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You are here: Home / Design / Shapes & text boxes / Create Bézier curves

Create Bézier curves

June 7, 2000 by Ellen Finkelstein 3 Comments

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A hidden feature in PowerPoint lets you create fluid curves like this. They’re called Bézier curves.

fluid curves

fluid curves

Follow these steps:

  1. Insert a shape from the Shapes gallery on the Home or Insert tab. (In 2003, you need to use a curve, freeform or scribble. Choose AutoShapes> Lines on the Drawing toolbar.  In 2007, if you have a rectangle or other shape, select it, click the Format tab, and choose Edit Shape> Convert to Freeform.)
  2. Right-click the shape and choose Edit Points. (In PowerPoint 2003, select the shape and from the Drawing toolbar, choose Draw> Edit Points.) You now see the vertices displayed.
  3. Click on a vertex to display two handles on either side of the vertex.
  4. Drag the handles to create the Bezier curves, as you see here.
How to Create the Bezier Curves

How to Create the Bezier Curves

You can also do the following:

  • Add a vertex: Press Ctrl and click anywhere on the outline.
  • Delete a vertex: Press Ctrl and click any vertex.
  • Straighten a segment: Right-click along a segment and choose Straight Segment.
  • Make a straight segment curved: Right-click along a segment and choose Curved Segment.
  • Create a corner point: Right-click a vertex and choose Corner Point. This ensures a sharp corner.
  • Create a smooth point: Right-click a vertex and choose Smooth Point. This ensures a non-sharp corner.
  • Create a straight point: Right-click a vertex and choose Straight Point. This disallows a corner.

How do you use Bezier curves? Leave a comment!

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READ LATER - DOWNLOAD THIS POST AS PDF >> CLICK HERE <<

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Filed Under: Shapes & text boxes Tagged With: curves, graphics, PowerPoint

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Create cool animation with Morph in Office 365 – Austin LaptopStephanieGetting a shiny Web 2.0 look in PowerPoint-Part II: Highlights « PowerPoint Tips Blog Recent comment authors
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Getting a shiny Web 2.0 look in PowerPoint-Part II: Highlights « PowerPoint Tips Blog

[…] Edit Points. (If you’ve never done this before, you might want to look at my tip, “Create Bézier Curves.” Your highlight will look like […]

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11 years ago
Stephanie
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Stephanie

I’d like to force a part of a curve to be perfectly horizontal. In other drawing programs, holding shift will restrict options to 90° (e.g. perfectly horizontal or vertical). However, when I’m moving my PowerPoint Bezier handle around, and holding shift down, it doesn’t let me know where the perfect horizontal is. Do I really just have to eyeball it? Thank you.

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5 years ago
trackback
Create cool animation with Morph in Office 365 – Austin Laptop

[…] Use Edit Points to adjust the shape. If you use this technique, it’s recommended to keep same number of points in both versions of the shape. I explain how to use this feature here. […]

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2 years ago
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