How to Add an Arrow in Google Docs?
This time we’re showing you how to draw arrows in Google Docs.
We love Google Docs for its simplicity. And that certainly goes for drawing simple figures like lines and arrows! Google Docs offers several types of lines to draw, and the best thing about it is that you can make an arrow out of basically any type of line in Google Docs. And now let’s start adding arrows in Google Docs!Watch the video from https://thegoodocs.com/ and find out how to add an arrow in Google Docs:
Entering the Drawing Mode
Drawing lines and arrows in Google Docs means creating an image first. And creating the image in Google Docs means entering the drawing canvas. So, we start with entering the drawing mode.
- That opens a drawing canvas, which is the basis for creating lines, shapes, and drawings in Google Docs. And normally, at first, you create elements to connect them with arrows — shapes, text boxes, or, for example, uploading images to draw over them, etc.
- So, let us quickly upload a sample image from the computer. We will select a random image just to show you how it works. We press the rightmost icon to insert an image, and then we’re just dropping it here from our PC. And you can choose any other method of inserting the image
Drawing an Arrow
- Here are the tools you work with in the drawing workspace, where we need the button standing for line drawing — “Line”. But to make it exactly an arrow, it’s a little down arrow symbol (“Select line”) that we click on
- And here, we select the second line type — “Arrow” — and draw it. Put the mouse pointer where you want the arrow to start, press-hold and move it to the end point, then release, and here you are. This is a sample of the simplest line with the arrow at the end of it
- Then you may want to change its position on the canvas. And to do that, exit the drawing mode by pressing “Esc” on the keyboard. Now press-hold on the line and drag it where you want it to be. If you're going to resize it and change the position start and end point, pull from either end of the line where you see the circles, and you’ll be able to rearrange the position of the line end and start points
Customizing the Arrow
And then, we will show you how to customize the look(s) of the arrow(s).
- And in the same way, you can change the looks on the end point of the arrow. It’s the button with the arrow pointing to the right, “Line end”. And then select which one you like as well. We are going to choose a random item just to show you how it works
Then we can customize the looks of exactly a line. Here on the toolbar, these are the tools for doing that.
- For example, we will start with “Line color”, where you choose either some standard color or a custom one with the plus icon. We will choose a random color to show you how it works — this is a red one, for instance
- Next on the menu, we have “Line weight”, where you basically select how thick you want your line to be. For instance, let’s do 4 pixels
- And then it's “Line dash” if you’d like
- So, we have customized this arrow a bit. You already know about the “Line start” and “Line end”, and we have already customized these items, too. And you will apply the customization you need
Other Lines and Arrows
- We think the most awesome feature for lines in Google Docs is that you can make an arrow out of any type of line here, starting from the basic one. We’ll select it here in the drop-down for lines (you will see the screenshot below)
- The first item here is “Line”. Now we are drawing a simple line. And then we are just adding arrowheads to the line end and start points just like we did earlier with these icons. There you go
Now let’s practice with other lines in the drop-down list in the menu.
- The same concerns the next line type. This is the “Curved Connector” item in the drop-down menu. Let’s draw it and add the sample arrowheads to it just to show you how it works
- And then, for example, we choose the classic “Curve” item on the menu. Let’s add it here and customize it a bit
- And so on — you can choose any line type(s) you need and customize it (them). Here, in this drop-down list of line types, we have “Polyline” and “Scribble”, too. So, select what you need and customize the lines and arrows according to your requirements and/or ideas
We hope this tutorial will help you learn how to add an arrow in Google Docs. Good luck!
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