Draw a flowchart

  1. On the Drawing toolbar (toolbar: A bar with buttons and options that you use to carry out commands. To display a toolbar, press ALT and then SHIFT+F10.), click AutoShapes, point to Flowchart, and then click the shape you want.
  2. Click where you want to draw the flowchart shape.
  3. If you want to add additional shapes to the flowchart, repeat steps 1 and 2, and then arrange them in the order you want.
  4. Add connectors between each of the shapes.

ShowHow?

  1. On the Drawing toolbar, click AutoShapes, point to Connectors, and then click the connector line you want.
  2. Point to where you want to lock the connector.

Connection sites appear as blue circles as you pass the pointer over a shape.

Connector site art

  1. Click the first connection site you want, point to the other shape, and then click the second connection site.

Locked connectors will keep the shapes connected even when you move the shapes.

Locked connectors

Callout 1 Locked connector

Callout 2 Unlocked connector

  1. Add text to the shapes.

ShowHow?

  • Right-click the shape, click Add text, and start typing.

 Note   You cannot add text to a line or connector; use a text box (text box: A movable, resizable container for text or graphics. Use text boxes to position several blocks of text on a page or to give text a different orientation from other text in the document.) to place text near or on these drawing objects.

  1. Change the line style or add color to the connectors.

ShowHow?

  1. Select the line or connector you want to change.
  2. Do one of the following:

ShowChange the color of a line or connector

  1. On the Drawing toolbar, click the arrow next to Line Color Button image.
  2. Do one of the following:
    • To change to the default color, click Automatic.
    • To change to another color, click one of the colors below Automatic.

ShowChange the style of a line or connector

  1. On the Drawing toolbar, click Line Style Button image.
  2. Click the style you want; or click More Lines, and then click a style.
  1. Add color or fills to the shapes.

ShowHow?

  1. Select the shape you want to change.
  2. On the Drawing toolbar, click the arrow next to Fill Color Button image.
  3. Do one of the following:
  • If you want to change colors, click one of the colors below Automatic.
  • If you want to add a gradient, patterned, textured, or picture fill, click Fill Effects, and then click the tab you want and select options.
 
 
Applies to:
Excel 2003, PowerPoint 2003, Word 2003