Lesson 21: Working with Objects

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Introduction

By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

  • Edit objects

Introduction to Word graphics

Now that you are comfortable adding and formatting text, headers and footers, columns, and tables, let's learn to enhance your documents by adding objects and pictures.

The Drawing toolbar offers many options for including lines, lines with arrows, and many types of shapes into your document.

Drawing objects include:

  • AutoShapes, including lines, curves, and text boxes
  • WordArt drawing objects

Drawing objects

To draw lines and shapes:

  • Open the Drawing toolbar by clicking View on the menu bar, then selecting Toolbars and Drawing from the cascading menu.

OR

  • Right-click any toolbar and select Drawing.

OR

  • Click the Drawing button on the Standard toolbar.
  • The Drawing toolbar will appear.

Drawing Tool Button

Drawing Toolbar

  • Choose an AutoShape from the AutoShape drop-down menu.

OR

  • Click any of the drawing tools in the first group of buttons.
    • Line Tool Line Tool
    • Arrow Tool Arrow Tool
    • Rectangle Tool Rectangle Tool
    • Oval Tool Oval Tool
  • The mouse pointer changes to a crosshair Crosshair.
  • Drag the crosshair from a starting point until the object is the desired size.
  • Release the mouse button to end the drawing object and turn off the Drawing tool.

CompleteHold down the Shift key to create straight lines, perfect circles, and perfect squares.

CompleteAutoShapes are inserted on their own layer with the In front of text wrapping style applied.

WordArt drawing objects

Also included on the Drawing toolbar is the WordArt feature. Using WordArt, you can create text graphics that bend, slant, and appear metallic or wooden and much more. WordArt can even be shadowed, skewed, rotated, and stretched.

Here are just a few examples of what WordArt allows you to do:

WordArt Examples

To insert WordArt:

  • Place the insertion point where you want to insert WordArt.
  • Click the WordArt button on the Drawing toolbar Word Art Button. The WordArt gallery opens.

Word Art Dialog Box

  • Choose a WordArt style.
  • The Edit WordArt Text dialog box appears.
  • Edit the font, size, and style.
  • Click OK.

Word Art Text Dialog Box

Formatting drawing objects

Use the Drawing toolbar to format AutoShapes and WordArt.

White arrowTo select several objects, hold down the Shift key and click each object, or use the Select Objects tool.
Fill colorFill color allows you to color all selected drawing objects. No fill is the color white.
Line colorChange the line color of a selected object.
Font colorChange the text color of a selected object.
Line styleChange the line style of a selected object.
Dash styleChange the line style of a selected object. This includes solid and dotted lines.
Arrow style.Change the style of arrow.
DepthGive selected objects some depth.
Three dimensionGive selected objects a 3-D effect .

Challenge!

Using both AutoShapes and WordArt, try to create a stop sign. Select the Octagon shape under AutoShapes and Basic Shapes, and select any of the WordArt designs for the text.

Here's an example:

Stop Sign

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