Format a shape

In Microsoft Visio 2010, you can customize the appearance of shapes by changing their text colors, font, fill colors and patterns, line weight and style, or shadow.

 Notes 

What do you want to do?

Format text in a shape

You can change the font, character spacing, paragraph spacing and alignment, positioning of a text block, bullets or number, and tab stops of text in a shape.

Quick Tasks

Task Action
Add text to a shape Select the shape on the page and type your text.
Select the text in a shape Double click the shape that contains the text you want to format.
Format a text block
  1. Select the shape with the text that you want to format.
  2. On the Home tab, in the Font and Paragraph groups, select the formatting options that you want.
Copy text formatting from one shape to another
  1. Select the text that you want to copy.
  2. On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click Format Painter The Format Painter in Visio 2010..
  3. Click the shape that contains the text that you want to change.
Change the text block background color
  1. Select the shape with the text box that you want to change.
  2. Right-click the shape, point to Format, and select Text.
  3. In the Text dialog box, on the Text Block tab, under Text background, select Solid color.
  4. In the list next to Solid color, select the color that you want.
  5. Click Apply and then click OK.
Format symbols and punctuation
  1. Click the File tab.
  2. Under Visio, click Options.
  3. In the Visio Options dialog box, on the Proofing tab, click AutoCorrect Options.
  4. Select or clear any of the automatic formatting options that you want to turn on or off.
  5. Click OK.

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Change the line of a shape

You can change the line color, line weight, dash type, and transparency of a shape's border.

Quick Tasks

Task Action
Change the line color or formatting
  1. Select the shape with the border that you want to format.
  2. On the Home tab, in the Shape group, click Line and select the formatting options that you want.
Remove the line from a shape
  1. Select the shape with the border that you want to remove.
  2. On the Home tab, in the Shape group, click Line and select No Line.

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Apply a new fill to a shape

In Visio 2010, you can change the fill color, the fill pattern, and even add your own fill patterns to a shape.

Quick Tasks

Task Action
Change the fill color
  1. Select the shape with the fill that you want to change.
  2. On the Home tab, in the Shape group, click Fill and then select the color that you want.
Copy fill formatting from one shape to another
  1. Select shape that has the fill that you want to copy.
  2. On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click Format Painter The Format Painter in Visio 2010..
  3. Click the shape that has the fill that you want to change.
Apply a pattern fill
  1. Select the shape with the fill that you want to change.
  2. On the Home tab, in the Shape group, click Fill and select Fill Options.
  3. In the Fill dialog box, in the Pattern list, select the pattern that you want.
  4. In the Pattern color list, select the color that you want.
  5. Click Apply and then click OK.
Create a new fill pattern
  1. On the Developer tab, in the Show/Hide group, select Drawing Explorer.
  2. In the Drawing Explorer window, right-click Fill Patterns.
  3. In the New Pattern dialog box, under Details, type a name for your pattern.
  4. Under Behavior, choose an option.

ShowBehavior options

  • Button in the New Pattern dialog box. Create multiple copies of the image to fill a shape (tile the image)
  • Button in the New Pattern dialog box. Tile multiple images along the line without distorting them.
  • Button in the New Pattern dialog box. Stretch a single image to fill the shape.
  1. To adjust the pattern as the drawing page scale changes, select the Scaled check box.
  2. Click OK.
  3. In the Drawing Explorer Window, open Line Patterns folder, right-click the new pattern, and then click Edit Pattern Shape.
  4. Create the shape or shapes that you want to designate as a pattern. You can create shapes from scratch, change existing shapes, or insert bitmaps.
  5. Click the Close Window button, and then click Yes to update the pattern.

 Note   You will need to have the Developer tab in the Ribbon visible to do this.

ShowShow the Developer tab

  1. Click the File tab.
  2. Under Visio, click Options.
  3. In the Visio Options dialog box, on the Customize Ribbon tab, in the Customize Ribbon list, select Main Tabs.
  4. Under Main Tabs, select Developer.
  5. Click OK.
Remove the fill from a shape
  1. Select the shape with the fill that you want to change.
  2. On the Home tab, in the Shape group, click Fill and select No Fill.

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Apply a shadow to a shape

You can apply shadows to the shapes in your drawing and easily change the color, style, pattern, size, position, and angle of those shadows.

Quick Tasks

Task Action
Apply a shadow to a shape
  1. Select the shape that you want to apply a shadow to.
  2. On the Home tab, in the Shape group, click Shadow, and select the color that you want.
Change the style, pattern, size, or position of a shadow
  1. Select the shape with the shadow that you want to change.
  2. On the Home tab, in the Shape group, click Shadow, and select Shadow Options.
  3. In the Shadow dialog box, select the formatting options that you want.
  4. Click Apply and then click OK.
Remove the shadow from a shape
  1. Select the shape with the shadow that you want to change.
  2. On the Home tab, in the Shape group, click Shadow, and select No Shadow.

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Apply a theme to your shapes

When you apply a theme in Visio 2010, you specify the formatting (font, text colors, fill colors, borders, and shadows) of every shape on the drawing page.

The built-in themes apply both color formatting (font color, fill color) and shape effects (border style, shadow) to shapes. You can choose to change only the effects (border, shadow, font, and connector styles) or only the colors (text, line, connector, fill, and shadow colors) of the shapes in your drawing.

To learn more about themes, see Apply a professional look to your drawings with themes.

Quick Tasks

Task Action
Apply a theme to the shapes in your drawing On the Design tab, in the Theme group, click the theme that you want or click Button image for more options.
Change the theme colors On the Design tab, in the Theme group, click Colors, and select the color that you want.
Change the theme effects On the Design tab, in the Theme group, click Effects, and select the effects that you want.
Create your own theme
  1. On the Design tab, in the Themes group, click Colors and select Create New Theme Colors.
  2. In the New Theme Colors dialog box, under General, in the Name box, type a new name that you want to use for your new theme.
  3. Select the colors that you want.
  4. Click Apply and then click OK.
  5. In the Themes group, click Effects and select Create New Theme Effects.
  6. In the New Theme Effects dialog box, under General, in the Name box, type a new name that you want to use for your new theme.
  7. Select the font, line, fill, shadow, and connector settings that you want.
  8. Click Apply and then click OK.
Remove a theme from a shape Right-click the shape, point to Format, and select Remove Theme.

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Applies to:
Visio 2010