OpenOffice Draw Tutorial - How to Make a Fall Fest Flyer: Document Setup to Set Rectangle Dimension & Color

This tutorial gives the illustrated step by step instructions to create a Fall Fest Flyer using the Free Vector Graphics Application - OpenOffice Draw.

Fall Fest Flyer

Steps

01: Page Setup / Format

02: Draw Rounded Rectangle

03: Position & Size

04: Create Custom Color

05: The Colors Tab

06: Change Line / Stroke Color

07: Duplicate Rectangles

08: Rectangle Dimension & Color

09: Group Rectangles

10: Royalty Free Images

11: Insert Picture From File

12: Resize Image

13: Insert Text

14: Format Text

15: Edit Text Color

16: Add & Format New Text

17: Save File

Step 01: Page Setup / Format

After opening OpenOffice Draw on your machine, move the mouse over the blank canvas, then right click and select Page > Page Setup from the popup menu.

The Page Setup Window will appear.

On the Page Tab, change the Paper Format to Letter by clicking on the down arrow to the right and selecting Letter from the list, and Orientation to Portrait.

Then set Margins to "0.50" each.

Then click OK.

Step 02: Draw Rounded Rectangle

The first thing we will be adding to this Flyer is a Rounded Rectangle. To do this, go to the Drawing Toolbar located at the bottom of the screen.

Click on the Down Arrow on the right side of the Basic Shapes Icon

OpenOffice Draw
Basic Shapes Icon

which opens up the Basic Shapes Window.

OpenOffice Draw Basic Shapes Window — OpenOffice Draw
Basic Shapes Window

Click on the Rounded Rectangle

OpenOffice Draw
Rounded
Rectangle Icon

which is the 2nd Icon on the first row.

Draw the Rounded Rectangle from one side of the Flyer to the other.

It will look like this:

OpenOffice Draw Default Colored Rouned Rectangle

Step 03: Position & Size

With the Rounded Rectangle still selected, right click over it and select Position and Size from the menu that pops up.

This will in turn open the Position and Size Window, with the Position and Size Tab visible.

OpenOffice Draw Position and Size Window

In the Size Section, set the Width to "8.05" in and Height to "0.46" in.

Then click Ok.

While the bar is still selected, move the Rounded Rectangle with the arrow keys on your keyboard so that it is Centered.

The Rounded Rectangle will look like this:

Step 04: Create Custom Color

Next we will change the color of the Rounded Rectangle by creating a Custom Color. To do this, right click over the Rectangle and select Area from the menu that appears.

This will open the Area Window which consists of the Area, Shadow, Transparency, Colors, Gradients, Hatching, and Bitmaps Tabs.

The Area Tab should be visible.

Select the Colors Tab.

Step 05: The Colors Tab

At the right side of this window, click on the Add button where a pop up window will appear to let you know that you have to choose a New Name for your New Color.

OpenOffice Draw Color Name Already Exists Error

So click OK.

This in turn opens up a Name Window.

Type in the name of our first Custom Color, which we will call Orange Bar. Then click OK.

You will be taken back to the Colors Tab in the Area Window.

Under RGB, set R to 255, G to 102, and B to 0. Then click on the Modify button to the right.

Click OK to see the color change made to your Rounded Rectangle.

OpenOffice Draw Orange Filled Rounded Rectangle

It should look like this:

Step 06: Change Line/Stroke Color

Notice that the Rectangle still has a Black Stroke around it.

OpenOffice Draw Line and Filling Toolbar

To change this, go up to the Line and Filling Toolbar, click on the down arrow on the Line Color Box (the down arrow to the right side of the word "Black" in the image) and scroll down the Color menu that appears to find our Custom color "Orange Bar".

OpenOffice Draw Color List Menu — OpenOffice Draw
Color List Menu

Select it and immediately you will see that the Rounded Rectangle no longer has a Black Border.

It should look like this:

OpenOffice Draw Orange Filled Rounded Rectangle with Orange Border

Step 07: Duplicate Rectangles

OK, now using what we've just learned, we will create a Multicolored Rounded Rectangle Bar. We'll start by drawing 4 Rounded Rectangles and editing their Dimensions.

Draw the 1st Rounded Rectangle. Select it and go up to the Standard Toolbar.

Click on the Copy Icon,

OpenOffice Draw Copy Icon — OpenOffice Draw
Copy Icon

then click on the Paste Icon

OpenOffice Draw Paste Icon — OpenOffice Draw
Paste Icon

3 times. Though it may not look like it, there are now 3 more Rounded Rectangles behind your original.

Move each one out to the right by holding the mouse and dragging or you can use the arrow keys on your keyboard. Repeat for each until all Rounded Rectangles are completely visible.

OpenOffice Draw Multipe Rounded Rectangles

Try to space the Rectangles at an equal distance apart so that they look like this:

Step 08: Rectangle Dimensions & Color

We will set the Rectangle Dimensions as follows:
Rect1: W 2.16, H 0.48
Rect2: W 1.65, H 0.48
Rect3: W 2.16, H 0.48
Rect4: W 1.35, H 0.48

To do this, right click on the 1st Rounded Rectangle and select Position and Size. In the Size Section, set Widith and Height, then click OK. Repeat for the other 3, making sure to set the right dimensions. Using your arrow keys, select each Rectangle and again make sure that they are equally spaced.

Reapeating the steps you've already learned to set Fill Color, set the following Color Names:
Rect1: R 128, G 51, B 0

OpenOffice Draw Brown Rounded Rectangle — OpenOffice Draw
Brown Rounded Rectangle

Rect2: R 255, G 102, B 0

OpenOffice Draw Orange Rounded Rectangle — OpenOffice Draw
Orange Rounded Rectangle

Rect3: R 212, G 170, B 0

OpenOffice Draw Gold Rounded Rectangle — OpenOffice Draw
Gold Rounded Rectangle

Rect4: R 102, G 128, B 0

OpenOffice Draw Green Rounded Rectangle — OpenOffice Draw
Green Rounded Rectangle

OpenOffice Draw Multicolored Rounded Rectangle Bar With Border

So that the 4 Rounded Rectangles with visible Black Borders will look like this:

OpenOffice Draw Multicolored Rounded Rectangle Bar No Border

Repeat the step to change the Rectangle's Stroke/Border. Set each rectangle's Border to its corresponding color.

OpenOffice Draw Fall Fest Flyer Background — OpenOffice Draw
Fall Fest Flyer Background

The Flyer will now look like this: