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 slightly out of line make a diagram look unfinished. Visio can line them up for you with Align and space them evenly with Distribute.
A messy row
- A messy row. Start with a row of 4 Process shapes dropped by hand. The first, Collect, is where the row should be. The second, Analyse, sits a little too high. The third, Validate, is too low and too close to Analyse. The last, Sign off, is too far away from the rest.
Align
- Select them. Click Collect first, then Shift+click Analyse, Validate and Sign off. Visio lines the others up to the first shape you pick, so start with the one that is in the right place.
- Align Middle. On the Home tab, in the Arrange group, open Align and choose Align Middle. All 4 shapes now sit on one horizontal line, level with Collect. The gaps between them are still uneven.
Distribute
- Distribute. Keep the shapes selected. In the same Arrange group, open Position and choose Distribute Horizontally. The leftmost and rightmost shapes stay where they are, and the shapes in between move so that every gap is the same width.
Connect the row
- Connect the row. Now connect the row. Connect Collect to Analyse. Because the shapes are level, the connector comes out short and straight. Then connect Analyse to Validate. Last, connect Validate to Sign off.
- Done. Click an empty part of the page to clear the selection. The row is level, evenly spaced and neatly connected.
Recap
- Recap. Align lines shapes up to the first one you select. Distribute evens out the gaps between the outer shapes. Use both before you share a diagram.
Common mistakes
- Selecting the wrong shape first. Visio aligns everything to the first shape you select, so if you start with a shape that is too high, the whole row moves up. Click the shape that is already in place first, then Shift+click the rest.
- Drag-selecting with a box. With a selection box you don't control which shape Visio treats as the first one, so the row may line up to the wrong shape. Click the anchor shape first when it matters.
- Expecting Distribute to fix the row's length. Distribute only moves the shapes between the 2 outer ones. If Sign off is too far away, drag it to where the row should end first, then distribute.
- Trying to distribute only 2 shapes. Distribute needs at least 3 shapes selected, because it evens out the gaps between them. With 2 shapes, just drag one into place.
When a business analyst uses this
Before a process mapping workshop, a business analyst tidies the as-is process map so the steps sit level and evenly spaced. Stakeholders can then follow the flow and focus on the steps, not on messy layout, before they sign it off.
Questions people ask
Which shape does Visio align the others to?
The first shape you select. Click that shape first, then Shift+click the others, and Align moves them to match it.
How do I space shapes evenly in Visio?
Select 3 or more shapes, then on the Home tab, in the Arrange group, open Position and choose Distribute Horizontally or Distribute Vertically. The outer shapes stay put and the gaps between them become equal.
Why can't I distribute my shapes in Visio?
Distribute needs at least 3 shapes selected. With only 1 or 2 selected, there are no gaps in between to even out.
