Shapes can be used to mask pictures, embed links, create flow charts, and much more. You can fill shapes with color, customize their border, and much more. Let’s check various tips to use and edit shapes in Google Slides.
Insert Shapes in Google Slides
To add a shape to your Google Slide, click on the Insert option in the top bar and select Shape. Then choose a shape of your choice. Drag the mouse and draw the shape on your slide. Tip: Press Shift while drawing a shape to maintain the aspect ratio of the shape. You can add a shape from the menu bar directly as well. Click on the Shape icon in the menu bar and select your desired shape.
Rotate, Resize, and Flip Shapes
Similar to images, you can change the size of the shapes, rotate, and flip them. To resize a shape, click on the shape once and drag it using any blue boxes. Use the corner boxes to maintain the aspect ratio. To rotate the shape, use the circular icon at the top of the shape and rotate it. Alternatively, right-click on the shape and select Rotate. You can choose flip options from there.
How to Add a Color to Shapes
Click on the shape once to select it. Then click on the Fill color option in the menu bar and choose your desired color. You can choose from solid or gradient colors.
Change Transparency of Shape
To adjust the transparency of shapes, select the shape. Click on the Fill color icon. From the menu that opens, click on Custom. Using the slides, adjust the Transparency and hit the Ok button. Tip: Find out how to add Bitmoji to Google Slides.
Customize Shape Border
By default, all shapes come with a tiny border. You can modify it by changing its style, color, and weight. For that, click once on the shape. Then use the border styling options in the menu bar.
How to Remove Border From Shape
In case you don’t want to have any border for your shape, you need to set the border color to Transparent. For that, click on the shape once followed by hitting the Border color icon in the menu bar. Select Transparent from the menu that opens.
Put Images in Shapes in Google Slides
You can create beautiful and interesting slides by masking pictures into shapes in Google Slides. That way, your image will look like the shape that you used for masking. To do so, add an image on your slide. Then click on the image to select it. After that, click on the small arrow icon next to the Crop icon in the menu bar and select the desired shape. Tip: Find out in detail how to fill a shape with an image in Google Slides on mobile and PC.
Arrange Shapes
When you add multiple shapes to your slides, you can arrange them by bringing various shapes to the front while keeping others in the background. This helps in hiding unnecessary parts of the shape and also gives a different look to your slide. To arrange shapes, right-click on the desired shape and select Order followed by the desired position. Tip: To duplicate a shape, copy-paste it.
Group Shapes
If you want to perform any action (rotate, resize, move, etc.) on multiple shapes together, you should group them. For that, click on one of the shapes. Then keeping the Shift key pressed, click on other shapes. Right-click on any shape and select Group. Know other methods to group and ungroup items in Google Slides.
Add Reflection and Shadow to Shapes
Like images, you can add reflection and shadow to shapes. For that, right-click on the shape and select Format options. From the right sidebar that opens, check the box next to Drop shadow or Reflection and adjust the parameters as required.
Change Shape While Keeping Formatting
At times, once you have edited a shape, you need to use a different shape. Fortunately, you don’t need to start from scratch. You can change the shape while keeping the formatting intact. For that, right-click on the shape and select Change shape. Choose the desired shape.
Create Custom Shapes in Google Slides
Using the formatting options mentioned above, you can mix and match to create custom shapes of your choice. It all depends on your creativity. Tools like arrange, transparency effect, resize, etc., come in handy. However, if you want to put a picture in a custom shape, that is not possible directly in Google Slides. You will have to create your shape in Google Drawings and export it as a PNG file to Google Slides.
