Sometimes you want to make adjustments to your diagram, such as changing the size or rotation of a shape. Or you may want to reorder shapes (also called the z-order) that overlap each other.
Tip: Use the Zoom feature to better see small details and to have more fine-point control: Zoom In (or press Ctrl++) and Zoom Out (or press Ctrl+-).
Change the size of a shape
You often want to change the size or look of a shape once it’s on the page. Shapes have up to eight control handles. Besides resizing, you can make other changes such as adjusting the perspective of a cylinder, repositioning the tip of a cone, or moving a shape callout.
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Open the diagram for editing.
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To reveal the control handles,
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Do one of the following:
Resize one side:
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Hover over a side handle until you see a horizontal
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Drag the side handle until the shape is the size you want.
Resize proportionally (to maintain aspect ratio):
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Hover over a corner handle until you see a diagonal resize pointer
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Drag the corner handle until the shape is the size you want.
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Set the precise size of a shape
When you use the Format Options pane to set the size of shape, dimensions can be set in increments of .25 points:
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Right-click the shape and select Format Options.
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In the Format Options pane on the right, under Dimension, set the exact width and height of the shape.
Change the rotation of a shape
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Open the diagram for editing.
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Select the shape.
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To rotate the shape, select Shape > Rotate
Rotate a shape to a precise angle
When you use the Format Options pane to rotate a shape, you can set the rotation angle in one-degree increments, from -359° to 359°.
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Right-click the shape and select Format Options.
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In the Format Options pane on the right, under Dimension, set the exact width and height of the shape.
Re-order overlapping shapes
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Open the diagram for editing.
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Select the shape.
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To send the picture forward, select Shape > Bring to Front
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To send the picture backward, select Send to Back
See Also
View, create, and edit a diagram in Visio for the web
