Add and customize shapes in Lucidchart

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Add a shape to your document

There are several ways to add a shape to your diagram. You can:

• Drag a shape from the Shape menu to the left of the workspace and drop it onto the canvas.
• Drag a line from a shape that is already on the canvas and select a new shape from the auto-prompt menu.
• Hover over or select a shape on the canvas and click one of the round red nodes that appear on or around the shape.
  • When there is available space, a new shape will be added in the direction of the round node you click. When a shape is already present in that direction, a new branch will be created.
• Hold Command-Shift (Mac) or Ctrl-Shift (PC), then click and drag an existing shape on the canvas to duplicate it.

Repeat the options above to add more shapes branching off of a single shape.

Format and modify shapes

Shape options

You can move, resize and rotate a shape directly on the canvas or in the Shape Options menu of the Formatting bar at the top of the workspace. This menu also gives you the option to add a shadow or round the corners of a shape.

Move a shape
To move a shape, drag it with your cursor or select it and move it using the arrow keys on your keyboard. Hold down "Shift" on your keyboard while using your arrow keys to move your shape in smaller increments. You can also use the “X position” and “Y position” arrows in the Shape Options menu.

Resize a shape
To resize a shape, select it and drag one of the blue squares along its border. Hold down "Shift" on your keyboard to maintain the shape's dimensions while resizing. You can also use the “Width” and “Height” arrows in the Shape Options menu to set specific dimensions. Use the lock icon to specify dimensions proportionally.

When you specify width and height, the units align with your document settings. To change the units your document uses, see our Adjust document and board settings article.

Rotate a shape
To rotate a shape, select it and drag it clockwise or counter-clockwise using the handle in the top-left corner of its border. You can also use the “Rotation” arrows in the Shape Options menu.

Add a shadow to a shape
Click Shadow at the bottom of the Shape Options menu and toggle on the shadow option. You can then adjust shadow distance, blur, color, and angle.

Round the corners of a shape
To round the corners of a shape, select the shape and click the arrows or type a pixel value in the "rounded" box at the bottom of the Shape Options menu.

Style a shape

Fill Color
To add a fill color to a shape:

1. Select the shape you want to fill with color.
2. Click the Fill Color icon from the Formatting bar at the top of the workspace.
3. Select a color.
   • Create a custom color by clicking the plus icon at the bottom of the color swatch window.
   • Match your shape's color to an existing color on your canvas by selecting the color dropper icon and clicking the object you want to match.

Opacity

To adjust the opacity of a shape:

1. Select a shape on the canvas.
2. Click the Fill Color icon from the Formatting bar at the top of the workspace.
3. Select the shape's current color.
4. Slide the blue dot along the opacity bar in the panel that appears.
   • You can also manually adjust the value using the dropdown on the right.

Border
To modify a shape's border color:

1. Select the shape you want to modify.
2. Click the Line Color icon in the Formatting bar at the top of the workspace.
3. Select a color.
   • Use the Line Style and Line Width menus to modify the border style and thickness.
     

Set default style

To change the default style applied to new shapes added to your canvas:

1. Click anywhere on the canvas to un-select any selected objects.
2. Update the style settings, such as fill color, line color, line style and font.

Any new shapes added to the document will display the updated style.

Copy shape style

To copy a shape’s style to other shapes on the canvas:

1. Select the shape with the style you want to copy.
2. Click the Paint Format icon from the Formatting bar at the top-left of the workspace.
3. Select the objects you want the style applied to.
   • A single click will activate paint format for one selection change. A double-click will activate paint format until the button is clicked again or ESC is pressed on the keyboard.

Manage object layout

Arrange
To arrange the order of the objects on the canvas: 

1. Right-click the object you want to move.
2. Hover your cursor over “Arrange”, and choose from the following options:
   • Bring to Front: Bring an object to the front of all overlapping objects.
   • Send to Back: Send an object to the back of all overlapping objects.
   • Bring Item Forward: Bring an object one level forward in the order of all overlapping objects. 
   • Send Item Backward: Send an object one level backward in the order of all overlapping objects. 

Align
To align objects on the canvas: 

1. Select the objects you want to align by clicking and dragging a box around them.
2. Right-click the selection.
3. Hover your cursor over “Align”.
4. Choose an alignment option from the list.

Distribute
To distribute objects evenly on the canvas:

1. Select the objects you want to distribute by clicking and dragging a box around them.
2. Right-click the selection.
3. Hover your cursor over “Distribute,” and choose to distribute the objects horizontally or vertically.

Group
To combine two or more shapes into one group:

1. Select the objects you want to group by clicking and dragging a box around them.
2. Right-click the selection.
3. Click Group. 

Lock
To lock a shape's position, size, and/or style:

1. Select the shape you want to lock. 
2. Click the lock icon at the top-right of the Formatting bar.
3. Check the boxes for each property you want to lock.

Change shape

To change an existing shape on the canvas to another shape in the same shape library:

1. Select a shape on the canvas.
2. Click the Change Shape icon on top of the shape.
3. Select a new shape option.

Modify text on a shape

For most shapes in Lucidchart, you can add text by double-clicking the shape and typing the text you want to add. Text cannot be added to some shapes such as an “Or” or “Summing junction” shape from the Flowchart shape library.

Some shapes have text outside of the shape rather than inside. Double-click the text to edit it, and drag it to move it to a new location relative to the shape—you can move it to the top, bottom, left, or right of the shape.

Create custom shapes

In Lucidchart, you have three ways to create custom shapes: by using the flex polygon shape, by grouping multiple shapes into one, or by uploading your own image to use as a shape.

Use the flex polygon shape

1. From the Shape menu to the left of the workspace, find the “Shapes” library.
2. Drag the flex polygon onto the canvas.
3. Adjust the shape of the flex polygon by dragging the purple squares along the edge of the shape.

Group multiple shapes into one

1. Select the objects you want to group into one by clicking and dragging a box around them.
2. Right-click the selection.
3. From the menu, click Group. 
4. Right-click the grouped shape.
5. From the menu, click Add to Custom Shape Library.
6. Select a shape library.
7. Rename the custom shape.
8. Click Done.

Upload an image

1. Click the More menu from the top-left of the canvas.
2. Hover your cursor over “Insert”.
3. Click Image.
4. Select and upload an image from your device.
5. Right-click the image.
6. From the menu, click Add to Custom Shape Library.
7. Select a shape library.
8. Rename the custom shape.
9. Click Done.

Delete a shape

To delete a shape:

1. Select the shape you want to delete.
2. Press "Backspace" or "Delete" on your keyboard.

Add an image, icon, or GIF

Lucid’s search and import tools make it easy for you to find the shapes and images you need. We integrate with third party-websites, services, or resources to give you access to third-party content, including GIFs (powered by Giphy), Images (Bing Image Search, powered by Microsoft), and Icons (powered by Iconfinder) (collectively, “Non-Lucid Applications”). Please review the terms of service and privacy policy of any third party site or service applicable to your use of Non-Lucid Applications.

To add an image, icon, or GIF, follow these steps:

1. Click the Images Panel icon from the Primary Toolbar to the far-left of the workspace.
2. Select Images, Streamline, Icons, or GIFs.
3. Type a keyword into the search bar.
4. Click the magnifying glass icon next to the search bar.
5. Drag the image, icon, or GIF onto your canvas.
   

Resources

To learn more about this feature, explore the additional resources below. These resources are available in English only.

Videos

Custom data in Lucidchart

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