How to Change the Shape Fill, Outline or Effects of Chart Elements in Word

Change the Shape Fill

1. This procedure needs a existing chart. Suppose you have a chart for editing. Click the chart to displaythe Chart Tools tab.
   
   
2. Click the Chart Tools tab, on the Format tab, find the Current Selection group.
   
   
3. Click the arrow next in the Chart Elements box, select your desired chart element.
   
   
4. On the Format tab, in the Shape Styles group, click Shape Fill.
   
   
5. You will see the list for you to change the shape fill.
   If you want to fill the chart with a color, choose a color in the theme colors area and Standard Colors area.
   If you want to remove the fill of the chart, click No Fill.
   If you want to use an image to fill the chart, you can click Picture, choose a desired picture and click Insert.
   If you want to choose a gradient effect, click Gradient and choose an effect.
   If you want to choose a texture effect, click Texture and choose an effect.
   
   
   

Change the Shape Outline

1. To change the Shape Outline, do from Step 1 to 3 as provided above.
   
2. On the Format tab, in the Shape Styles group, click Shape Outline.
   
3. To use a different outline color, click More Outline Colors to enter the Color dialog box (as the image shown above) to choose the color you want to use.
   If you click Weight, you are allowed to choose different degrees of line thickness. Click More lines at the bottom of the list,you will enter the Format Plot Area dialog box . In this dialog box, you can do some settings to change the outline.
   
   If you want to change the outline into a dashed effect, click Dashes and choose an effect.

Change the Shape Effects

1. To change the shape effect, do from Step 1 to 3 at the first section of this procedure, just like the process of changing the shape outline.
   
2. On the Format tab, in the Shape Styles group, click Shape Effects.
   
3. Quick preview the type of effects when you point to the effects list, select a desired type of shape effect.
   

That's all for shape fill, outline and effects change.

If you want to undo the changes, click the Undo button on the quick access toolbar, or press "Ctrl+Z".