Working with Graphics 

To view the Drawing toolbar, click View, Toolbars, Drawing.  If the toolbar shows up as a floating window, this can be dragged (clicking and dragging the title bar of that window) to the top or bottom of the screen. 

This section of the Drawing toolbar allows you to insert special shapes, lines, arrows, rectangles, circles, Textboxes (box that you enter text into and can place anywhere on a page), Word Art (text with a special design or look to it), Clipart images, or an image from another program. 

This section allows you to fill the image with a color or pattern, change the color of the outline around the image, change the color of the text within the image, change the thickness of the outline around the image, change the outline to dots or dashed lines, set arrowheads to lines or arrows, add shadows to images, and change certain image to a 3D version of that image. 

This section allows the images to be layered, flipped, rotated, selected or wrap text around the image. 

To begin drawing a graphic in your document, click on one of the types of drawings on the drawing toolbar.  A drawing canvas may show up in your document to draw on.  If you choose not to use the canvas, press the ESC key to remove the canvas.  Then, anywhere on the page, hold down your left mouse button and drag the mouse diagonally down to the right.  Once you let the button go, your image will appear.  Now it can be resized, colored, reshaped, moved, and text added.

To select an image, click on the image.  Once selected, the image will show “handles” around it.  These handles are small white or black squares on the 4 corners and 4 sides.

To resize an image: Drag one of the handles in or out from the center of the image.  Side handles will stretch or shrink the image width-wise or height-wise.  Corner handles will enlarge or shrink the image, typically keeping the same size ratio.

To format an image with color, outline or overall look: (1) Select image and click on one of the formatting icons on the drawing toolbar;  or (2) click Format, then Autoshape/Picture/Object/Textbox (depending on what your image is); or (3) right click on the image and click on Format Autoshape/Picture/Object/Textbox in the menu.

To move an Autoshape/Picture/Object, click on the image to select it.  Then, with your arrow on the image, click and hold the left mouse button and drag the image to another location.

To move a Textbox, click on the textbox to select it.  Then, with your arrow on the edge or ‘hashed’ line around the textbox, click and hold the left mouse button and drag the image to another location.

To move or resize your image smoothly, hold down the Alt key while moving or resizing.

To delete a shape or picture, click on the image to select it. Then, press the Delete key. To delete a Textbox, move your mouse to the outer edge of the textbox, your cursor will change to 4-directional arrows. When you see this, click your left mouse button. You now have selected the box. Then press the Delete key.

To insert a photo or graphic image that is saved on your computer, click your cursor where the image is to appear.  Click on Insert, Picture, From File.  Locate the graphic file you wish to place in the document.  Click on the filename and then Insert.  Once the image appears, you can then format the image.

Note: Toolbar icons are the same on a PC and Mac, but on a Mac they are in a different order than shown above.