How to Draw in Microsoft Word in 2021

How to Draw in Microsoft Word in 2021.

While Microsoft Word may not be the first drawing tool you think of, its drawing tools are among the lesser-known features that are easy to learn and easy to use.

These drawing tools come in a variety of shapes and forms, including arrows, banners, callouts, squares, circles, stars, and flowchart shapes that you can use to create images or illustrations.

If you’re looking for a suitable image or picture to add to your document and can’t find exactly what you want, you can draw it in Word using the drawing tools.

Whether you’re drawing, taking visual notes, or sketching, here’s how to draw in Microsoft Word so you can add personality to your project.

How to Draw in Microsoft Word

You can create several types of drawings in Word, including simple lines and shapes, freeform shapes, and more. Let’s learn how to draw in Word using standard shapes and drawing tools available.

Screenshots are taken from Microsoft Word for macOS. Windows users can also follow the same steps.

How to draw basic lines and shapes in Word

If you want to draw simple shapes in your document, Word offers several shapes.

To draw basic lines and shapes, open a Word document. Choose Insert> Shapes from the toolbar.

Select the shape you want to draw, start, and drag it to the endpoint where you want to place the shape in the document. You can select the shape sizing handles and drag to resize the shape, then release when you get the size you want.

Optionally, you can format the shape by clicking the Format Drawing Tools tab. This tab offers various options to change the color, appearance, and style of the shape that you add to your document.

To change the appearance and color of a shape, select a shape to open the Format tab, where you can play with color effects, change the shape’s outline line type, and more …

On the Format tab, you can choose a predefined style, change the color of the shape by clicking Shape Fill, or change the outline color using the Shape Outline option. You can also use the Shape Effects option to add shadows and other effects, or select a shape and enter text into it.

If you want to switch to a different shape, such as a square to a circle, choose Format> Edit Shape> Reshape and select the shape you want.

How to create a freeform picture in Word

If you need a specific shape, but cannot find it in standard shapes, you can draw it yourself using freeform shapes. There are two ways to create freeform shapes using the mouse or trackpad:

Freehand: scribble for drawn shapes
Freeform: shape for shapes with straight or curved segments

To create a freehand drawing using scribbles:

Choose Insert> Shapes> Freehand: Doodle.

Then select the area where you want to draw the freestyle shape and drag it anywhere to draw it.

To draw freeform shapes:

Choose Insert> Shapes> Freeform: Shape.

Create curves or straight line segments of your choice by selecting the start point and dragging them to the endpoint. Repeat the process if you want to draw a series of straight lines or curve segments.

Note. If you find it difficult to draw freeform shapes in Word, you can try drawing in Microsoft Paint and pasting the image into Word later.

How to draw in Word using the drawing canvas

If you need to group shapes together, you can create a drawing canvas and add shapes to it.

To create a drawing canvas, choose Insert> Shapes> New Drawing Canvas.

Then move the drawing canvas to the desired location in the document and your shapes will move with the canvas. You can drag the resize handles to resize the canvas, and select Format to give the canvas a fill color or outline shape.

Note. While you don’t necessarily need a drawing canvas when working with graphics in Word, you can use it to help you add connectors between shapes or to work with multiple graphics.

How to draw a word with the pen tools

If you want to draw more complex shapes, the Microsoft Word pen tools let you do this instead of using basic lines or freeform shapes.

To draw with the Word pen tools, select Draw, and then select Pen, Pencil, or Highlighter.

Use your mouse to click, hold, and drag to create the shape and add the desired elements. Then click the “Draw” button again.
Select the drop-down menu to change the color or thickness of the tool and choose what you want. You can also select More Colors to access more colors other than the 16 standard colors available.

You can also add special effects, including rainbow, lava, galaxy, ocean, gold, rose gold, silver, and bronze.

How to erase a picture in Word

Word offers the Eraser tool in the Drawing Tools menu to erase any mistakes in your drawings. There are three types of eraser:

A small eraser for erasing a small area.
Eraser to erase the entire stroke.
Medium Eraser Large Area

To erase a small or large area, click, hold and drag your mouse over the area you want to remove. If you want to delete a line, select the Stroke eraser and click the line to erase it.

How to add a picture to a Word document

If you want to enhance your Word document, you can add a picture instead of using basic lines and shapes or freeform shapes.

You can add SmartArt, images, charts, clip art, or drawing objects such as WordArt, flowcharts, diagrams, and more. These graphics are part of Word, and you can enhance or modify them with patterns, colors, borders, and other effects.

To add a picture in Word, select the area where you want to create a picture in your document. Choose Insert> Shapes and choose SmartArt, Picture, Clip Art, Chart, or Screenshot.

On the Format tab, you can modify the shape, add text to the shape, or group selected shapes. You can also draw using the Freehand or Sketch options.

How to format text that wraps around a picture

If you have text that you want to wrap around the picture, you can do so from the Format tab in the Drawing Tools menu.

To wrap text around a picture, select the picture and then choose Wrap Text from the Format tab.

Modify the border by selecting and dragging the endpoints. It also allows you to control how the text flows around the drawing.

Another way to add pictures to your Word document is to use premium graphics. You can access thousands of Word templates from the Elements Marketplace or GraphicRiver that are professionally designed for maximum impact.

Put Your Artistry to the Test

Whether you use a mouse, trackpad, touchscreen, or digital pen, the drawing tools in Word can help you create shapes, add notes, edit text, and more.

Combine your drawings with beautiful fonts in Word and create documents that grab your readers’ attention.

1. Then choose an option to wrap text: Square, By Text, Through All, Solid, Top & Bottom, Behind Text, or Before Text.

1. If the picture is not well-shaped, you can wrap it with text by choosing Format Shape> Arrange> Wrap Text and choose Edit Wrap Points.
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How to Draw in Microsoft Word in 2021

How to Draw in Microsoft Word in 2021