- Working with Shapes
- Inserting Images
- Formatting and Editing Graphic Objects
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Formatting and Editing Graphic Objects
Inserting a line, shape, picture, or other graphic object is usually only half the battle. To complete your work with the graphic, you usually need to spend a bit of time formatting and editing the object to get it just right. This may include some or all of the following: sizing the graphic; rotating it; moving it; grouping or aligning it with other objects; and formatting the object’s fill, lines, and shadow effects. The rest of this chapter provides you with the details of these and other techniques for working with graphics objects.
Selecting Graphic Objects
Every graphic object has an invisible rectangular frame. For a line or rectangle, the frame is the same as the object itself. For all other objects, the frame is a rectangle that completely encloses the shape or image. Before you can format or edit a graphic object, you must select it, which displays selection handles around the frame.
If you just want to work with a single object, then you can select it by tapping it. If you need to work with multiple objects, Office RT gives you a number of methods and the one you choose depends on the number of objects and their layout within the document:
- The simplest scenario is when you have just a few objects to select. In this case, hold down the Ctrl key and tap each object. If you tap an object by accident, keep the Ctrl key held down and tap the object again to deselect it.
- To select a few objects, you can “lasso” the objects, as described in the next section.
- To select all the objects in a document, select one and then press Ctrl+A.
Lassoing Graphic Objects
Lassoing graphic objects begins using a finger or stylus to draw a rectangle around the objects you want to select. Use this technique when the objects you want are located near each other.
- Select the Home tab.
- Tap Select.
- Tap Select Objects.
Place a finger or stylus at the upper-left corner of the area you want to select.
- Tap and drag to the lower-right corner of the area you want to select. As you drag, the program indicates the selected area with a dashed border.
- When the selection area completely encloses each object you want to select, release the screen. Excel places selection handles around each object in the selection area.
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Sizing a Graphic Object
If a graphic is too large or too small for your needs, or if the object’s shape is not what you want, you can size the image to change its dimensions or its shape. You might want to size a graphic so that it fits within an open document area.
- Select the graphic you want to size.
- To adjust the width of the graphic, drag the left or right handle.
- To adjust the height of the graphic, drag the top or bottom handle.
- To adjust the width and height at the same time, drag a corner handle.
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Moving a Graphic Object
To ensure that a graphic is ideally placed within a document, you can move the graphic to a new location. For example, you might want to move a graphic so that it does not cover existing document text.
- Select the graphic you want to move.
- Place a finger or the stylus in the middle of the object. Make sure you don’t place your finger or stylus over any of the object’s sizing handles.
- Drag the object to the position you want.
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Rotating a Graphic Object
Most graphic objects get inserted into a document without any rotation: Horizontal borders appear horizontal, and vertical borders appear vertical. A nonrotated image is probably what you will want most of the time, but for some occasions an image tilted at a jaunty angle is just the right touch for a document. Many objects come with a rotation handle that you can use to rotate the object clockwise or counterclockwise.
- Select the graphic you want to rotate.
- Use a finger or stylus to drag the rotation handle. Drag the handle clockwise to rotate the graphic clockwise; drag the handle counterclockwise to rotate the graphic counterclockwise.
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Formatting a Graphic Object
You can enhance your shapes, clip art, photos, WordArt images, and SmartArt graphics by formatting the images. For example, the Office RT applications offer more than two dozen picture styles, which are predefined formats that apply various combinations of shadows, reflections, borders, and layouts. Office RT also offers a dozen picture effects, which are preset combinations of special effects, such as glows, soft edges, bevels, and 3-D rotations.
- Select the picture you want to format.
- Select the Format tab.
- Select More Picture Styles. The Picture Styles gallery appears.
- Select the picture style you want to use. The application applies the Quick Style to the picture.
- Select Picture Effects. If the image is a shape, select Shape Effects, instead.
- Select Preset.
- Select the effect you want to apply. The application applies the effect to the picture.
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