How helpful Google Docs is, is a debate out of the question as we have been seeing a spike in the number of its users over the last few years. What’s important is to see how effective it has been for the users and how many features has it been providing to make their experience more seamless and efficient.
Where Google offers a large number of options and pre-made templates for graphs and charts, there are a few problems users might face as well; particularly while making flowcharts. As there are no templates of flowcharts that target the needs of the users, users might think it is difficult to have flowcharts in Google Docs.
But since everything is not perfect, it does not matter that Google Docs does not have templates of flowcharts when we can make them on our own. So there is no need to worry as this guide is a step by step tutorial for making flowcharts in Google Docs.
How to make a flowchart in google docs: Steps
To start off, you need to be logged in to a web browser (preferably Google Chrome) with your Google account. Then you have to open your Google Docs from the Google Apps icon on the top right corner of the homepage.
By clicking the icon, you will be shown a drop-down menu carrying a variety of Google Apps that you can easily access by clicking this icon.
By clicking the Docs icon, you will be directed to the Google Docs webpage. By clicking the blank page, you will open a new document, ready to work.
Here you can start working on the document, and once you get to the point where you need a flowchart, follow the steps given below:
Step 1: Click on the Insert button in the toolbar.
step 2: Click on Drawing in the dropdown menu.
Step 3: Next, click on the New button.
A page will open where you can draw the chart according to your needs. It comes with gridlines to make the alignment of shapes easier.
Here you can draw the shapes, connect with arrows, edit them, color them, add text, change the font style, size, and color and, whatnot.
Also read:
- How to add page number in Google docs
- How to add Audio to Google slides
- How to make graphs in Google sheets
- How to make timeline in Powerpoint
- How to make flowchart in MS Word
how to draw shapes in flowchart
To draw the shapes,
Step 1: Click on the Shape icon in the toolbar.
Step 2: Click on the Shapes option in the dropdown menu.
Step 3: Click on the shape you want to draw.
step 4: Left-click on the point where you want to draw the shape.
Step 5: Drag the cursor until the point where your desired size is achieved, and leave the cursor there.
The shape will appear like this. If you want all the shapes in the flowchart to look the same,Step
Step 6: Copy this shape and paste it as many times as you need.
If you want to change the shapes to denote different stages of progress in the flowchart,
Step 7: Draw shapes different shapes by choosing them from the list.
How to connect shapes in flowchart
Once you have all the shapes to make the flowchart, now you need to connect them. To do so,
Step 1: Click on the Line option in the dropdown menu.
A number of different lines will be shown in the dropdown menu. You can select the one you like.
Step 2: Click on the line you want to draw.
Step 3: Left-click on the point on the sheet where you want to draw the line.
Step 4: Drag the cursor until the point where your desired size is achieved, and leave the cursor there.
Step 5: Click on the arrow and drag it between the shapes where you want to connect them.
Step 6: Copy this arrow and paste it between the shapes as many times as you need.
If you want to change the arrow,
Step 7: Click on the Shape icon in the toolbar.
Step 8:Click on the Arrows option in the dropdown menu.
Step 9:Click on the arrow shape you need.
Step 10: Left-click anywhere on the sheet.
Step 11:Drag the cursor until the point where your desired size is achieved, and leave the cursor there.
Step 12:Copy this arrow and paste it between the shapes as many times as you need.
How to add text in Flowchart
In a flowchart, shapes carry the key points showing the progress done on each point. So to add text in your flowchart,
Step 1:Double click on the shape you want to write in.
Step 2:Type the text you want to.
Step 3:Double click on the next shape and type in.
Step 4:Type in all the shapes like this.
How to change the appearance of the shape in flowchart
If you want to change the appearance of the shapes and make them look bolder, then,
Step 1:Click on a shape.
Step 2:Click on the Border Weight icon on the toolbar.
Step 3:Click on the desired thickness or thinness from the dropdown menu.
Step 4:Repeat the same step for all the shapes.
How to change the color of shape in flowchart
If you want to change the color of the shape’s outline,
Step 1:Click on a shape.
Step 2:Click on the Border Color icon on the toolbar.
Step 3:Click on the color you want as the shape’s outline.
How to change the color of shape in flowchart
If you want to change the color of the shapes or remove it altogether,
Step 1:Click on a shape.
Step 2:Click on the Color Fill icon on the toolbar.
Step 3:Click on the color you want to fill in the shape.
If you want to keep the shape transparent,
Step 4:Click on the Transparent icon.
How to change the text color in flowchart
If you want to change the color of the text in the flowchart,
Step 1:Select the text.
Step 2:Click on the More icon on the toolbar.
Step 3:Click on the Text Color option in the popup menu that appeared.
Step 4:Click on the color you need.
How to change the size of text in flowchart
If you want to change the size of the text,
Step 1:Select the text.
Step 2:Click on the More icon on the toolbar.
Step 3:Click on the Font Size option in the popup menu that appeared.
Step 4:Click on the size you need.
How to change font style in flowchart
If you want to change the font style of the text,
Step 1:Select the text.
Step 2:Click on the Font option in the toolbar.
Step 3:Click on the font style you need.
Finalizing the flowchart
Give final touches to the flowchart, and once you are satisfied with the result,
- Click on Save and Close on the top right corner of the box.
You will see the flowchart on the document.
You can resize the overall flowchart as well, to do so,
- Click on any of the dots you see in the corners around the flowchart.
- Drag until you have achieved the desired size.
- Drop the cursor and see the final result.
You can always edit the flowchart by double-clicking anywhere inside its boundaries.
Given above are the detailed yet simple steps to make a flowchart in Google Docs, try them and make your documents look more organized and effective.
