How to Align and Distribute Shapes in Visio (Neat Diagrams Fast)
Messy shapes make a diagram look unfinished. Learn how to line shapes up with Align and space them evenly with Distribute in Visio, in a few clicks from the Home tab.
Step by step
Intro
- Align and distribute. Shapes that are a little bit off make a whole diagram look messy. Visio can line them up and space them evenly for you.
A messy row
- A messy row. Here's a row of steps, dropped by hand. The first one is where I want the row to be. The next one sits a bit too high. This one is too low, and too close. And the last one is far away.
Align
- Select them. Select them all. Click the first shape first, because Visio lines the others up to the first one you pick.
- Align Middle. On the Home tab, in the Arrange group, open Align and choose Align Middle. Now they all sit on one line. But the gaps are still uneven.
Distribute
- Distribute. With the shapes still selected, open Position, and choose Distribute Horizontally. Visio keeps the first and last shapes where they are, and spaces everything in between evenly.
Connect the row
- Connect the row. Now the connectors come out short and straight. Next. And the last one.
- Done. Click away. Neat, and it took two clicks.
Recap
- Recap. Align lines shapes up to the first one you select. Distribute evens out the gaps between the first and the last. Use both before you share any diagram.
