Fill

Fill refers to the interior of a shape or line.

  1. On the Shape Format tab, in the Style group, click the Shape Fill button.
  2. Then choose a fill option that you want.

No fill

To make a shape transparent or colorless, or to remove fill from a shape, click this option.

Solid fill

To add color and transparency to a shape, click this option.

Color To choose a color for the shape, click Color, and then click the color that you want. To change to a color that is not in the theme colors (theme colors: A set of colors that is used in a file. Theme colors, theme fonts, and theme effects compose a theme.), click More Colors, and then either click the color that you want on the Standard tab, or mix your own color on the Custom tab. Custom colors and colors on the Standard tab are not updated if you later change the document theme (theme: A combination of theme colors, theme fonts, and theme effects. A theme may be applied to a file as a single selection.).

Transparency To specify how much you can see through a shape, move the Transparency slider, or enter a number in the box next to the slider. You can vary the percentage of transparency from 0 (fully opaque, the default setting) to 100% (fully transparent).

Gradient fill

To add a gradient (gradient: A gradual progression of colors and shades, usually from one color to another color, or from one shade to another shade of the same color.) fill to a shape, click this option.

Preset colors To choose a built-in gradient fill, click Preset colors, and then click the option that you want.

Type To specify the direction to use when drawing the gradient fill, select an option from the list. The Type that you select determines the available Direction.

Direction To choose a different progression of color and shades, click Direction, and then click the option that you want. The Directions that are available depend on the gradient Type that you choose.

Angle To specify the angle that the gradient fill is rotated within the shape, enter the degree value that you want. This option is available only when you select Linear as the Type.

Gradient stops

Gradient stops consist of a position, a color, and a transparency value. The transparency value applies to the gradient stop, not to the overall fill. Gradient stops are used to create non-linear gradients. For example, if you want to create a gradient that goes from red to green to blue, you need to add three gradient stops — one for each color. Or, if you want to create a gradient that shows up only in the corner of a shape, you need to use gradient stops to make the gradient non-linear.

Stop list The gradient fill is made up of several gradient stops, but you can change only one gradient stop at a time. When you click the gradient stop that you want to edit in the list, the position, color, and transparency options reflect the current settings for that gradient stop.

Add To add a gradient stop, click Add, and then set the Stop position, Color, and Transparency that you want.

Remove To delete a gradient stop, click the Stop number in the list that you want to delete, and then click Remove.

Stop position To set the location for the color and transparency change in the gradient fill, move the Stop position slider or enter a number in the box next to the slider.

Color To choose the color used for the gradient stop, click Color , and then click the color that you want. To change to a color that is not in the theme colors, click More Colors, and then either click the color that you want on the Standard tab, or mix your own color on the Custom tab. Custom colors and colors on the Standard tab are not updated if you later change the document theme.

Transparency To specify how much you can see through the shape at the specified Stop position, move the Transparency slider or enter a number in the box next to the slider. You can vary the percentage of transparency from 0 (fully opaque, the default setting) to 100% (fully transparent).

Picture or texture fill

To use a picture as fill for a shape or to add texture to a shape, click this option.

Texture To choose a built-in texture, click this button, and then click the option that you want.