Transparency for Shape Fills
Shape fills such as solid colors, gradients, pictures, and textures can have a transparency attribute that lets you reduce
the opacity of a fill so that the slide object or background behind shows through. Transparency is calculated in percentages
and you can change its value all the way from 0 to 100%. Some fill options, such as pattern and slide background have no transparency options.
Formatting Lines (and Shape Outlines)
We have already showed you how to use fills for shapes in PowerPoint 2013. A fill is something that is contained within
the confines of the shape. Similarly, shapes have another attribute known as the "line" or the "outline". A line is the
perimeter surrounding a closed shape or the line itself within an open shape. In this tutorial, we'll explore the basics
and thereafter provide links to specific, individual tutorials so that you can get acquainted with more advanced stuff.
Shape Outline Weight
We have explained the basics of formatting shape outlines in PowerPoint 2013. Now we take you further ahead to explore
how you can change line weight to make the outlines thinner and thicker. So why would you want to alter the weight of an
outline? There are many reasons -- more often than not, you may want a line that's almost invisible or very thin -- this
lets your audience focus on other areas. At other times when you want the attention of your audience to focus on a
particular line, then you can do so by increasing its weight. In this tutorial, we will also cover compound lines such as
those that encompass double or triple lines.
Shape Outline Dash
We have already explored how to format shape outlines and change their weight. In this tutorial, you will learn how to apply
a dash style to shape outline. A dashed line in PowerPoint 2013 can have plenty of variations: from a line with fewer dashes
to ones with longer or smaller dashes, or even alternating small and long dashes. So why do you add a dash style to your outline?
That's a good question and the answer is quite simple -- sometimes, dash styles can add value to visual content, but use them
judiciously. Many diagrams use dashed lines as a way to differentiate them from other content that have conventional,
non-dashed lines.
