You've taken the first step into the world of Microsoft Visio, and now it's time to customize your layout and the way your shapes are displayed. Visio offers a variety of designs and variants to help you create your diagrams in an appealing and professional way. In this guide, you will learn how to effectively use these options to optimize your presentations. Let's get started!
Key Insights
- You can choose and customize different designs and variants for your shapes.
- The preview function allows you to see designs before applying them.
- You have the ability to create new colors and designs on your own.
- The layout of connectors can also be customized to show a clear relationship between your shapes.
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Accessing Designs and Variants
To design your shapes, open the "Design" tab on the top menu bar. There you will find the command groups for "Designs" and "Variants". The first thing you should do is to get inspired by the numerous designs available.
2. Selecting a Design
By default, Visio displays a blue tone for your shapes. To change this, you can preview the designs by simply hovering the mouse cursor over them. At this stage, no adjustment is made - you only see a preview of the designs available to you.
3. Discovering More Designs
If the available designs are not sufficient, click on "More". Here, the designs are categorically divided into various styles such as "professional", "modern", and "hand-drawn". This way, you quickly find the suitable design for your project.
4. Customizing Variants
Each design has specific variants in terms of colors and effects. Click on the "Variants" option to see the different color options. It is important to know that the new design of your shapes can also be directly applied to the selected variants.
5. Controlling the Behavior of New Shapes
When you add a new shape, the current design is not automatically applied. To ensure that new shapes have the same design as existing shapes, go back to "Design" and check the box for "Apply design to new shapes". This way, every new shape is automatically displayed in the chosen design.
6. Creating Custom Design Colors
You can also create entirely new design colors. Click on the options to set your name for the new design color. You can edit the selected colors for accents and immediately see how the changes affect your diagram.
7. Using the Entire Color Palette
In addition to creating your own colors, you can search the entire color palette for more colors and specifically configure them using RGB and Hex codes. This gives you maximum flexibility in designing the colors of your shapes.
8. Variations in Effects
To add some depth to your diagram, explore the different effects in the variants. You will find interesting options like "Reflection" or "Cloud". These effects can significantly alter the appearance of your shapes and give them a unique touch.
9. Layout of Connector Styles
If you have connected shapes, you may also be looking for customization options for the connector styles. To do this, switch to the "Home" tab and select the connector. After that, you can adjust the formats or configure the settings in more detail under "Variants".
10. Customizing the Connector View
You can further customize the look of the connectors, for example, to achieve an organic or handwritten effect. This not only provides clarity to your diagram but also adds an aesthetic appeal.
Summary
In this guide, you have learned how to apply and customize different designs and variants in MS Visio. From selecting suitable designs to creating custom colors and making specific adjustments to the connection types – you now have the knowledge to create your diagrams professionally.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are designs in MS Visio?Designs in MS Visio are predefined layouts and color schemes that can be applied to shapes to enhance their appearance.
How can I change the colors of my shapes?You can change the colors of your shapes by selecting the appropriate variants on the "Design" tab or creating new design colors yourself.
Could I create a new shape in the same design?Yes, by activating the option "Apply design to new shapes," each new shape will appear in the same design as the existing ones.
What is the difference between designs and variants?Designs refer to the overall layout and coloring of shapes, while variants represent specific color and effect options within a selected design.
