Modifying Shapes

To Change to a Different Shape:

1. Select the shape, then click the Format tab and locate the Shape Styles group.
2. Click the Change Shape drop-down command.
   The Change Shape drop-down command
3. A drop-down list will appear. Select the desired shape.
   Selecting a new shape
4. The shape will be changed.
   The changed shape

To Change Shape Style:

1. Select the shape, then click the Format tab and locate the Shape Styles group.
2. Click the More Shape Styles drop-down arrow.
   The More Shape Styles drop-down arrow
3. A drop-down list of styles will appear. Move your cursor over the styles to see a live preview of the style in your publication, then select the desired style.
   Selecting and previewing a shape style
4. The style will be applied to the shape.
   The shape, with the style applied

To Change the Shape Fill Color:

1. Select the shape, then click the Format tab and locate the Shape Styles group.
2. Click the Shape Fill drop-down command.
   The Shape Fill drop-down command
3. A drop-down list of colors will appear. Select the desired fill color from the list. You can also choose No Fill to remove the fill from your shape or More Fill Colors to select a custom color.
   Shape fill options
4. The new fill color will be applied.
   The recolored shape

To Change the Shape Outline:

1. Select the shape, then click the Format tab and locate the Shape Styles group.
2. Click the Shape Outline drop-down command.
   The Shape Outline drop-down command
3. A drop-down list of options will appear. Select the desired outline color from the list. You can also choose No Outline to remove the outline from your shape or More Outline Colors to select a custom color.
   Selecting and previewing an outline color
4. If desired, further modify your shape outline by changing the outline's weight (thickness) and whether or not it is a dashed line.
   Applying a thicker outline
5. The shape outline will be modified.
   The updated shape

To Add a Shadow:

1. Select the shape, then click the Format tab and locate the Shadow Effects group.
2. Click the Shadow Effects drop-down command.
   The Shadow Effects drop-down command
3. A drop-down menu with a list of shadow choices will appear. Move your mouse over a shadow effect to see a live preview of it in your publication.
   Selecting and previewing a shadow effect
4. Click the desired shadow effect to apply it to your shape.
   The shape, now with a shadow

Applying a different shadow color

Working with Building Blocks

Building Blocks are another type of object in Publisher. They usually contain some combination of text, shapes, and images, and are meant to enhance the appearance of your publication. Once you insert a Building Block, you can modify it to suit your needs.

Types of Building Blocks:

There are four types of Building Blocks:

• Page parts, which are stylized placeholders for your images and text.
  Page parts
• Calendars
  Calendars
• Borders & Accents
  Borders & Accents
• Advertisements
  Advertisements

To Insert a Building Block:

1. Select the Insert tab and locate the Building Blocks group.
2. Click one of the four Building Block drop-down commands.
   The Building Blocks group of commands
3. A drop-down menu will appear with Building Block styles and options. Select the desired Building Block.
   Building Blocks options
4. The Building Block will be inserted.
   The inserted Building Block

If desired, modify the Building Block's text and formatting until you are satisfied with its appearance.

The modified building block 

Arranging Objects

Watch the video (3:07). Need help?

Publisher offers a number of tools to help you arrange and order your objects. These tools work for any object, and can help you lay out your pages quickly and precisely.

Watch the video to learn more about arranging shapes and other objects in Publisher.

Aligning

You can click and drag objects to align them manually, but this can be difficult and time-consuming. Publisher includes several commands that allow you to align your objects quickly and precisely. Objects can be aligned toeach other or to the page. 

To Align Two or More Objects:

1. Click and drag your mouse to form a selection box around the objects you want to align. All of the objects will now have sizing handles to show that they are selected.
   Selecting multiple objects
2. Click the Format tab and locate the Arrange group.
3. Click the Align drop-down command.
   The Align drop-down command
4. Select one of the six alignment options.
   Alignment options
5. The objects will align to each other based on the option that you have selected.
   The objects are now aligned

Another way to select multiple objects at once is to simply hold down the shift key and click each object you wish to select.

Selecting multiple objects at once

To Align Objects to the Page:

1. Select the object or objects you want to align.
2. Click the Format tab and locate the Arrange group.
3. Click the Align drop-down command.
   The Align drop-down command
4. From the drop-down list that appears, select Relative to Margin Guides. 
   Choosing to align to the page margins
5. Select one of the six alignment options.
   Alignment options
6. The objects will align to the page based on the option that you have selected.
   The object, now aligned to the middle of the page

Distributing Objects Evenly

If you have arranged objects in a row or column, you may want them to be an equal distance from one another for a neater appearance. You can do this by distributing the objects horizontally or vertically.

To Distribute Objects:

1. Select the objects you want to align. 
2. Click the Format tab and locate the Arrange group.
3. Click the Align drop-down command.
   The Align drop-down command
4. From the drop-down menu that appears, select Distribute Horizontally or Distribute Vertically.
   Distribution options

The objects will be distributed evenly.

The objects, now distributed evenly

Grouping

At times you may want to group multiple objects into one object so that they will stay together if they are moved. This can be easier than selecting all of the objects every time you want to move them.

To Group Objects:

1. Select the objects you wish to group.
2. Click the Format tab and locate the Arrange group.
3. Click the Group command.
   The Group command
4. The selected objects will now be grouped. There will be a single box with sizing handles around the entire group to show that they are one object.
   Grouped shapes

You can ungroup grouped objects at any time. Simply select the group, then click the Ungroup command.

The Ungroup command

Moving Objects Backwards and Forwards

In addition to aligning and grouping objects, Publisher gives you the ability to arrange objects in a specific order. The ordering is very important when two or more objects overlap, as it will determine which objects are in the frontor the back.

To Change the Ordering by One Level:

1. Select the object you wish to move.
2. Click the Format tab and locate the Arrange group.
3. Click the Bring Forward or Send Backward command to change the object's ordering by one level. If the object overlaps with more than one other object, you may need to click the command several times to achieve the desired ordering.
   The Bring Forward and Send Backward commands
4. The objects will reorder themselves.
   The shape has been moved forward one level

To Bring an Object to the Front or Back:

If you want to move an object behind or in front of several objects, it's usually faster to bring it to front or send it to back rather than clicking the ordering commands multiple times.

1. Select the object you wish to move.
2. Click the Format tab and locate the Arrange group.
3. Click the Bring Forward or Send Backward drop-down command
   The Bring Forward and Send Backward drop-down commands
4. From the drop-down menu, select Bring to Front or Send to Back.
   The Send to Back command
5. The objects will reorder themselves.
   The shape has been moved to the back