Working with Shapes

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Think of shapes as the foundation for many other elements.

 

 

Items placed in shapes appear to “snap to fit.” Shapes are a

 

quick and easy way to “crop” photos, or to create custom-fit

 

mattes for photos and other items—either by themselves, to

 

print and cut out by hand, or by applying a frame to the shape.

 

You can move, resize, and rotate a shape,

 

change its color and transparency, surround it

 

with a frame, or fill it with single or multiple

 

items, such as images, backgrounds, and text.

 

When you first place a shape on your

 

workspace, it contains the label: “Place your

 

content here” which is removed as soon as you

 

fill the shape with an item. If you want to print

 

the shape without filling it, don’t worry; the

 

label does not print.

 

• To place a shape in your workspace, click the Shapes

 

tab to view the thumbnails and then click or drag the one

 

you want.

 

If you place a solid color shape on an “Any Solid Color”

 

background of the same color, it may be difficult to see

 

the shape.

 

• To view the shape more clearly, change the color of the

 

shape or the background as soon as you place the shape.

 

Shapes are a handy way to limit the shape of an image or

 

text you want on your page. When you place text or an item

 

inside a shape, the software resizes the item automatically