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Using the Drawing tool in Word XP

Drawing objects in Word XP is a little different than in previous versions of Word. This tutorial is designed to help you understand how to use the new features of the Drawing Canvas.

  1. To view the the Drawing Toolbar go to ViewToolbars > Drawing.

    2. screen shot of MS Word using the view menu

  2. On the bottom of the Word screen the Drawing Toolbar will appear.

    3. The Draw toolbar in WordXP

  3. For this tutorial, we will create a basic shape. On the Drawing Toolbar go to AutoShapes > Basic Shapes > Sun.

    4. screen shot of using the Draw menu in WordXP

  4. The Drawing Canvas will appear and the mouse will turn into a crosshairs. Draw your object. Once the shape is drawn, the Fill, Line color, and other effects can be applied to it.

    5. screen shot of WordXP with the Drawing Canvas menu

  5. To change the shape of the object, click on the yellow diamond and click, hold, and drag it to the center of the object.

    6. Drawing Canvas in WordXP

  6. The size of the Drawing Canvas can be expanded or made to fit the object. To do this, click on the dark lines around the edges of the Drawing Canvas. The mouse pointer will change to a T . You can now move the edge of the Drawing Canvas to the size you want.

    7. Adjusting the size of the Draw Canvas

  7. Now we are ready to add colors and effects to the object. Select the object and go to to the Drawing Toolbar to the Fill button (Paintbucket). To make the object the color that is already selected, click on the paintbucket. To access more options, click the down pointing arrow next the paint bucket. A pop-up menu will appear (see diagram below). The menu can become a floating menu by holding the mouse over the title bar until the arrow becomes a four-cornered arrow. Click, hold, and drag until the menu becomes a floating menu. The same can be done with the Line Color and the Font Color menus.

    8. Screen shot on how to make a menu floatscreen shot of a floating menu

  8. Word XP offers many choices for wrapping words around the an object. Click the button to the far right to access the text wrapping options. For this example, choose Square. Notice that the text wraping menu can become a floating menu.

    9. Using the Drawing Canvas options from the floating menu

  9. 3-D and Shadow styles can be added to the object. Click the 3-D button or the Shadow button the Drawing Toolbar and choose a style. Effects can be added to the 3-D/Shadow style by opening the 3-D/Shadow Settings floating menu.

    10. Using floating menus to change effects on image

  10. Once you are satisfied with the object, save your document.
  11. If you do not like having the Drawing Canvas when you draw an object, click on Tools > Options. Once the dialog box appears, click the General Tab. Make sure the box next to "Automatically create drawing canvas when inserting AutoShapes" is unchecked. Click OK.