Format in Visio
Format a shape
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Select the shape you want to format.
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On the Home tab, select an option:
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Shape Styles - Select a style.
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Fill - Select a color, No Fill, or More Colors. Select Fill Options to see all options.
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Line - Select the color, weight, or type of line. Select Line Options to see all options.
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Effects - Select an effect: Shadow, Reflection, Glow, Soft Edges, Bevel, 3-D Rotation.
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![Visio Format Shape](https://cxcs.microsoft.net/static/public/central/neutral/b2506bd6-877b-4614-9536-bc7136aa042d/9012273b628daf146a417cd1f79e0cb8aa62de1f.png)
![Screenshot of two connected shapes, with different shape formatting, in a Visio diagram.](https://cxcs.microsoft.net/static/public/central/neutral/d2c7fdd7-6c6a-4a10-bfa6-3acd7c9a19e8/710c0810380d8f7c91bdf011b0532522a29f2a4b.png)
Add text to the drawing page
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Select Home >
Text or press Ctrl+2. -
Drag to draw a text box.
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Type the text.
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Click outside the text box or press Esc.
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Select Home >
Pointer Tool or press Ctrl+1 when you're done adding text.
For more, see Add, edit, move, or rotate text in Visio.
![Visio Tools](https://cxcs.microsoft.net/static/public/central/neutral/02ef3a70-95af-4d91-ba1a-97dc4985095f/d6f559940493cfeb667a8776c7ecfff3ba68657d.png)
![Screen shot of a text entry box on a diagram page.](https://cxcs.microsoft.net/static/public/central/neutral/7df91fd7-09ad-4444-b9f8-861171d068db/f189edeaff979a90f6f91ed160d1995127388891.png)
Apply Themes and Variants
Give your Visio drawing a professional look.
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On the Design tab, select one of the Themes.
Hover over each theme to preview it.
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Select one of the Variants.
Select More
![Visio Themes ribbon](https://cxcs.microsoft.net/static/public/central/neutral/246384ce-7a45-4ba5-a5c2-146f121f33ca/c73d7303e1801b290853baee5c33ca22bf07d77b.png)
![Visio Variants ribbon](https://cxcs.microsoft.net/static/public/central/neutral/edb04bc8-d6b8-41b7-b341-ab3de17fd590/15ecd054c582c717509e249d24cbf50ed7aa36f0.png)
Select a background
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Select Design > Backgrounds.
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Select a background:
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Solid
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Vertical, Horizontal, Corner, and Center Gradients
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World
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Verve
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Flow
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Technic
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Currency
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The background color changes with the Themes and Variants.
![Visio Backgrounds](https://cxcs.microsoft.net/static/public/central/neutral/290ffee5-3f8b-490e-9956-3547b7a30d9b/9043dc72f916189d1e600c4f506575199b2ece27.png)