Drawing objects

[LaniKinzel]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

How can I change the default settings for drawing objects? In the previous version, objects came up with black lines. Now, shapes come up with blue fill and lines and shadow. Surely there is a way to reset the default settings so that I don't have to change this every time.

 

[CyberTaz]

There's no practical approach to doing so on a global default basis.

However, in any given document you can Control/Right-Click a shape you've
reformatted & select Set AutoShape Defaults for that document. One thing
that may help a little: Format a shape (or several) which you most
frequently use & add them to the Scrapbook - Then just drag them into any
doc you work with.

If you want to voice your preference where it may help get that capability
in a future release use Help> Send Feedback.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Jason Andersen [MSFT]]

You can modify your normal template to achieve this. The normal template is
the "default" template Word uses whenever it creates a new document.

First, find your normal template by going here: <user
folder>/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Office/User Templates/
The normal template is named "Normal.dotm".

Next, make sure to BACKUP the normal template before making modifications to
it. If you make a mistake, you'll be able to simply delete the normal with
the mistake and replace with the previous good one.

After you have made a backup copy of the normal, open it from Word by using
File > Open and navigating to the above folder. Note that just double
clicking the normal will create a new document in Word. It will not open the
normal template itself. You must use the Open menu item from the File menu
to modify the normal itself.

Now, with the normal open in Word, insert a shape into it. Change the
properties as you like (setting the fill color, line color, shadowing, etc).
Then, use the contextual menu as CyberTaz mentions below and Set AutoShape
Defaults. You can insert another shape to verify that the new defaults are
in effect.

Finally, delete the shapes you inserted and save the normal file. Now any
time you open a new document in Word, the shape will have the defaults you
had set.

- Jason

 

[CyberTaz]

Hey Jason - When did that get fixed? It used to be that you could follow
that suggestion but you still wound up with a gradient & the removal of the
Shadow didn't stick - along with a few other changes that weren't retained.
That's why I wrote that it wasn't "practical", but it seems to be OK now

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac