Copy shapes in word

Leslie prepares charts in Excel, adding shapes from the drawing tools. He would like to copy the charts to a Word document, but only some of the shapes are copied. He wonders why some of the shapes get left uncopied and how he can «flatten» the chart so that everything is copied.

Let’s assume for a moment that your chart is inserted in your worksheet, as an object. In this case, the behavior you describe is actually normal. You see, shapes can be associated with either your chart or with your worksheet. If they are associated with the chart, then when you copy the chart to the Word document, the shapes associated with the chart are also copied. If they are associated with the worksheet, then they are not automatically copied with the chart.

Excel associates a shape with either the chart or the worksheet depending on what was selected when you chose to insert the shape. If the chart was selected just prior to inserting the shape, then it will be associated with the chart. If a cell in the worksheet was selected, then the inserted shape is associated with the worksheet—even if you later move the shape to be over the top of the chart.

In order to copy the chart and all the shapes, you have two options. First, you could select a shape that won’t copy, press Ctrl+X to cut it to the Clipboard, click once on the chart to select it, and then press Ctrl+V to paste it. The shape is now associated with the chart. You can repeat this for each misbehaving shape, and subsequently copying the chart to the Word document should copy all the desired shapes, as well.

The second option is to leave all your shapes where they are and simply group them together. Click once on one of the shapes to select it, then hold down the Ctrl key as you click on each of the other shapes, in turn. With the Ctrl key still pressed, click on the chart, as well. Now right-click on one of the selected shapes and, from the resulting Context menu, choose Group | Group. You can then copy the entire group (the chart and all the shapes) to the Word document.

The approaches discussed so far allow the chart and shapes to still be treated as objects when they are copied into your Word document. If, instead, you want to insert a picture of the chart and shapes (i.e., to «flatten» the image, as you noted), then you have a few options.

First, you could use the Snipping tool which is included in Windows. It allows you to grab a portion of the screen as a picture in the Clipboard. You can then paste it into Word very easily. Second, you could use some of the grabbing tools provided in Word. With your document open, display the Insert tab of the ribbon. You can then use the Screenshot tool (in the Illustrations group) to insert an entire screenshot of the Excel worksheet or you can use the Screen Clipping option to insert just a portion of the screen.

Finally, you could also use a third-party screen-shot grabber, such as SnagIt from Techsmith. These stand-alone tools provide great capabilities to grab all or part of a screen and either save it to disk or copy it directly to a document.

Author Bio

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen…

On the Insert tab, click Shapes. Click the shape you want, click anywhere in the workspace, and then drag to place the shape. To create a perfect square or circle (or constrain the dimensions of other shapes), press and hold Shift while you drag.

Why can’t I insert Shapes in Word?

As the issue occurs with specific document, you may recreate the document then save it in a different name. Then reopen the new document and check if the ‘Insert > Shapes’ option is enabled. To create an instance of document, click on the ‘View’ tab > click on ‘New Window’ under ‘Window’ group.

How do you insert Shapes in Word Online?

Adding shapes in Word Online

1. To add a shape to your document:
2. Click “Insert” tab.
3. Click on “Shapes”
4. Select shape and then insert.

How do you draw Shapes in Word?

Click in your document where you want to create the drawing. On the Insert tab, in the Illustrations group, click Shapes. When you find the shape you want to insert, double-click to insert it automatically, or click and drag to draw it in your document.

Where is shape fill in Word?

Changing The Fill Of A Shape In Word
Click Insert > Illustrations > Shapes. Choose any shape you like and draw it on the page (click and drag). Here, I drew a basic rectangle. To change the shape’s fill, ensure that it is selected and then in the Drawing Tools contextual tab, click Shape Styles > Shape Fill.

How do I insert a shape in Word for Mac?

In a Microsoft Word document, click on the Insert menu > Shapes. Once you select a shape, your cursor becomes a crosshairs, which you can use to draw a shape onto your document.

What is Shapes in MS Word?

More Information. A SHAPE field is the Drawing Canvas and is similar to a placeholder, which is automatically created for any drawn picture. Drawn pictures (also called vector drawings) are created from lines, curves, rectangles, and other objects. AutoShapes are drawn pictures.

Can you make custom shapes in Word?

Create custom shape
Open the Microsoft Word document that you want to insert the custom shape in.Select the image and insert it into the document. Select the image in the document, and go to the Graphics Format tab on the ribbon. On the Graphics Format tab, select ‘Convert to Shape’.

How do you insert a square box in Word?

Add a text box

1. Go to Insert > Text Box, and then select Draw Text Box.
2. Click or tap in the document, and drag to draw the text box the size that you want.
3. To add text to a text box, select inside the text box, and then type or paste text. Notes:

What are the steps to insert the shape?

To insert a shape:

1. Select the Insert tab.
2. Click the Shapes command. The Shape command.
3. Select a shape from the drop-down menu.
4. Click and drag the mouse until the shape is the desired size. Creating a new shape.
5. Release the mouse button.

What is free form shapes?

Freeform Shapes – also called organic shapes, are irregular and uneven shapes. Their outlines may be curved, angular, or a combination of both. Form – an element of art, means objects that have three dimensions.

Where is the Draw tool in Word?

Adding the Draw tab to the Ribbon

1. Right-click the Ribbon and select Customize the Ribbon.
2. Check the box next to Draw, then click OK.
3. The Draw tab will now be available in the Ribbon.

Can I draw on Microsoft Word?

You can draw freely in Microsoft Word using the “Draw” feature whether you have Word for Mac or Windows. You can also insert customizable shapes into your document, or draw using the “Scribble” feature. The process of drawing in Word varies based on which version of Word and device you’re using.

Where is the Shapes button on Mac?

On your Mac, click the Shape button , then choose a shape. On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, tap the Insert button , then tap the Shapes button . Tap a shape. , then choose a shape.

How do I copy and paste a shape in Word?

After clicking on the first shape to select it, press and hold down the “Ctrl” key on the keyboard. Click the additional shapes within the text box, then press the “C” key. Release both keys and the shapes are copied.

Which types of shapes are available in MS Word?

MS Word contains many different types of shapes such as boxes, rectangles, callouts, circles, arrows, lines, triangles, curves, equations shapes, and many more. Once the shape is added, you can modify it by changing features like color, style format, size, outline, etc.

How do I insert a 2×2 box in Word?

Click the Insert tab and then click Pictures. Select the photo that you want to turn into a 2×2 picture. Click the Insert button to insert the picture into your Word document. You can also copy the picture (Ctrl + C) and paste it into your Word document (Ctrl + V).

How do I create a fill in box in Word?

Creating Fillable Forms Using Microsoft Word

1. Enable Developer Tab. Open Microsoft Word, then go to the File Tab > Options > Customize Ribbon > check the Developer Tab in the right column > Click OK.
2. Insert a Control.
3. Edit Filler Text.
4. Design Mode button again to exit the mode.
5. Customize Content Controls.