Insert and format text, shapes, and images
What the exam expects
Know the difference between a placeholder (inherits master formatting) and a text box (free-floating, takes theme fonts but not the layout). Text controls include Autofit - Shrink text on overflow versus Resize shape to fit text - plus character spacing, line spacing, bullet level and numbering. Format Painter copies formatting only, never content, and double-clicking it locks it on for repeated application.
For shapes, Shape Format offers Shape Fill, Outline, Effects and Shape Styles, plus Edit Points for custom geometry and Merge Shapes, which is heavily tested. Alignment and distribution, Group/Ungroup and the Selection Pane (Home > Select) manage layering.
For pictures, know Crop (and Crop to Shape), Compress Pictures, Remove Background, Corrections, Color, Artistic Effects, Alt Text and Replace Picture - replacing keeps the size, crop and effects of the original frame.
Traps
- Merge Shapes order matters: the first-selected shape survives. Union combines everything; Combine keeps non-overlapping areas and punches out shared ones; Fragment splits into separate pieces at every intersection; Intersect keeps only the overlap; Subtract removes later shapes from the first.
- Cropping hides pixels but does not delete them; only Compress Pictures with “Delete cropped areas” does.
- Compress Pictures presets (96–330 ppi) apply per selection or to all pictures in the file.
- Alt text is required for accessibility, and decorative images should be marked as decorative rather than given filler text.
- Icons and SVGs can be converted to shapes before recoloring; 3D models cannot be converted to shapes.
Worked example
To build a custom arrow badge, insert an oval and a triangle, overlap them, select the oval first, then Ctrl+click the triangle, and choose Merge Shapes > Union. Choosing Subtract with the triangle selected first would hollow the badge instead.