How to draw in Word documents

Presenting some information in a text document with schemes and drawings helps to be understood. This article will show you how to draw on a Word document and what tools to use. Keep on reading to know more.

About drawing tools in Word documents

When you run out of words, you can express yourself through drawings. They are used to present a new idea or dilute a text-only document. Complex phenomena are also easier to explain through illustrations.

One way to illustrate a text is to add a ready-made picture or photo. Draw a picture in a third-party application, then add it to your document via the Insert tab.

Another way to draw on Word documents is to use drawing tools in a document editor. Drawing on Word documents is necessary when the text interacts directly with pictures. For example, you need to specify what part of the text the illustration belongs to, point to a consequence using arrows, and embed a diagram in the text.

The users can draw in Word documents with:

• Standard shapes and lines in a document editor. All office suites offer features for adding shapes and lines that allow users to draw schemes and create complex illustrations and any drawing in Word files.
• Plugins with additional functionality. Plugins, called apps or add-ins, are small applications that help you do a few things that the office suite can’t do. They are usually available in the app stores of office suite developers. Users can download the selected apps they need and install them. So they can supplement their document editors with electronic signatures, spell checkers, translators, photo editors, citation and bibliography generators, etc.

Now, let’s see how to draw on Word document and apply formatting in ONLYOFFICE document editor.

How to draw lines and arrows in Word document

The most used are lines and arrows. You can make a simple pointer, diagrams, or a whole drawing. For example, you can add an image to a passage of text and then point to it.

To draw line in Word, go to the Insert tab → Shape → Choose Lines or Figured Arrows and one of the options.

Click and hold down the mouse button, then drag to draw a line.

You can select a line by clicking on it, and once selected, you can move it in any direction. Change the size by moving the white dots.

On the right-side toolbar, you can adjust the line and change its color, type, and position in relation to the text.

To prevent the line from crossing the text, you can use curved lines.

Go to Shape → Choose Lines, then, one of the curved connectors.

Draw the line in the same way as in the previous step. Then, by moving the yellow point, change the curve of the line.

How to draw text box in Word document

There are two ways to draw a figure with text inside.

1. Choose a text box on the upper toolbar, draw the box, and print the text inside. Then, you can change a shape on the right-side toolbar.

2. Select any shape, draw it, then double-click it and type the text. Then, you can format the text in the text box as usual text in a document.

If you have already selected the size and position of the line and added a text but then, decided to change it to another, select a different shape on the right-side toolbar. The formatting will be saved.

How to draw circle and oval

To draw in Word with circles and ovals, go to the Insert tab → Shapes → Basic shapes → Ellipse.

Click and hold the mouse and stretch a shape to form an oval or a circle. Then, define the size.

On the right-side toolbar, in the field Fill, you can also choose the figure color, make it gradient or select a pattern or picture from the device. For the last option, choose Picture and Texture, click Select Picture and insert a picture from a file or a URL.

How to get any shape using a toolbar

In addition to the standard shapes offered in the editor, you can draw a picture yourself.

Go to the Insert tab → Shape → Lines → Scribble

Draw freehand drawing. The blue color of the lines is set by default. You can change the color and thickness of the lines on the right-side toolbar.

There is also an option to create any shapes with straight lines.

To draw them, go to the Insert tab → Shape → Lines → Freeform

Click at the beginning of the drawing to start. Then click on the next point which will be connected to a previous one with a straight line. There is no limit to the number of lines. To complete the drawing, double-click on the last point. After that, format the shape.

If your drawing has the same starting point as the end one, so that you got a polygonal figure, it is possible to select the color of the whole figure or make it gradient.

Drawing whatever with draw.io plugin

ONLYOFFICE has added Draw.io to its collection of plugins. It is a free open-source solution to create diagrams. The plugin allows you to draw any picture and insert it into a Word document. Read more information about Draw.io and find the installation instruction in our blog.

Go to the Plugins tab —> Draw.io. In the opened tab, you will see all the tools for work. The markup on the sheet will make it easier to draw.

Let’s insert a scheme using a ready-made layout.

On the left-side toolbar, choose Advanced, Vertical Tree Layout.

Enter the text in the boxes.

On the right-side toolbar, format the shapes, or apply a ready style from the Style tab.

After your drawing is ready, click Insert to add the drawing to the document.

The plugin also offers more sophisticated drawings and interface elements of different software. To add them, select More Shapes in the left-side toolbar.

Conclusion

Drawings are often used in text documents. To add them, no separate professional programs are needed. You can draw in a Word document, using simple shapes. For more complex ones, plugins are available with which you can extend the editor’s functions.