Shape Fills, Lines, and Effects for SmartArt in PowerPoint 2016 for Windows

After inserting a SmartArt graphic in your slide, you can change the color for the entire SmartArt graphic. Doing so applies new colors to the entire SmartArt graphic including the various shapes it contains. However, there may be times when you want one of the shapes to be colored differently.

In this tutorial, we'll explore the fill, line, and effect options which can be applied to individual shapes within a SmartArt graphic in PowerPoint 2016 for Windows:

1. Select any individual shape within your existing SmartArt graphic, as shown in Figure 1, below. As you can see, one of the gear shapes has been selected in this case. This will activate two contextual SmartArt Tools tabs on the Ribbon. These are the SmartArt Tools Design and the SmartArt Tools Format tabs, as shown highlighted in blue within Figure 1. Activate the SmartArt Tools Format tab by clicking on it.
2. 
   Figure 1: SmartArt Tools Format tab selected
2. Within the SmartArt Tools Format tab. Locate the Shape Styles group, as shown in Figure 2, below.
3. 
   Figure 2: Shape Styles group

Contextual Tabs

The SmartArt Tool Design and SmartArt Tool Format tabs are contextual tabs. These tabs are special tabs in the Ribbon that are not visible all the time. They only make an appearance when you are working with a particular slide object which can be edited using special options.
4. Here, you'll find the Shape Fill, Shape Outline, and Shape Effect options for individual SmartArt shapes. All of these options are explained below, as marked in Figure 2, above:

A. Shape Fill

5. Select this option to view the Shape Fill drop-down gallery, as shown in Figure 3, below. Learn more about shape fills in our Add Solid Fills to Shapes in PowerPoint 2016 tutorial.
6. 
   Figure 3: Shape Fill drop-down gallery

B. Shape Outline

7. Select this option to view the Shape Outline drop-down gallery, as shown in Figure 4, below. Learn more about shape outline in our Formatting Lines (and Shape Outlines) in PowerPoint 2016 tutorial.
8. 
   Figure 4: Shape Outline drop-down gallery

C. Shape Effects

9. Click to open the Shape Effects drop-down gallery, as shown in Figure 5, below. Learn more about shape effects in our Shape Effects in PowerPoint 2016 tutorial.
10. 
    Figure 5: Shape Effects drop-downn gallery

D. Shape Styles

11. Click the down-arrow, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 2, previously on this page. To bring up the Shape Styles drop-down gallery, as shown in Figure 6, below. Learn more about shape styles in our Shape Styles in PowerPoint 2016 tutorial.
12. 
    Figure 6: Shape Styles drop-down gallery
3. Apply fills, outlines, and effects to the SmartArt shapes as required. Figure 7, below shows different fills, outlines, and effects applied to individual shapes of the Gear SmartArt graphic variant.
4. 
   Figure 7: Different fills, outlines, and effects applied to individual shapes within a SmartArt graphic