Patterned Lines in PowerPoint

Talk about patterned lines in PowerPoint, and you might get the same reaction as if you’d asked someone to explain quantum physics at a dinner party—blank stares, nervous laughter, and a sudden interest in dessert.

But fear not! Patterned lines are not rocket science. They’re more like the fashion accessories of your PowerPoint shapes and borders—think of them as the pinstripes, polka dots, or checkerboards that jazz up an otherwise plain line.

What’s a Patterned Line, Anyway?

In PowerPoint-speak, every object—whether it’s a shape, a text box, or even a chart—has two main style ingredients:

• Fill: This is the inside part. Like the jelly in a donut.
• Line (or Outline): This is the border. Like the crust around that jelly.

Now, a patterned line is just a fancy version of that border. Instead of a solid color, it’s made up of tiny repeating designs—like zigzags, dots, or dashes. It’s PowerPoint’s way of saying, “Why settle for plain when you can have pizzazz?”

Here are some samples of patterned lines:

Figure 1: Samples of Patterned Lines

So, you want to add patterned lines to your shapes in PowerPoint? Think of it like giving your rectangles and circles a snazzy pair of striped socks or polka-dot borders. But here’s the twist: how you do this depends on which version of PowerPoint you’re using—and yes, it’s a bit like trying to find the right charger for your old flip phone.

If you’re using PowerPoint 2003 or one of its prehistoric cousins (we’re talking dial-up era here), adding patterned lines is a breeze. Just a few clicks and boom—your shape is rocking a zigzag or checkerboard outline like it’s headed to a retro party.

Now here’s the weird part: newer versions of PowerPoint (2007 and beyond) still support patterned lines. That means if you open an old presentation with those funky borders, they’ll show up just fine—like a vintage car that still runs. But—and it’s a big but—you can’t add new patterned lines in these versions. Microsoft tucked that feature away. We’ll dive into how to work around this limitation in a future tutorial (spoiler: there are clever hacks!). But for now, let’s roll up our sleeves and explore how to add those patterned lines in PowerPoint 2003 and earlier:

1. Create a new presentation and then insert a blank slide. Or insert a blank slide in an existing presentation.
2. Keyboard shortcuts Ctrl + N and Ctrl + M can be used to create a new presentation and to insert a new slide. Mac users can substitute the Ctrl key with the Cmd key.
3. 

   PowerPoint Keyboard Shortcuts

   Do you want more keyboard shortcuts?

   Explore our PowerPoint Keyboard Shortcuts and Sequences Ebook that is updated for all PowerPoint versions.

2. Draw a rectangle on the slide. Right-click the Rectangle and choose Format AutoShape from the resultant menu. This action will present you with the Format AutoShape tabbed dialog box. By default, the Colors and Lines tab will be active.
3. Click the Line Color dropdown box and choose the Patterned Lines option, as shown in Figure 2, below.
4. 
   Figure 2: Colors and Lines
4. In the resultant Patterned Lines dialog box, you'll find 48 patterns to choose from, as shown in Figure 3, below. We selected the Dark Horizontal pattern. Since patterns are created using two colors, choose colors that provide a nice contrast. Click the OK button when done.
5. 
   Figure 3: Patterned Lines
5. Doing so will bring you back to the Format AutoShape dialog box, as shown in Figure 4, below. Choose a thick line weight, normally between 15 and 40 points, depending on the size of the shape.
6. 
   Figure 4: Format AutoShape
6. Click the OK button.

Patterned lines and fills can help persons with color vision deficiency differentiate between objects.