Impress Guide 7.2

Chapter 6
Formatting Graphic Objects

CopyrightThis document is Copyright © 2021 by the LibreOffice Documentation Team. Contributors arelisted below. This document maybe distributed and/or modified under the terms of either the GNU
General Public License (https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html), version 3 or later, or the Creative
Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), version 4.0 or later.
All trademarks within this guide belong to their legitimate owners.

Contributors
To this editionPeter Schofield

Vasudev Narayanan

Rachel Kartch

Samantha Hamilton
Jean Hollis Weber

Michele Zarri

To previous editionsPeter Schofield
T. Elliot Turner

Feedback
Please direct any comments or suggestions about this document to the Documentation Team’s
mailing list: documentation@global.libreoffice.org

Note
Everything sent to a mailing list, including email addresses and any other personal
information that is written in the message, is publicly archived and cannot be deleted.

Publication date and software version
Published October 2021. Based on LibreOffice 7.2.

Using LibreOffice on macOS
Some keystrokes and menu items are different on macOS from those used in Windows andLinux. The table below gives some common substitutions for the instructions in this document.
For a detailed list, see the application Help.
Windows or LinuxmacOS equivalent

EffectTools > Options
menu selection

LibreOffice > Preferences

Access setup options

Right-click

Control+click or right-click
depending on computer setup

Open a context menu

Ctrl (Control)⌘ (Command)

Used with other keys

F11

⌘+T

Open the Styles deck in the Sidebar

Documentation for LibreOffice is available at https://documentation.libreoffice.org/en/Contents
Copyright............................................................................................................................2
Contributors.............................................................................................................................. 2
Feedback.................................................................................................................................. 2
Publication date and software version.......................................................................................2
Using LibreOffice on macOS.....................................................................................................2

Introduction........................................................................................................................5
Line formatting..................................................................................................................5
Line and Filling toolbar..............................................................................................................5
Sidebar..................................................................................................................................... 6
Line dialog................................................................................................................................. 7
Line page............................................................................................................................. 7
Line shadows............................................................................................................................ 8
Line styles................................................................................................................................. 9Creating line styles............................................................................................................... 9
Deleting line styles............................................................................................................. 10
Arrow styles............................................................................................................................. 11Creating arrow styles..........................................................................................................11
Deleting arrow styles.......................................................................................................... 12

Area fill formatting...........................................................................................................13
Line and Filling toolbar............................................................................................................ 13
Sidebar................................................................................................................................... 14
Area dialog.............................................................................................................................. 16

Working with area fills....................................................................................................16
Color fills................................................................................................................................. 16
Using color......................................................................................................................... 16
Creating custom colors with Area dialog.............................................................................17
Creating colors with Pick a Color dialog.............................................................................18
Deleting custom colors.......................................................................................................18
Gradient fills............................................................................................................................ 18
Using gradients.................................................................................................................. 18
Creating custom gradients..................................................................................................19
Modifying gradients............................................................................................................ 20
Renaming gradients........................................................................................................... 21
Deleting gradients.............................................................................................................. 21
Advanced gradient controls................................................................................................21
Bitmap fills............................................................................................................................... 22
Using bitmaps..................................................................................................................... 22
Editing bitmaps................................................................................................................... 24
Importing bitmaps............................................................................................................... 25
Renaming bitmaps............................................................................................................. 25
Deleting bitmaps................................................................................................................. 25
Pattern fills.............................................................................................................................. 25
Using patterns.................................................................................................................... 25
Creating patterns................................................................................................................ 26
Modifying patterns.............................................................................................................. 27
Renaming patterns............................................................................................................. 27
Deleting patterns................................................................................................................ 27
Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects | 3

Hatch fills................................................................................................................................ 28
Using hatch fills..................................................................................................................28
Creating hatch fills.............................................................................................................. 28
Modifying hatch fills............................................................................................................ 29
Renaming hatch fills...........................................................................................................29
Deleting hatch fills..............................................................................................................30

Working with shadows....................................................................................................30
Area dialog.............................................................................................................................. 30
Sidebar................................................................................................................................... 31
Line and Filling toolbar............................................................................................................ 32

Working with transparencies.........................................................................................32
Text in objects..................................................................................................................33
Adding text.............................................................................................................................. 33
Formatting text in objects........................................................................................................34
Text animation......................................................................................................................... 35
Text columns........................................................................................................................... 36

Formatting connectors...................................................................................................37
Working with image styles.............................................................................................37
Linked drawing styles.............................................................................................................. 38
Default drawing style...............................................................................................................38
Creating drawing styles........................................................................................................... 39
New style from Sidebar......................................................................................................39
New style from selected object...........................................................................................40
Modifying drawing styles......................................................................................................... 40
Updating drawing styles..........................................................................................................40
Applying drawing styles........................................................................................................... 41
Deleting drawing styles...........................................................................................................41

Introduction
The format of each graphic object, in addition to its size, rotation, and position on the slide, isdetermined by a number of attributes that define the line, text, and area fill of each object. These
attributes (among others) also contribute to a graphics style. Although this chapter discusses
mainly the manual formatting of objects, it concludes by showing how to create, apply, modify,
and delete graphics styles.

Note
When hovering the cursor over an icon or tool on a toolbar or in the Sidebar, pop-up
text indicates the purpose of the icon or tool.

Line formatting
In LibreOffice the term line indicates both a freestanding segment (line), the outer edge of ashape (border), or an arrow. In most cases, the properties of the line that can be modified arestyle (solid, dashed, invisible, and so on), width, color, and type of arrowhead.

4| Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects

Note
When adding color to a line or arrow, refer to “Color fills” on page 16 on how tochange color, create custom colors, modify colors, or delete colors.

Line and Filling toolbar
Format a line using the Line and Filling toolbar (Figure 1) as follows:
1) Make sure a line is selected on a slide.
2) Select a line style from the Line Style drop-down list.
3) Either type the line width in the Line Width text box, or use the up and down arrows tochange the line width.
4) Click on the triangle ▼ to the right of Line Color and select a color from one of the color
palettes that are available.
5) If necessary, select from the Arrow Style drop-down list the type of arrowhead for eachend of the line and change the line into an arrow. The left drop-down list adds an arrowhead to the beginning of the line. The right drop-down list adds an arrow head to the endof the line.
6) If necessary, click on Shadow to add a shadow to the line. The shadow applied uses thesettings set in the Line dialog (Figure 6 on page 9).
7) Deselect the line to save the changes to the line.

Figure 1: Line and Filling toolbar

Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects | 5

Figure 2: Line panel in Properties deck on Sidebar

Sidebar
To format a line using the Line panel in the Properties deck on the Sidebar (Figure 2):1) Make sure a line is selected on a slide.
2) Click on Properties on the Sidebar to open the Properties deck.
3) Click on Line to open the Line panel.
4) In Line when an arrow is being created, select from the Arrow Style drop-down list thetype of arrowhead for each end of the line and change the line into an arrow. The leftdrop-down list adds an arrow head to the beginning of the line. The right drop-down list
adds an arrow head to the end of the line.
5) In Line, select from the Line Style drop-down list the type of line from the options
available.
6) In Width, select a line width from the options in Select the width of the line drop-down
list or enter a width in the Custom Line Width text box.
7) In Color, select a line color from one of the color palettes that are available in the Line
Color drop-down list.
8) In Transparency, move the slider or enter a percentage in the text box to set the shadowtransparency.
9) In Corner style, select a corner style from the options available in the drop-down list.
10) In Cap style, select the style of the line end caps from the drop-down list. The cap style isadded to dashes also if dashes have been used in the line style.
11) Deselect the line to save the changes to the line.
12) If necessary, click on More Options on the right of the title bar and open the Line dialog
for more control over formatting lines.
6| Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects

Figure 3: Line dialog - Line pageLine dialog
To fully change the appearance of a line, then the Line dialog is used. The line dialog consists offour pages: Line, Shadow, Line Styles and Arrow Styles, which are explained in the following
sections.
1) Make sure a line is selected on a slide.
2) Open the Line dialog (Figure 3) using one of the following methods:– Go to Format > Object and Shape > Line on the Menu bar.
– Right-click on the line and select Line from the context menu.
– Click on More Options on the right of the Line title bar.
3) When all changes have been made to the selected line, click OK to close the dialog andsave the changes. The preview box at the bottom of the dialog shows the effect of any
changes made to a line.

Line page
The Line page in the Line dialog (Figure 3) is where the basic parameters of a line are selected
and are as follows:•Line Properties – this section is used to set the following parameters:– Style – select a line style from the Style drop-down list.
– Color – select a predefined color from the available color palettes. To create a custom
color, see to “Color fills” on page 16 for more information.
– Width – specifies the thickness of the line.

Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects | 7

Figure 4: Example of linetransparency (0%, 25%, 50%,
75% left to right)– Transparency – sets the transparency percentage of a line. Figure 4 is an example ofeffect of different transparency percentages to lines when placed over an object.
•

Arrow Styles – this section is only applicable to individual lines and is not used for linesthat form the borders of an object.
– Start Style – select the arrow style for the start of a line from the drop-down list.
– Width – specifies the thickness of the start arrow ending.
– End Style – select the arrow style for the end of a line from the drop-down list.
– Width – specifies the thickness of the end arrow ending.
– Center – moves the center of the arrow endings to the end point of the line. Figure 5 isan example of the effects of selecting this option.
– Synchronize ends – makes the two line ends identical.

Figure 5: Example of default (top) andcenter (bottom) arrow heads•

Corner and Cap Styles – determines how the connection between two segments of aline looks. To appreciate the difference between corner and cap styles, choose a thickline style and observe how the preview changes as each option is selected.
– Corner style – select the shape used at the corners of the line from the drop-down list.
For a small angle between lines, a mitered shape is replaced with a beveled shape.
– Cap style – select the style of the line end caps from the drop-down list. The caps areadded to inner dashes as well.

Line shadows
The Shadow page (Figure 6) of the Line dialog provides options to add and format a line shadow.
The shadow settings in this dialog are the same as the shadow settings in the Area dialog(Figure 25 on page 30). However, shadow settings in the Line dialog can have different values
than the shadow settings in the Area dialog. For more information on shadow settings, see“Working with shadows” on page 30.

8| Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects

Figure 6: Line dialog - Shadow page
To quickly apply a shadow to a line, click on Shadow on the Line and Filling toolbar. Using the
Shadow tool creates a shadow using the settings from the Shadow page in the Line dialog.

Line styles
Line styles are useful in a drawing when adding several lines of similar types. This reduces theneed to format individual lines. LibreOffice provides standard line styles that can be used in a
drawing. Also, line styles can be created, saved, and deleted.
The Line Styles page in the Line dialog (Figure 7) provides the options to use predefined line
styles and to create or change line styles. An example of the line style selected or created isdisplayed at the bottom of the Line Styles page.

Creating line styles
1) Create a line in a drawing.
2) Open the Line dialog using one of the following methods:– Go to Format > Object and Shape > Line on the Menu bar.
– Right-click on the line and select Line from the context menu.
3) Click on Line Styles to open the Line Styles page.
4) Select from the Line style drop-down menu a predefined line style that is similar to theline style being created.
5) Click Add and type a name for the new line style in the Name dialog that opens, thenclick OK to close the dialog. The name of the new style appears in the Line style box.
6) In the Type drop-down lists, select Dots or Dash. For lines with only dots or dashes,
select the same in both Type boxes.
7) In Number, specify the number of dots or dashes required. For different sized groups ofdots or dashes, set a different quantity number in each Number box.
8) In Length, specify the length percentage for dashes. Length is not available if Dots has
been selected for Type.
9) In Spacing, set a spacing percentage between the dots and/or dashes.
10) If necessary, select Fit to line width so that the new style fits the width of the selected line.

Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects | 9

Figure 7: Line dialog - Line Styles page11) The new line style created is available only in the current document. To use the new line
style in other documents, click on Save Line Styles and type a unique filename in the
Save as dialog that opens. Saved line styles have the file extension of.sod.
12) To use a previously created line style, click on Load Line Styles, then select a style fromthe list of saved styles and click on Open to load the style into the document.
13) If necessary, click on Modify to change the name of the style and follow Steps 4 thru 11
to create and use a new line style.
14) Click OK to save any changes and close the Line dialog.

Note
When creating a line style, it is recommended to use a unique name for the line
style. This prevents one of the predefined line styles in LibreOffice from being
overwritten and causing formatting problems in other documents that use thepredefined line styles.

Deleting line styles
1) Open the Line dialog and click on Line Styles to open the Line Styles page.
2) Select the line style for deletion from the Line style drop-down list.
3) Click on Delete, then confirm the deletion by clicking on Yes in the confirmation dialog
that opens.
4) Click OK to save any changes and close the Line dialog.

10| Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects

Note
When deleting line styles, make sure that the line style is not used in anotherdocument. It is recommended to only delete line styles that have been created andnot to delete one of the LibreOffice predefined line styles. This prevents any
formatting problems in other documents where the line style has been used.

Arrow styles
Creating arrow styles
Any shape can be used as an arrowhead, but the shape must be convertible to a curve. A curve
is something drawn without lifting a pencil. For example, a star can be converted to a curve, but asmiley face cannot.
1) Select a shape, or create a shape that can be converted to a curve for use as a newarrowhead. The part of the shape that is going to be point of the arrowhead must face
upward. An example of a new arrowhead is shown in Figure 8.
2) If necessary, select the shape, right-click and select Convert > To Curve from the context
menu. If the shape is already a curve, To Curve will not be available.
3) Make sure the arrowhead shape is selected.
4) Open the Line dialog and click on Arrow Styles to open the Arrow Styles page
(Figure 9).
5) Click on Add, type a name for the new arrow style in the dialog that opens, then click OK.
The new arrowhead style appears on the Arrow Styles page and at the bottom of theArrow style drop-down list.
6) The new arrow style created is available only in the current document. To use the createdarrow style in other documents, click on Save arrow styles and type a unique filename inthe dialog that opens. Saved arrow styles have the file extension of .soe.
7) To use a previously saved arrow styles, click on Load arrow styles to open a file browser
and select the style from the saved list of styles. Click Open to load the style into adocument.

Figure 8: Example of ashape being used for aarrowhead

Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects | 11

Figure 9: Line dialog - Arrow Styles page8) If necessary, make changes to the arrow style and click on Modify, then enter a name inthe dialog to change the name of the arrow style.
9) Click OK to save any changes and close the Line dialog.

Deleting arrow styles
1) Open the Line dialog using one of the following methods:– Go to Format > Object and Shape > Line on the Menu bar.
– Right-click on the line and select Line from the context menu.
2) Click on Arrow Styles to open the Arrow Styles page.
3) Select the arrow style for deletion from the Arrow style drop-down list.
4) Click on Delete, then confirm the deletion by clicking on Yes in the confirmation dialog
that opens.
5) Click OK to save any changes and close the Line dialog.

Note
When deleting arrow styles, make sure that the arrow style is not used in anotherdocument. It is recommended to only delete arrow styles that have been created andnot to delete one of the LibreOffice predefined arrow styles. This prevents any
formatting problems in other documents where the arrow style has been used.

12| Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects

Figure 10: Examples of area fill types

Area fill formatting
Area fill refers to the inside of an object that has an unbroken border, for example a rectangle,
circle, star, pentagon and so on. An area fill can be a uniform color, gradient, hatching pattern, or
bitmap, as shown by the examples in Figure 10. An area fill can also be made partly or whollytransparent and throw a shadow. For more information on area fills, see “Working with area fills”
on page 16.

Line and Filling toolbar
Tools on the Line and Filling toolbar provide a wide number of default fillings available to quickly
format graphic objects. If this toolbar is not showing, go to View > Toolbars > Line and Fillingon the Menu bar.
1) Select an object so that the selection handles are displayed.
2) From the Area Style/Filling drop-down list on the Line and Filling toolbar, select the typeof fill required.
– None – select this option if an area fill for an object is not required.
– Color (Figure 11) – select a color palette from the available options in the drop-down
list, then select a color by clicking on the color.
– Gradient (Figure 12) – select the required gradient from the drop-down list.
– Hatching (Figure 13) – select the required hatching from the drop-down list.
– Bitmap (Figure 14) – select the required bitmap from the drop-down list.
– Pattern (Figure 15) – select the required pattern from the Pattern drop-down list in Fillon the Area panel in the Properties deck on the Sidebar.
3) Deselect the object to save any changes.

Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects | 13

Figure 11: Color area fills

Figure 13: Hatching area fills

Figure 12: Gradient area fills

Figure 14: Bitmap area fills

Sidebar
1) Select an object for editing.
2) Click on Properties on the Sidebar to open the Properties deck, then click on Area toopen the Area panel (Figure 15).
3) Use the various options in the Fill and Transparency drop-down lists to format the fill andtransparency of an object. For more information on area fills, see “Working with area fills”
on page 16.
4) Deselect the object to save any changes.
5) If necessary, click on More Options on the right of the Area title bar to open the Area
dialog giving more control over the appearance of the object fill.
14| Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects

Figure 15: Area panel in Properties deckon Sidebar

Figure 16: Area dialog - Area Color page

Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects | 15

Area dialog
Use the Area dialog (Figure 16) to change existing area fills with greater control or create an area
fill.
1) Select an object for editing.
2) Open the Area dialog using one of the following methods:– Go to Format > Object and Shape > Area on the Menu bar.
– Right-click on the object and select Area from the context menu.
– Click on More Options on the right of the Area panel title on the Sidebar.
3) Click on Area to open the Area page.
4) Select the type of area fill from the options available: None, Color, Bitmap, Gradient,
Pattern, or Hatch. For more information on area fills, see “Working with area fills” below.
5) Select the style of area fill from the options that become available. The number ofavailable options depends on the type of area fill selected.
6) Click OK to close the Area dialog and save the changes.

Note
If an area fill for an object is not required, select None from the options available
after opening the Area page in the Area dialog.

Working with area fills
Although the characteristics of an existing area fill can be changed and then modified by clicking
the Modify button, it is recommended that only custom area fills are modified rather thanmodifying the predefined area fills supplied with LibreOffice. Predefined area fills may be reset
when LibreOffice is updated

Color fills
Using color
1) Select an object for editing.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Color toopen the options available for a color fill (Figure 16).
3) In Palette, select the required color palette from the drop-down list and the required color
from the available colors shown. All color fills available are solid colors.
– Active – shows the present color fill of a selected object. After selecting a new color, apreview of the selected color appears in New.
– Alternatively, enter the RGB or Hex values of a color in the appropriate text box.
– Alternatively, click on Pick to open the Pick a Color dialog (Figure 17). Select a color
from the color box or enter the RGB, Hex, HSB or CMYK values for the color required.
– If a color has been used before, then select the required color from those available in
Recent Colors.
4) Click OK to close the dialog and save the changes. The area fill appears in the selected
object.

16| Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects

Figure 17: Pick a Color dialog

Creating custom colors with Area dialog
Custom colors can be created either as a combination of the three primary colors using RGB
notation of Red (R), Green (G), and Blue (B) or using CMYK percentages of Cyan (C), Magenta(M), Yellow (Y), and Black (K).
1) Select an object for editing.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Color toopen the options available for a color fill.
3) Specify the Red (R), Green (G), and Blue (B) values on a 0 to 255 scale to create a newcolor.
4) Click on Add in Custom Palette and enter a name for the color in the Name dialog that
opens.
5) Click OK to close the Name dialog and the color is added to the Custom palette.
6) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog. The new color appears as a fillin the selected object.

Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects | 17

Creating colors with Pick a Color dialog
1) Select an object for editing.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Color toopen the options available for a color fill.
3) Click on Pick to open the Pick a Color dialog (Figure 17).
4) Create a new color using one of the following methods. A preview of the color created isshown in the colored box below the original color on the left side of the dialog.
– Select a color range from the colored bar, then, using the mouse, move the target in
the colored box until the cursor is on the color required.
– Enter values for Red (R), Green (G), and Blue (B) in the RGB text boxes.
– Enter values for Cyan (C), Magenta (M), Yellow (Y), and Key (K) (black) in the CMYK
text boxes.
– Enter values for Hue (H), Saturation (S), and Brightness (B) in the HSB text boxes.
HSB values do not change the color, but how a color looks.
– If known, enter the Hex# number in the text box. For example, Hex numbers arenormally used when a specific color has been created for a company logo or company
name.
5) Click OK to close the Pick a Color dialog.
6) Click on Add in Custom Palette and enter a name for the color in the Name dialog that
opens.
7) Click OK to close the Name dialog and the color is added to the Custom palette.
8) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog. The new color appears as a fillin the selected object.

Note
Changing one set of color values also changes the other sets of color values.

Deleting custom colors
1) Select an object for editing.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Color toopen the options available for a color fill.
3) Select Custom from the Palette drop-down list in Colors.
4) Select the color for deletion from those displayed and click on Delete. There is no
confirmation given when deleting a color.
5) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog.

Note
Only colors that have been created and placed in the custom palette can be deleted.
Colors from any of the other color palettes available in LibreOffice cannot be deleted.

Gradient fills
Using gradients
1) Select an object for editing.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Gradient(Figure 18) to open the options available for a gradient fill.
18| Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects

Figure 18: Area dialog - Area Gradient page3) In Gradient, select the required gradient from the list of available gradients and it
appears in Preview.
4) To override the default gradient transition of a selection, deselect Automatic in Options
and then enter the values for Type, Increment, Angle, Border, From Color, and To Color in
the available boxes.
5) Click OK to close the dialog and save the changes. The area fill appears in the selected
object.

Creating custom gradients
Gradients can be modified or custom gradient can be created. Several types of gradients arepredefined in LibreOffice and changing the From Color and To Color settings could be sufficient
to obtain a satisfactory result.
1) Select the object where a custom gradient is going to be used.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Gradient toopen the options available for a gradient fill.
3) Select one of the predefined gradients shown in the Gradient box and the gradientappears in Preview.
4) In Options, select a gradient type from the Type drop-down list: Linear, Axial, Radial,
Ellipsoid, or Square. Each gradient type changes the gradient displayed in Preview.
5) Adjust the settings in Options as necessary. The options used to create a gradient aresummarized in Table 1. Depending on the gradient type selected, some options will not
be available.
Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects | 19

6) Click on Add and enter a name for the gradient in the Name dialog that opens.
7) Click OK to close the Name dialog and the gradient is added to the end of the gradientsdisplayed in the Gradient box.
8) Click OK to close the Area dialog and save the changes.

Note
It is recommended to only modify, rename or delete gradients that have beencreated. These custom gradients are always positioned at the bottom of thegradients displayed in the Gradient box. Modifying, renaming or deleting gradientsthat are installed with LibreOffice may cause problems in documents that use one ofthese gradients.
Table 1: Gradient options
Gradient property
Description
Linear gradient

The color transitions from the starting color to the end color in a straightline.

Axial gradient

The color transitions from the starting color to the end color from theobject center to the object edges in two opposite directions.

Radial gradient

The color transitions from the starting color to the end color in a circularpattern.

Ellipsoid gradient

The color transitions from the starting color to the end color in an elliptical
pattern.

Quadratic gradient

The color transitions from the starting color to the end color from theobject edges to the object center in four directions.

Square gradient

The color transitions from the starting color to the end color from theobject edges to the object center in a square pattern.

Increment

Enter the number of steps for blending the two colors of the gradient. By
default this is set to Automatic.

Center X

For Radial, Ellipsoid, Square and Rectangular gradients, modify thesevalues to set the horizontal offset of the gradient center.

Center Y

For Radial, Ellipsoid, Square and Rectangular gradients, modify thesevalues to set the vertical offset of the gradient center.

Angle

For all gradient types, modifies the angle of the gradient axis.

BorderIncrease this value to make the gradient start further away from theborder of the shape.

From Color

The start color for the gradient. In the edit box enter the intensity of thecolor: 0% corresponds to black, 100% to the full color.

To Color

The end color for the gradient. In the edit box enter the intensity of thecolor: 0% corresponds to black, 100% to the full color.

Modifying gradients
1) Select the object where the gradient is going to be modified.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Gradient toopen the options available for a gradient fill.

20| Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects

3) Select one of the predefined gradients shown in the Gradient box and the gradientappears in Preview.
4) Select a gradient previously created and added to the gradients displayed in the Gradientdialog.
5) Enter the new values for the gradient options that need to be changed. See Table 1 formore information on gradient options. Depending on the type of gradient selected, some
options may not be available.
6) Click Modify to save the changes. There is no confirmation given when modifying a
gradient.
7) Click OK to close the Area dialog and save the changes.

Renaming gradients
1) Select the object where the gradient is going to be renamed.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Gradient toopen the options available for a gradient fill.
3) Right-click on the gradient and select Rename from the context menu.
4) Enter a name for the gradient in the Name dialog that opens.
5) Click OK save the change and close the Name dialog.
6) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog.

Deleting gradients
1) Select the object where the gradient is going to be renamed.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Gradient toopen the options available for a gradient fill.
3) Select a gradient that has been created and added to the gradients displayed in theGradient box.
4) Right-click on the gradient and select Delete from the pop-up menu. Click on Yes toconfirm the deletion.
5) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog.

Advanced gradient controls
1) Select an object that contains a gradient as a fill.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area, then click on Gradient to open the Gradientpage.
3) Go to View > Toolbars > Transformations on the Menu bar or click on
Transformations on the Line and Filling toolbar to open the Transformations toolbar(Figure 19).
4) Click Interactive gradient tool in the Transformations toolbar. This displays a dashedline connecting two colored squares. The colors show the From Color and To Color thatare used for the selected gradient (Figure 20).

Figure 19: Transformations toolbar

Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects | 21

Figure 20: Example of using Interactive Gradienttool5) Select the type of gradient required for the object from the Type drop-down list in Options
on the Gradient page in the Area dialog. The gradient properties are adjusted dependingon the gradient type selected and these properties are explained below.
– Linear gradients – move the From Color square to change where the gradient starts(border value). Move the To Color square to change the orientation (angle value).
– Axial gradients – move the To Color square to change both the angle and borderproperties of the gradient. Only the To Color square can be moved.
– Radial gradients – move the From Color square to modify the border property to set
the width of the gradient circle. Move the To Color square to change the point where
the gradient ends (Center X and Center Y values).
– Ellipsoid gradients – move the From Color square to modify the border property to
set the size of the gradient ellipsoid. Move the To Color square to change the angle ofthe ellipsoid axis and the axis itself.
– Quadratic gradients – move the From Color square to modify the border to set thesize of the gradient square or rectangle and the angle of the gradient shape. Move theTo Color square to change the center of the gradient.
– Square gradients – move the From Color square to modify the border to set the sizeof the gradient square or rectangle and the angle of the gradient shape. Move the To
Color square to change the center of the gradient.
6) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog.

Note
Moving the squares creates different effects depending on the type of gradient. For
example, for a linear gradient, the start and end squares of the gradient are always
situated either side of the center point of the object.

Bitmap fills
Using bitmaps
1) Select an object for editing.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Bitmap(Figure 21) to open the options available for a bitmap fill.
3) In Bitmap, select the required bitmap from the list of available bitmaps and it appears inPreview. Alternatively, click on Add/Import to open a file browser window, then select afile to use as a bitmap fill.

22| Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects

Figure 21: Area dialog - Area Bitmap page4) To override the settings for the selected bitmap, in Options, enter values for Style, Size,
Position, Tiling Position, and Tiling Offset. See Table 2 for information on Options.
5) Click OK to close the dialog and save the changes. The area fill appears in the selected
object.
Table 2: Bitmap options
OptionPurposeStyle – Custom position/size

When selected, the position of the bitmap in the object and thesize of the bitmap can be determined.

Style – Tiled

When selected, the bitmap is tiled to fill the area. The size of thebitmap used for the tiling is determined by the Size settings

Style – Stretched

When selected, a bitmap is stretched to fill object area.

Size – Width

Sets the width of the bitmap. For example, 100% means that thebitmap original width is resized to occupy the whole fill area width,
50% means that the bitmap width is half that of the fill area.

Size – Height

Sets the height of the bitmap. For example, 100% means that thebitmap original height is resized to occupy the whole fill areaheight, 50% means that the bitmap height is half that of the fillarea.

Size – Scale

When selected, bitmap size is given as a percentage for Widthand Height. When deselected, the actual size of the bitmap isgiven for Width and Height.
Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects | 23

OptionPurposePosition

When selected, the anchoring point of the bitmap is determined.
Default position is Center.

Tiling Position – X offset

When Tile is selected, sets the offset for the bitmap width inpercentage values. 50% offset means that Impress places the
middle part of the bitmap at the anchor point and starts tiling fromthere.

Tiling Position – Y offset

When Tile is selected, sets the offset for the bitmap height inpercentage values. 50% offset means that Impress places the
middle part of the bitmap at the anchor point and starts tiling fromthere.

Tiling Offset – Row

When Tile is selected, offsets the rows of tiled bitmaps by theentered percentage value so that each row is offset from theprevious row.

Tiling Offset – Column

When Tile is selected, offsets the columns of tiled bitmaps by theentered percentage value so that each column is offset from theprevious column.

Editing bitmaps
1) Select an object for editing that contains a bitmap as a fill, or insert a bitmap into aselected object
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Bitmap to
open the options available for a bitmap fill.
3) Select a bitmap from the options available in Bitmap to use and edit as a fill. Note that
any imported bitmaps are also available.
4) In Options, select the properties for Style, Size, Position, Tiling Position and Tiling Offset.
See Table 2 for more information on bitmap properties. The best way to understandbitmap properties is to use them. Figure 22 shows examples of using bitmap fills.
5) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog.

Figure 22: Example of using bitmap fills

24| Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects

Importing bitmaps
1) Select an object to import a bitmap into the object.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Bitmap to
open the options available for a bitmap fill.
3) Click on Add/Import and a file browser window opens.
4) Navigate to the directory containing the bitmap file, then select it and click Open.
5) Enter a name for the new bitmap in the Name dialog that opens, then click OK to close
the Name dialog. The imported bitmap appears at the bottom of the Bitmap preview box.
6) Select the imported bitmap in the Bitmap preview box.
7) Click OK to import the bitmap into the selected object and close the Area dialog.

Renaming bitmaps
1) Select an object that uses a bitmap.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Bitmap to
open the options available for a bitmap fill.
3) Right-click on the bitmap selected for renaming and select Rename from the context
menu.
4) Enter a new name for the bitmap in the Name dialog that opens.
5) Click OK save the change and close the Name dialog.
6) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog.

Note
It is recommended to only rename or delete bitmaps that have been created orimported. Renaming or deleting bitmaps that are installed with LibreOffice may cause
problems in documents that use one of these bitmaps.

Deleting bitmaps
1) Select an object that contains the bitmap being deleted.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Bitmap to
open the options available for a bitmap fill.
3) Right-click on the bitmap that is going to be deleted in the Bitmap preview box.
4) Select Delete from the context menu and click on Yes to confirm the deletion.
5) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog.

Pattern fills
Using patterns
1) Select an object for editing.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Pattern(Figure 23) to open the options available for a pattern fill.
3) In Pattern, select a pattern from the available patterns and it appears in Preview.
4) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog. The pattern area fill appears inthe selected object.

Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects | 25

Figure 23: Area dialog - Area Pattern page

Creating patterns
1) Select an object that contains a pattern as a fill or insert a pattern into the selected object.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Pattern toopen the options available for a pattern fill.
3) If necessary, select a pattern from the options available in the Pattern preview box. Notethat any imported patterns are also available. The selected pattern appears in Pattern
Editor.
4) In Options, select a color from the available color palettes for the Foreground Color andBackground Color.
5) In Pattern Editor, start creating the pattern by clicking in the squares (pixels) to change
color. Each click in a square swaps the color from Background Color to Foreground Coloror Foreground Color to Background Color. Check the pattern being created to see if thedesired effect is being achieved.
6) Click on Add to open a Name dialog.
7) Enter a name for the new pattern, then click OK to close the Name dialog. The newpattern appears at the bottom of the Pattern preview box.
8) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog.

26| Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects

Note
It is recommended to only modify, rename or delete patterns that have been created.
Modifying, renaming or deleting patterns that were installed with LibreOffice may
cause problems in documents that use one of these patterns.

Modifying patterns
1) Select an object that contains a pattern or insert a pattern into the selected object.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Pattern toopen the options available for a pattern fill.
3) If necessary, select a pattern from the options available in the Pattern preview box. Notethat any imported patterns are also available. The selected pattern appears in Pattern
Editor.
4) Enter new colors for the Foreground Color and Background Color from the available color
palettes.
5) In Pattern Editor, start modifying the pattern by clicking in the squares (pixels) to change
color. Each click in a square swaps the color from Background Color to Foreground Coloror Foreground Color to Background Color. Check the pattern being created to see if thedesired effect is being achieved.
6) Click on Modify to save the pattern changes. There is no confirmation given whenmodifying a pattern fill.
7) Click OK to close the Area dialog and save the changes.

Renaming patterns
1) Select an object that contains a pattern, or insert a pattern into the selected object.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Pattern toopen the options available for a pattern fill. The selected pattern appears in Pattern
Editor.
3) Right-click on the pattern for renaming in the Preview box and select Rename from thecontext menu.
4) Enter a name for the pattern in the Name dialog that opens.
5) Click OK save the renaming and close the Name box.
6) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog.

Deleting patterns
1) Select an object that contains a pattern, or insert a pattern into the selected object.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Pattern toopen the options available for a pattern fill. The selected pattern appears in Pattern
Editor.
3) Right-click on the pattern for deletion in the Preview box and select Delete from thecontext menu.
4) Click on Yes to confirm the deletion.
5) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog.

Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects | 27

Figure 24: Area dialog - Area Hatch page

Hatch fills
Using hatch fills
1) Select an object for editing.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Hatch toopen the options available for a hatch fill (Figure 24).
3) Select a hatch from the options shown in the Hatch box and the selected hatch appears
in the Preview box.
4) If necessary, to override the Options settings for the selected hatch fill, enter a newvalues for Spacing, Angle, Line type, Line color, and Background Color.
5) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog. The hatch fill appears in theselected object.

Creating hatch fills
When creating new hatch fills or modifying an existing hatch fill, use the options available on the
Area Hatch page in the Area dialog. See Table 3 for an explanation of the options available for ahatch fill.
It is recommended to create a new hatch fill rather than modify an existing hatch fill.
1) Select an object that contains a hatch fill, or insert a hatch fill into the selected object.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Hatch toopen the options available for a hatch fill.
28| Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects

3) As a starting point, select a hatch fill similar to the one being created. The selected hatch
fill appears in the Preview box.
4) Change the values of the option settings for the hatch fill. The hatch fill displayed in thePreview box changes to reflect the changes in option values.
5) Click on Add to open the Name dialog and enter a name for the new hatch fill.
6) Click OK to close the Name dialog. The new hatch fill appears at the bottom of the hatch
fills displayed in the Hatch box.
7) Click OK to close the Area dialog and save the changes. The new hatch fill appears in theselected object.
Table 3: Hatch fill options
Hatch option

Meaning

Spacing

Determines the spacing between two lines of the hatching fill. As thevalue is changed the Preview is updated.

Angle

Determines the angle used for the hatch lines. Either use the slider orenter a value in the box to change the angle.

Line typeSet single, double or triple line for the style of the hatching fill.

Line color

Select a color of the lines that form the hatching fill from the drop-down
list of available color palettes

Background color

Select a color for the background color behind the hatching lines fromthe drop-down list of available color palettes

Note
It is recommended to only modify, rename or delete hatch fills that have beencreated. Modifying, renaming or deleting hatch fills that were installed with
LibreOffice may cause problems in documents that use one of these hatch fills.

Modifying hatch fills
1) Select the object that contains the hatch fill that is to be modified.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Hatch toopen the options available for a hatch fill.
3) Enter new values for the option settings of the hatch fill. The hatch fill displayed in thePreview box changes to reflect the changes in option values. See Table 3 for informationon hatch options.
4) Click Modify to save the changes. There is no confirmation given when modifying a hatchfill.
5) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog.

Renaming hatch fills
1) Select the object that contains the hatch fill that is to be renamed.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Hatch toopen the options available for a hatch fill.
3) Right-click on the hatch fill displayed in the Hatch box and select Rename from thecontext menu.
4) Enter a name for the hatch fill in the Name dialog that opens.
5) Click OK to save the renaming and close the Name dialog.
6) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog.
Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects | 29

Deleting hatch fills
1) Select the object that contains the hatch fill that is to be deleted.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Hatch toopen the options available for a hatch fill.
3) Right-click on the hatch fill displayed in the Hatch box and select Delete from the context
menu.
4) Click on Yes to confirm the deletion.
5) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog.

Working with shadows
Shadows can be applied to objects such as lines, shapes and text. The options available forshadows are as follows:•

Position – select one of nine points determining the direction in which the shadow is
cast.

•

Distance or Angle – determines the offset distance between the object and the shadow.

•

Color – sets the color used for the shadow.

•

Blur – sets how much the edges of a shadow are blurred or softened.

•

Transparency – determines the amount of transparency for the shadow: 0% opaqueshadow, 100% transparent shadow.

Area dialog
1) Select an object where a shadow is going to be applied.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Shadow to open the Shadow page (Figure 25).
3) Select Use shadow in Properties and the shadow options become active.
4) Select from one of nine points the direction in which the shadow is going to be cast in
relation to the object.
5) In Color, select the color palette from the drop-down list of available palettes and thenselect the color required for the shadow.
6) In Distance, enter a distance to set spacing between the object and the shadow.
7) In Blur, enter a value to soften the edges of the shadow.

Figure 25: Area dialog - Shadow page30| Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects

8) In Transparency, enter the percentage in the text box for the shadow transparency.
9) Click OK to close the Area dialog and save the changes.

Sidebar
1) Select an object where a shadow is going to be applied.
2) Click on Properties to open the Properties deck on the Sidebar.
3) Click on Shadow to open the Shadow panel (Figure 26) in the Properties deck4) Select Enable and the shadow options become active5) In Angle, select from one of the options available from the drop-down list to set thedirection of where the shadow is going to be cast in relation to the object.
6) In Color, select the color palette from the drop-down list of available palettes and thenselect the color required for the shadow.
7) In Distance, enter a distance to set spacing between the object and the shadow.
8) In Blur, enter a value to soften the edges of the shadow.
9) In Transparency, move the slider or enter a percentage in the text box to set the shadowtransparency.
10) Deselect the object to save the changes made.

Figure 26: Shadow panel in Properties deck on Sidebar

Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects | 31Line and Filling toolbar
1) Select an object where a shadow is going to be applied.
2) Click on Shadow on the Line and Filling toolbar. A shadow is created using the settingsfrom the Shadow page in the Area dialog.
3) Deselect the object to save the changes made.

Working with transparencies
Transparencies can be applied to objects and to any shadow that has been applied to an object.
In Impress two types of transparencies can be applied to an object – uniform transparency andgradient transparency. For more information on gradient transparencies, including an example ofcombining a color gradient with a gradient transparency, see “Gradient fills” on page 18.
1) Select an object where a transparency is going to be applied.
2)

Open the Area dialog and click on Transparency to open the Transparency page
(Figure 27).

3) To create a uniform transparency, select Transparency and enter a percentage in the textbox.
4) To create a gradient transparency so that the area becomes gradually transparent, selectGradient and select the type of gradient transparency from the Type drop-down list:
Linear, Axial, Radial, Ellipsoid, Quadratic or Square.
5) If a gradient transparency has been selected, set the parameters for the type of thegradient transparency that has been selected. Refer to Table 4 for a description of theproperties. The available parameters depends on the type of gradient transparency.
6) Click OK to close the Area dialog and save the changes.

Figure 27: Area dialog - Transparency page
Table 4: Gradient transparency options

32| Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects

Gradienttransparency options

Meaning

Center X

Used for Radial, Ellipsoid, Quadratic and Square gradients. The
values to set the horizontal offset of the gradient center.

Center Y

Used for Radial, Ellipsoid, Quadratic and Square gradients. The
values to set the vertical offset of the gradient center.

Angle

Used for Linear, Axial, Ellipsoid, Quadratic and Square gradients.
Specifies the angle of the gradient axis.

BorderIncrease this value to make the gradient start further away from theborder of the object.

Start value

Value for the starting transparency gradient. 0% is fully opaque, 100%means fully transparent.

End value

Value for the ending transparency gradient. 0% is fully opaque, 100%means fully transparent.

Text in objects
By default, an object is not dynamic when it is created and does not behave like a text box. If thetext exceeds the object borders, then the text has to be reduced in font size, or the object size
increased to accommodate the text.

Adding text1) Select the object where text is to be added.
2) Put the selected object into text mode using one of the following methods. The cursor
becomes a flashing text cursor centrally inside the object indicating text mode is active.
The Text Formatting toolbar automatically opens replacing the Line and Filling toolbar.
– Double-click on the object.
– Click on Insert Text Box on the Standard or Drawing toolbar.
– Use the keyboard shortcut F2.
– Go to Insert > Text Box on the Menu bar.

Note
If double-clicking does not work, go to View > Toolbars on the Menu bar to open the
Options toolbar, then select Double-click to edit Text.
3) Type the required text. The text is centrally aligned horizontal and vertically within theboundaries of the object.
4) Alternatively, copy and paste text into the selected object. It is recommended to paste text
into an object as unformatted text and then format the text to to the presentation
requirements.
5) When finished, click outside of the object or press Esc to cancel text mode. The Line andFilling toolbar automatically opens replacing the Text Formatting toolbar.

Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects | 33

Note
If vertical text is required in an object, enter horizontal text into the object as above,
then rotate the object 90 degrees. The text inside the object rotates with the object tocreate vertical text.

Formatting text in objects
This section only covers formatting of how the text appears inside an object. For more
information on formatting the text attributes, see Chapter 3, Adding and Formatting Text.
1) Select the object which contains text and use one of the following methods to open the
Text dialog (Figure 28):
– Go to Format > Object and Shape > Text Attributes on the Menu bar.
– Right-click on the text inside the object and select Text Attributes from the context
menu.
2) Click on Text to open the Text page.
3) Format and edit the text within an object using the available options. The options aredescribed in Table 5.
4) Click OK to close the Text dialog and save the changes to the text.

Figure 28: Text dialog

34| Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects

5) To format the text attributes (for example paragraph alignment or font type) use the tools
available on the Text Formatting toolbar, or go to Format > Text on the Menu bar and use
the options available in the drop-down menu. See Chapter 3, Adding and Formatting Text
for more information on formatting text attributes.
Table 5: Object text formatting options
Text options
Meaning
Word wrap text inshapeStarts a new line automatically when the border of the object isreached.

Resize shape to fit text

Expands an object when the text inserted in the object is too large.

Spacing to borders

Specify the amount of space between the borders of the object and thetext.

Text anchor

Used to anchor the text to a particular point within the object.

Full width

Anchors the text in the center of the object and uses the full width ofthe object before wrapping text.

Text animation
Text can be animated when it has been placed into an object and is a separate animation fromobject animation. For information on object animation, see Chapter 5, Managing Graphic Objects.
1) Select the object which contains text.
2) Open the Text dialog and click on Text Animation to open the Text Animation page
(Figure 29).

Figure 29: Text dialog - Text Animation page
Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects | 35

3) Select the type of animation required from the Effect drop-down list as follows:– No animation – default setting.
– Blink – the text blinks on the screen.
– Scroll through – the text moves into the object and then out following the selected
direction.
– Scroll back and forth – the text moves first in the selected direction, but bounces backat the object border.
– Scroll in – the text scrolls in towards the given direction starting from the edge of theobject and stops in the center.
4) Set the Direction of the animation using one of the four arrows to set the scroll direction
for the text.
5) Set the Properties for the animation using the following options:– Start inside – animation starts from inside the object.
– Text visible when editing – select to see the text while editing.
– Animation cycles – select Continuous and the text animates continuously or set a
specific number of cycles for the animation.
– Increment – sets the amount the animation moves in Pixels when selected or a
specific distance when Pixels is deselected. The units of measurement depends on
the settings in Tools > Options > LibreOffice Impress > General.
– Delay – starts the animation when Automatically is selected or after a specific lengthof time when Automatically is deselected.
6) Click OK to close the Text dialog and save the animation effect.

Text columns
Only text added to objects can be placed into columns as follows:
1) Select the object which contains text.
2) Open the Text dialog and click on Text Columns to open the Text Columns page
(Figure 30).
3) Enter the number of columns required in the Number of columns box.
4) Enter the spacing required between each column in the Spacing box. The units ofmeasurement depends on the settings in Tools > Options > LibreOffice Impress >General.
5) Click OK to close the Text dialog and save the changes.

Figure 30: Text dialog - Text Columns page36| Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects

Figure 31: Connector dialog

Formatting connectors
Connectors are lines that join two objects and always start from or finish at a glue point on an
object. See Chapter 5, Managing Graphic Objects for a description and use of the connectors.
1) Right-click on a connector and select Connector from the context menu to open theConnector dialog (Figure 31). The Connector dialog displays a preview of a connector aschanges are made.
2) Select the type of connector from the Type drop-down list.
3) Set the Line skew for the connector. Line skew is used to set the distance between
connectors where multiple connectors overlap.
4) Set the Line spacing for the connector. Line spacing is used to set the horizontal andvertical space between the connector and the object at each end of the connector.
5) Click OK to close the Connector dialog and save the changes.

Working with image styles
To achieve style consistency in slides, or a presentation, or to apply the same formatting to alarge number of objects, it is recommended to use image styles. In Impress, image styles arecalled drawing styles.

Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects | 37

Drawing styles are similar to paragraph styles that are used for text. A drawing style groups all
formatting properties applicable to an object and associates this properties group with a name.
This allows the properties group to be used for other objects. If a drawing style is modified (forexample, changing area color), the changes are automatically applied to all objects that use thesame drawing style.
If Impress is used frequently, a library of well defined drawing styles is an invaluable tool for
speeding up the process of formatting objects to any requirements that have to be followed (forexample, company colors or fonts).
For more information on drawing (image) styles in Impress, see Chapter 2, Slide Masters, Styles,
and Templates.

Linked drawing styles
Drawing styles support inheritance which allows a style to be linked to another (parent) style sothat it inherits all the formatting settings of the parent. This inheritance creates families of styles.
For example, if multiple boxes are required that only differ in color, but are otherwise identicallyformatted, it is recommended to define a style for the box including borders, area fill, font, and soon as the parent style. A number of drawing styles are then created that are hierarchicallydependent to the parent style, but differing only in the fill color attribute. These styles are also
known as child styles. If it is necessary to change the font size or border thickness, the parent
style is changed and all the child styles change accordingly.

Default drawing style
In Impress, the drawing styles are located in the Styles deck on the Sidebar (Figure 32). Click on
Drawing Style to open the drawing styles that are available in the presentation. The Default
Drawing Style cannot be deleted and is automatically applied to any graphic object created on aslide. This style is the starting point for creating new drawing styles.

Figure 32: Drawing styles in Styles deck on Sidebar

38| Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects

Figure 33: Graphic Styles dialog - Organizer pageNote
The Default Drawing Style can be modified. However, a modified Default Drawing
Style only applies to the presentation where the style was modified.

Creating drawing styles
New style from Sidebar
1) Select an object or create a new object.
2) Open the Styles deck on the Sidebar using one of the following methods:– Click on Styles at the side of the Sidebar.
– Click on Show the Styles Sidebar on the Line and Filling toolbar.
– Use the keyboard shortcut F11.
3) Click on Drawing Styles on the left of the Styles title bar to open the Drawing Styles
panel.
4) Right-click on a drawing style that is selected in the list and select New from the context
menu to open the Graphic Styles dialog (Figure 33).
5) Click on Organizer to open the Organizer page.
6) Enter a name for the new drawing style in the Name text box.
7) In Inherit from text box, select None from the drop-down list if the new drawing style is
NOT going to be linked. When the object was created, it was allocated the Default
Drawing Style and this new drawing style linked by default to the Default Drawing Style.
8) Use the various pages in the Graphic Styles dialog to format the new style.
– Font, Font Effects, Indents & Spacing, Alignment, Tabs, Highlighting and Asian
Typography – provides options for formatting any text inserted into a graphic object.
– Dimensioning – provides options for formatting of dimension lines.
– Text, Text Animation, Connector, Line, Area, Shadowing, and Transparency –provides options for formatting of graphic objects.
– Click OK to close the Graphics Styles dialog and save the new drawing style.

Note
Any new drawing style created is automatically placed in the Custom Styles
category.

Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects | 39

Figure 34: New Style from Selection dialog

New style from selected object
1) Select an object to use for creating a new drawing style.
2) Carry out any formatting changes to the object using the various dialogs and menu
options available in Impress.
3) Open the Styles deck on the Sidebar and click on Drawing Styles on the left of the
Styles title bar to open the Drawing Styles panel.
4) Click on New Style from Selection on the right of the Styles deck title bar to open the
New Style from Selection dialog (Figure 34).
5) Enter a name for the new drawing style in the Enter new style name text box. A list isdisplayed of existing custom styles of that are available.
6) Click OK to save the new drawing style and close the New Style from Selection dialog.

Modifying drawing styles
1) Open the Styles deck on the Sidebar and click on Drawing Styles on the left of the
Styles title bar to open the Drawing Styles panel.
2) Right-click on the style that is to be modified and select Modify from the context menu to
open the Graphic Styles dialog.
3) Carry out any formatting changes to the drawing style using the options in the various
pages of the Graphic Styles dialog.
4) Click OK to save the changes and close the Graphic Styles dialog..

Updating drawing styles
1) Select an object or create a new object.
2) Carry out any formatting changes to the object using the various dialogs and menu
options available in Impress.
40| Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects

3) Open the Styles deck on the Sidebar and click on Drawing Styles on the left of the
Styles title bar to open the Drawing Styles panel.
4) Click on Update Style on the right of the Styles deck title bar to update the style. There isno confirmation that the style has been updated.

Applying drawing styles
1) Open the Styles deck on the Sidebar and click on Drawing Styles on the left of the
Styles title bar to open the Drawing Styles panel.
2) Select an object in the presentation to apply a drawing style.
3) Double-click on the drawing style name and apply the drawing style to the selected
object.

Deleting drawing styles
The predefined drawing styles in Impress cannot be deleted, even if the predefined drawing style
is not in use. Only custom (user defined) styles can be deleted.
1) Open the Styles deck on the Sidebar and click on Drawing Styles on the left of the
Styles title bar to open the Drawing Styles panel.
2) Right-click on a custom drawing style and click Delete on the context menu.
3) Click Yes to confirm the deletion of the custom drawing style.

Note
Before deleting a custom drawing style, make sure the style is not in use in thepresentation.

Chapter 6, Formatting Graphic Objects | 41