in the Tools group to free rotate your text block to any position.

Use the following procedure to rotate text using the Rotate tool.

1. Click on the text block or shape you want to adjust (the text does not have to be selected).
2. Select the Rotate Text tool.

Use the following procedure to rotate text using the Text Block tool.

1. Click on the text block or shape you want to adjust (the text does not have to be selected).
 2. Select the Rotate Text tool.

3. Click on the top handle and drag until the text block is rotated as desired. Release the
mouse to position the text block.

Formatting Your Drawing

This topic explains how to format your drawing. You’ll learn how to select multiple objects. This
module covers how to use the format painter, styles, and themes to further enhance your
drawing. You’ll also learn how to center your drawing and change your layout.
Selecting Multiple Objects
You can resize, move, or format multiple shapes at once to save time and create a more
consistent look to your drawing.

Use the following procedure to select multiple objects.

1. Make sure you are using the Pointer tool.

2. Draw a square around the shapes you want to select. You can also hold down the SHIFT
key or CTRL key while clicking multiple shapes.

Visio highlights the selected shapes with a border around the group. Note that in the following
example, the top right shape is NOT selected.

Using the Format Painter

The Format Painter allows you to quickly apply the same formatting from one shape or text
block.

Use the following procedure to use the Format Painter.

1. Select the shape or text that has been formatted with the formatting properties that you
want to copy.
2. Select the Format Painter tool.
The cursor changes to a Format Painter cursor, as illustrated below.

Format
Painter Cursor

3. Select the shape or text you want to format with the same properties.

The cursor returns to normal after applying the formatting properties once. You can always
repeat the process to format more text or other shapes with the same properties.

Applying a Theme
Themes control the look and feel of your entire drawing, including the colors, fonts, and shape
styles. The drawing previews the themes as you hover over each option in the Themes gallery.
Use the following procedure to change the theme.

1. Select the DESIGN tab on the Ribbon.

2. Select the THEMES tool from the Ribbon to see the options.

3. Select a Theme from the list.

Using Backgrounds
Backgrounds are another way to customize the look
of your drawing. Visio 2010 includes a number of
background styles to quickly change the look of your
drawing. You select the background style and the color
separately.

Use the following procedure to change the

background.

1. Select the DESIGN tab on the Ribbon.

2. Select Backgrounds.
3. Select the background you want to use.
4. Select Backgrounds again. Select
Background Color.
5. Select the desired color from the color
gallery.
Using Borders and Titles
The Borders and Titles gallery provides another option for giving your drawing a professional
polish. The Borders and Title option places a text block to use as a title for the drawing.

Use the following procedure to add a border and title.

1. Select the DESIGN tab on the Ribbon.

2. Select Borders & Titles.
3. Select the Border and Title layout you want to use.
Use the following procedure to change the default text for the border and title.

1. At the bottom of the drawing, there are tabs for the different pages. Click on the
VBackground-1 page created when you added the border and title.
Visio displays the background layer of the drawing.

2. Now you can click on each Border and Title element and replace or format the text, just
as with any other shape.
3. Select the Page 1 tab at the bottom to return to your drawing.
Diagram Types
Flowcharts

Flowcharts are diagrams that show the steps in a process. Basic flowcharts are easy to create and,
because the shapes are simple and visual, they are easy to understand.

The Basic Flowchart template in Microsoft Visio 2010 comes with shapes that you can use to
show many kinds of processes, and it is especially useful for showing basic business processes
like the proposal development process shown in the following figure.
 In addition to the Basic Flowchart template, Visio provides a variety of templates for more
specific kinds of diagrams, such as data flow diagrams, timelines, and software modeling.

What the flowchart shapes represent

When you open the Basic Flowchart template, the Basic Flowchart Shapes stencil opens too.
Each shape on the stencil represents a different step in a process.

Visio 2010 includes many other, specialized stencils and shapes that you can use in your
flowchart diagram.

 Start/End Use this shape for the first and last step of your process.
 Process This shape represents a step in your process.

 Subprocess Use this shape for a set of steps that combine to create a sub-process that is
defined elsewhere, often on another page of the same drawing.

 Document This shape represents a step that results in a document.

 Data This shape indicates that information is coming into the process from outside, or
leaving the process. This shape can also be used to represent materials and is sometimes
called an Input / Output shape.

 On-page reference This small circle indicates that the next (or previous) step is
somewhere else on the drawing. This is particularly useful for large flowcharts where you
would otherwise have to use a long connector, which can be hard to follow.

 Off-page reference When you drop this shape onto your drawing page, a dialog box
opens where you can create a set of hyperlinks between two pages of a flowchart or
between a sub-process shape and a separate flowchart page that shows the steps in that
sub-process.
Create a flowchart

1. Click the File tab.

2. Click New, click Flowchart, and then under Available Templates, click Basic
Flowchart.
3. Click Create
4. For each step in the process that you are documenting, drag a flowchart shape onto your
drawing.
5. Connect the flowchart shapes in either of the following ways.

Connect two shapes together.

a. On the Home tab, in the Tools group, click Connector.

b. Drag from a connection point on the first shape to a connection point on the
second shape. The connector endpoints turn red when the shapes are connected.

Connect one shape to many from a single connection point.

By default, connectors are set to Right-Angle so that if you connect a single point on one
shape to three other shapes it will look like the figure below.
 To have each connector radiate straight from the central point on the first shape to points
on each of the other shapes you need to set the connectors to Straight Connector as
shown in the following figure.

a. On the Home tab, in the Tools group, click Connector.

b. For each shape you want to connect to, drag from the same connection point
on the first shape to a connection point on each of the other shapes.
c. Right-click each connector and click Straight Connector.
2. To return to normal editing, on the Home tab, in the Tool group, click Pointer Tool.
3. To add text to a shape or connector, select it, and then type. When you are finished
typing, click on a blank area of the page.

4. To change the direction of a connector's arrow, select the connection, and then in the
Shape group, click the arrow to the right of Line, point to Arrows, and select the arrow
direction that you want.

Print a large flowchart

The easiest way to print a flowchart that is larger than your printer paper is to print it onto
multiple pieces of paper and then tape the pieces together.

Before you start to print, it's important to make sure that the drawing page, as it appears in Visio,
contains the whole flowchart. Any shapes that hang off the edge of the Visio drawing page will
not print. To print a large flowchart, do the followin
1. With your flowchart open, on the Design tab, in the Page Setup group, click Size, and
select Fit to Drawing.
2. Click the File tab.
3. Click Print, and then click Print Preview.

Dotted lines show how the drawing prints onto separate sheets.

4. To print your flowchart onto multiple pieces of paper, do the following:

a. In Print Preview, in the Print group, click Page Setup.
b. On the Print Setup tab, in the Printer paper box, select the paper size you want
if it isn't already selected.
c. Click OK.
d. In the Preview group, click Single Tile to see how your drawing will print on
each sheet. (You can switch between pages by clicking Next Tile or Previous
Tile.)
e. When you are satisfied with how your drawing looks, in the Print group, click
Print.
f. After the drawing is printed, you can trim the margins, overlap the pages, and tape
them together.
 5. To print your flowchart onto a single piece of paper, do the following:
a. In Print Preview, in the Print group, click Page Setup.
b. On the Print Setup tab, in the Printer paper box, select the paper size you want
if it isn't already selected.
c. Under Print zoom, select Fit to.
d. To the right of Fit to, type 1 in the box next to sheet(s) across , and type 1 in the
box next to sheet(s) down .
e. Click OK.
f. In the Print group, click Print.

Organization Charts
An organization chart (org chart) is a diagram of a reporting hierarchy that is commonly used to
show relationships among employees, titles, and groups.

In Visio 2010, org charts can range from simple diagrams, as in the following illustration, to
large and complex diagrams that are based on information from an external data source. The
shapes in your org chart can display basic information such as name and title, or details such as
department and cost center. You can even add pictures to the org chart shapes.
Create a simple organization chart

This method is best for creating a small org chart with default information fields. The default
fields are:

 Department
 Telephone
 Name
 Title
 E-mail
 Click the File tab.
 Click New, click Business, and then double-click Organization Chart.
 From the Organization Chart Shapes stencil in the Shapes window, drag the top-level
shape for your organization, such as Executive, onto the page.
 With the shape selected, type a name and title for the shape. For example, you might have
an executive with the name Tosh Meston who holds the title of President.
 From the Organization Chart Shapes stencil in the Shapes window, drag a shape for
the first subordinate person onto the superior shape. This automatically links the two in a
hierarchy.
 To complete your org chart, continue to drag subordinate shapes onto superior shapes,
and type a name and title for each one.
Automatically create an organization chart from a new data file

This method is best if the default information fields don't fit what you need, and you don't
already have your data in a different program.

1. Click the File tab.

2. Click New, click Business, and then double-click Organization Chart Wizard.
3. On the first page of the wizard, select Information that I enter using the wizard, and
then click Next.
4. Select Excel or Delimited text, type a name for the new file, and then click Next.
a. Note If you select Excel, a Microsoft Excel worksheet opens with sample text. If
you select Delimited text, a Notepad page opens with sample text.
5. When either Excel or Notepad opens, use the sample text as an example of what kind of
information to include, and type your information over what is there.
a. Important You need to keep the Name and Reports to columns, but you can
change, delete, or add other columns.
6. Exit either Excel or Notepad, and then complete the wizard.

Automatically create an organization chart by using an existing data source

This method is best if the information that you want to include in your org chart is already in a
document such as an Excel worksheet or a Microsoft Exchange Server directory.

1. Make sure your table or worksheet contains columns for employee names, unique
identifiers, and who reports to whom.

Note You can name the columns whatever you want. When you run the Organization
Chart Wizard, you can identify which columns (or field names) contain the name and
report-to.

o Employee name The way that employee names appear in this field is the way
that they appear on the organization chart shapes.
o Unique identifier This column can be the Employee Name column if all names
are unique. Otherwise, include a column with a value that uniquely identifies each
employee.
o Whom the employee reports to This field must contain each manager's unique
identifier, whether that identifier is a name or an ID number. For the employee at
the top of the organization chart, leave this field blank.
2. Click the File tab.
3. Click New, click Business, and then double-click Organization Chart Wizard.
4. On the first page of the wizard, select Information that's already stored in a file or
database.
 5. Click Next, and follow the remaining steps of the wizard.

Show teams by using the Team Frame or dotted lines

After you create an org chart, you can rearrange the information to reflect virtual team
relationships. Move related shapes near each other, and then add dotted-line connectors to show
secondary reporting structures, or use the Team Frame shape to highlight a virtual team. The
dotted-line report behaves like an ordinary connector. The Team Frame is rectangular shape that
you can use to visually group and name teams.

Network Diagrams
Create a network diagram

1. On the File menu, point to New, point to Network, and then click Detailed Network
Diagram.
2. From Network and Peripherals, drag a Ring network or Ethernet shape onto the
drawing page.
3. From Computers and Monitors or Network and Peripherals, drag device shapes onto
the drawing page.
4. Attach devices to the Ring network or Ethernet shape by using the shape's built-in
connectors:
a. Click the Ring network or Ethernet shape.
b. Place the pointer over a control handle . When the pointer changes to a four-
headed arrow, drag it to a connection point on one of the device shapes.

When the device shape is correctly connected to the Ring network or Ethernet
shape, the connection point turns red, indicating that it is glued.

5. Add a legend to your network diagram:

a. From Network and Peripherals, drag the Legend shape onto the drawing page.
b. To configure the Legend shape, right-click the Legend shape, and then click
Configure Legend on the shortcut menu.
c. To edit the text in the Legend shape, double-click the text that you want to
change, and then type.
6. To add text to a network shape, click the shape and type. To move the text, drag the
control handle .