Draw lines and custom shapes

Try it!

If you want to use a custom shape, create one using the drawing tools in Visio.

Find and use the drawing tools

1. Select Home.

2. Select the More arrow next to Rectangle to see the list of drawing tools.

3. Select a tool, and drag on the drawing page to draw the shape.

Draw a custom shape

1. Select Home.

2. Select the More arrow and then select the Freeform tool, the Arc tool, or the Line tool.

3. To draw the first segment of the shape, drag on the page.

4. Select the vertex ( ) at the end of the last segment you added, and drag to draw the next segment.

5. To close the shape, drag the endpoint of the last segment over the vertex at the beginning of the first segment.

6. To add a color to your shape, select Fill and choose a color.

7. If you'd like to remove the border from your shape, select Line > No Line.

Create an identical shape

1. Select Copy > Paste to duplicate the shape.

2. If you'd like to reverse the shape, select Position > Rotate Shapes > Flip Horizontal.

Edit a custom shape

1. Go to Home, and select the Pencil tool.

2. Select a shape.

3. Edit the shape:

   • To delete a vertex, select it and press Del.

   • To add a vertex, press Ctrl and select the spot where you want to add a vertex.

   • To move a vertex, drag it to a new position.

Rotate a shape

1. Select the shape.

2. Select Home > Position > Rotate Shapes, and choose the rotation you want.

Group shapes

1. Select the shapes.

2. Select Home > Group > Group.

Add a custom shape to your favorites

1. Select More Shapes > My Shapes > Favorites.

2. Drag the custom shape onto the stencil.

3. To edit the stencil, select Yes.

4. Select the custom shape on the stencil, and type a descriptive name to rename it.

5. Select Save Stencil.

Want more?

Draw a line

Draw lines and shapes with the Pencil, Line, Arc, or Freeform tools