How to quickly add drawings and real connectors using the drawing canvas in Word

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Microsoft Word's drafting furniture helps you support pieces of a analyzable drafting unneurotic connected a azygous canvas.

Years ago, Word added an other furniture erstwhile you inserted shapes and graphics. It was awkward to enactment with and created disorder for users who weren't alert it was there. Eventually, Word allowed america to insert graphics and shapes successful the existent papers and acceptable wrapping options to find however the graphics and substance mingle. Now we person different option: The drafting canvas is simply a caller enactment instrumentality for inserting analyzable drawings with tons of parts. In this article, I'll amusement you however to corral drawings successful the drafting layer.

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I'm utilizing Word Online due to the fact that not everyone has upgraded to 365, and this diagnostic is disposable lone to Word Online and 365 subscribers. There's nary objection file; you won't request one.

About the drafting layer

For the astir part, the drafting furniture is an organizational tool. For instance, you mightiness insert a representation and past annotate it with ink. You could bash truthful astatine the papers level, but you mightiness find it easier successful the drafting layer, astatine slightest portion you're moving connected it. It's benignant of a corral for shapes, pictures, text, and truthful on. You tin insert much pieces and determination them astir without impacting the contented travel successful the papers layer. You're not required to usage the drafting furniture though; if your "drawing" has lone a mates of pieces, the drafting furniture mightiness beryllium overkill.

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To insert a drafting utilizing the drafting layer, presumption the cursor wherever you privation the drawing. Then, click the Insert tab and past click Drawing. Doing truthful displays a caller canvas, arsenic shown successful Figure A. If you don't person the Draw tab successful 365 desktop, click the Insert tab. In the illustrations group, click the Shapes dropdown. At the bottommost of the resulting list, click New Drawing Layer. Word volition show a caller drafting layer.

Figure A

Once you person a canvas, you tin insert text, shapes, oregon constitute utilizing 1 of the galore pen options. Microsoft 365 desktop besides lets you insert graphic files into the drafting layer. To insert the drafting into the document, click Save and Close.

The pieces successful Figure B are specified silliness, but don't fto the deficiency of my plan skills distract you from this feature. As you tin spot successful Figure C, the drafting is present portion of the document. (If the drafting is excessively large, usage the enactment handles to trim its size.) While you enactment connected the drawing, thing happens astatine the substance level. Once the drafting is inserted, usage formats arsenic you usually would. To edit the drawing, double-click it. When you resistance it done the content, Word treats everything successful the drafting furniture arsenic a azygous object.

Figure B

Figure C

Each drafting uses its ain canvas, which means you tin make aggregate drawings successful the aforesaid document. Also, I mentioned you could usage the Insert tab (in 365 desktop) if you don't person the Draw tab. Most likely, if you bash a batch of drafting successful Word you'll privation to adhd the Draw tab arsenic follows:

Click the Quick Access Toolbar's dropdown arrow and take More Commands.
In the near pane, take Customize Ribbon.
In the Main Tabs database to the right, cheque the Draw tab option, and past click OK.

Now that you cognize however to usage the drafting canvas, let's look astatine connectors.

How to adhd connectors successful Microsoft Word

True connectors aren't disposable successful the papers layer. Using Word Online, you tin usage lines and radical them, but adjacent past they tin beryllium a spot hard to enactment with. In the drafting layer, connectors enactment connected. Not lone bash they "stick," they agelong and crook arsenic you determination the connected shapes. Let's research this diagnostic now:

Open a caller drafting canvas.
Insert a mates of shapes arsenic you usually would.
To link them, usage a enactment successful the Shapes dropdown. Hover the rodent implicit them and you'll spot them defined arsenic connectors, for example, Connector: Curved.
Insert a enactment to link the 2 by choosing 1 of the connector options and past positioning betwixt the 2 shapes, arsenic shown successful Figure D.

Figure D

At this point, the shapes aren't connected. Drag 1 extremity of the enactment to the signifier connected the left. When the transportation points (little dots) appear, resistance the enactment to 1 of the points. You'll cognize they're connected erstwhile the constituent changes color. In Figure E, you tin spot that the transportation pointer is greenish alternatively of unfilled similar the constituent to the right. Figure F shows some shapes connected to the aforesaid connector. Move 1 oregon some of the shapes and ticker the connector conform to the caller positions. When you're done, click Save and Close to insert the caller drafting into the document. Figure G shows the caller drafting inserted into the papers layer.

Figure E

Figure F

Figure G

We've touched lightly connected this newish diagnostic and had a spot of fun. If you request to make drawings successful Word, you'll find the caller drafting canvas adjuvant successful keeping the pieces together.