Shape blocks

Shape Blocks allow you to add visual design elements to your documents without needing dedicated shape tools. While we're developing a native shape block feature, there's a clever workaround that gives you complete design flexibility right now. By using text blocks with background colors and borders—without adding any text content—you can create professional circles, rectangles, and custom shapes that enhance your document's visual appeal.

This approach gives you the same results as traditional shape tools while working seamlessly within Proposify's existing editor framework.

How It Works

The technique works by leveraging the styling capabilities built into our text block system. When you apply a background color to a text block and leave the content area empty, the block transforms into a clean shape. The border radius controls let you create everything from sharp rectangles to perfect circles, while border options add definition and visual interest.

This method is particularly effective because it uses the same responsive design principles as all other Proposify blocks, ensuring your shapes look great across different devices and screen sizes.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Adding Your Shape Block

1. Navigate to the location in your document where you want to add a shape
2. Click the Add Block button
3. Select Text Block from the block options
4. Leave the text field completely empty—this is crucial for creating clean shapes

Configuring Your Shape

1. Click on your empty text block to select it
2. Open the Text Block Settings panel on the right side of your screen
3. Navigate to the Background section
4. Choose your desired color from the Color Picker or enter a specific hex code

Creating Different Shape Types For rectangles and squares:

• Keep the Border Radius at 0px for sharp, clean edges
• Adjust block dimensions using the corner handles to create your desired proportions

For rounded rectangles:

• Set the Border Radius between 10-50px
• This creates modern, approachable shapes with softened corners

For perfect circles:

• Navigate to the Borders section in settings
• Set the Border Radius to 200px or higher
• Ensure your block has equal height and width for a true circle

Key Features and Benefits

Design Flexibility You have complete control over size, color, and positioning. Create subtle accent elements or bold focal points that align perfectly with your brand guidelines.

Professional Appearance Clean geometric shapes add visual structure to your documents, helping guide readers through your content and creating natural separation between sections.

Brand Consistency Use your brand colors to create cohesive visual elements that reinforce your company's identity throughout the document.

Responsive Design Shapes created this way automatically adapt to different screen sizes, ensuring your documents look professional on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices.

Easy Customization Modify colors, sizes, and styles instantly without starting over. Perfect for iterating on designs or adapting templates for different clients.

Advanced Styling Options

Border Enhancement Add definition to your shapes by configuring borders:

• Color: Choose complementary or contrasting colors
• Width: Range from subtle 1px lines to bold 5px borders
• Placement: Apply to all sides or specific edges only

Color Strategy Consider these professional combinations:

• Corporate: Navy backgrounds with white borders
• Modern: Bright blue with darker blue borders
• Elegant: Charcoal gray with gold accents

Sizing Guidelines Maintain visual balance by keeping shapes proportional to your content. Consistent spacing and sizing across your document creates a polished, professional appearance.

Practical Applications

Visual Separators Create clean section breaks using thin rectangular shapes that span the width of your content area.

Highlight Elements Place circular or rounded shapes behind important statistics, testimonials, or key selling points to draw attention.

Brand Accents Add small decorative elements in your brand colors to reinforce visual identity without overwhelming the content.

Call-to-Action Backgrounds Frame important sections with subtle background shapes that encourage reader engagement.

Common FAQs

Why isn't my shape appearing? The most common issue is forgetting to apply a background color or the opacity is at 0. Make sure you've selected a color in the Background section and that your text field is completely empty.

How do I make a perfect circle? Set your Border Radius to 200px or higher in the Borders section. For best results, try to make your block roughly square-shaped using the corner handles before applying the radius.

Can I layer shapes behind text? Yes! Shapes created this way naturally layer behind text content, making them perfect for background elements and subtle design accents.

My border radius isn't working—what's wrong? Check that you're adjusting the setting in the Borders section, not the Background section. Also ensure your block dimensions are large enough to accommodate the radius you've set.

How do I match my brand colors exactly? Use the hex code input field in the color picker for precise color matching. You can also save frequently used colors to maintain consistency across documents.

Related Resources

• Text Block Fundamentals
• Color and Branding Guidelines
• Template Design Best Practices
• Mobile Optimization Tips

Need additional help with shape design or have specific implementation questions? Our support team is here to help you create documents that truly stand out and win more business.