# Text, shapes, images and tables on slides > Add text boxes, shapes, lines and arrows, pictures, tables, charts and live desk widgets to a slide, and edit what they say. Source: https://plexiidesk.com/help/slides-insert-elements Section: Office > PlexiiSlides Plans: All plans Updated: 2026-10-15 Everything on a slide is an element you can select, move and resize: text boxes, shapes, lines, pictures, tables, charts and widgets from your desks. This guide covers adding each kind and filling it in. To style and position elements, see [Format elements with the inspector](https://plexiidesk.com/help/slides-format-elements). ## Before you start - Adding elements works on every plan. - Open a deck in PlexiiSlides, or click inside a Slides widget on a desk, and click the slide you want to add to. See [PlexiiSlides overview](https://plexiidesk.com/help/slides-overview). New elements go on the slide you are on and are selected straight away, ready to move or style. ## Text ### Add a text box Click **Text** in the toolbar, or choose **Insert** > **Text box**. A text box that says "Text" appears on the slide, in the theme's body font. ### Type in a text box 1. Double-click the text box. An editing box opens over it. 2. Type your text. Press `Return` or `Enter` to start a new line. Each line becomes its own paragraph, so in a bulleted text box each line is a bullet. 3. Click anywhere outside the box to keep your changes, or press `Esc` to leave without them. This works the same for text boxes from a layout or starter slide, such as a title. > **Tip:** > Bold, italic, colour, size, alignment, font and bullets are set for the whole text box at once, in the inspector. See [Format elements with the inspector](https://plexiidesk.com/help/slides-format-elements). ## Shapes, lines and arrows Click **Shape** in the toolbar and choose **Rectangle**, **Rounded**, **Ellipse**, **Triangle** or **Line / arrow**. On the **Insert** menu, the shapes are under **Shape**, where the rounded one is called **Rounded rectangle**, and **Line** is listed on its own. - A shape is filled with the theme's accent colour. - A line runs left to right in the accent colour, with an arrowhead at its end. Turn the arrowhead off in the inspector with **Toggle arrow**. To put words in a shape, add a text box and place it over the shape. ## Pictures 1. Click **Image** in the toolbar, or choose **Insert** > **Image**. 2. In the **Insert image** window, choose a picture: .png, .jpg, .jpeg, .gif, .webp or .svg. The picture goes in the middle of the slide at its own proportions. It is saved inside the deck, so it stays even if you move or delete the file on your computer. Give every picture a short description in **Alt text** in the inspector, so people using a screen reader know what it shows. **View** > **Check accessibility** lists pictures that have none. To crop a picture or change how it fills its frame, see [Format elements with the inspector](https://plexiidesk.com/help/slides-format-elements). ## Tables Choose **Insert** > **Table**. A table of three columns and three rows appears, with a header row reading "Column 1", "Column 2" and "Column 3". To fill it in, select the table. The **Table** section of the inspector shows a box for every cell, laid out like the table. Type in the boxes and the table on the slide updates as you type. In the same section: - The **+ Row** and **+ Col** buttons (**Add row** and **Add column**) add a row at the bottom or a column on the right. - The **− Row** and **− Col** buttons (**Remove last row** and **Remove last column**) take away the last row or column. A table keeps at least one of each. - **Header row** turns the bold, coloured first row on or off. ## Charts Choose **Insert** > **Chart**. A bar chart appears with sample figures and the title "Chart (sample data — link a sheet)", so it cannot be mistaken for real data. Select it and click **Link a sheet range…** in the inspector to chart figures from one of your spreadsheets. See [Charts linked to a spreadsheet](https://plexiidesk.com/help/slides-charts-from-sheets). ## Widgets from a desk Choose **Insert** > **Widget from a desk**. In the **Widget from a desk** window, search with **Search widgets or desks…** or browse your desks, and click a widget. The widget appears on the slide as a live card that keeps up with the widget on its desk. See [Embed desk widgets and other files in a document](https://plexiidesk.com/help/office-embed-widgets-and-files). > **Note:** > A widget card is live, so it cannot be saved into a file. In an exported .pptx or PDF it becomes a labelled box that says **Embedded desk widget**. See [Import and export PowerPoint and PDF](https://plexiidesk.com/help/slides-powerpoint-import-export). ## Other ways to add elements With a deck open, open the command palette with `⌘` `K` on a Mac or `Ctrl` `K` on Windows and type insert. It lists **Insert text box**, **Insert shape**, **Insert ellipse**, **Insert image**, **Insert line**, **Insert widget from a desk**, **Insert chart** and **Insert table**. ## Common questions **Double-clicking a shape does not let me type.** Only text boxes hold text. Add a text box with **Text** and place it on top of the shape. **How do I edit a table on the slide?** Select the table and type in the cell boxes in the inspector. The table on the slide changes as you type. **My picture is distorted.** Select it and click **Reset proportions** in the inspector, and turn on **Lock aspect ratio** so it keeps its shape when you resize it. See [Format elements with the inspector](https://plexiidesk.com/help/slides-format-elements). **How do I remove an element?** Select it and press `Delete` or `Backspace`, or click the bin button under **Arrange** in the inspector. ## Related tasks - [Format elements with the inspector](https://plexiidesk.com/help/slides-format-elements) - [Align, distribute and group](https://plexiidesk.com/help/slides-arrange-elements) - [Charts linked to a spreadsheet](https://plexiidesk.com/help/slides-charts-from-sheets) - [Embed desk widgets and other files in a document](https://plexiidesk.com/help/office-embed-widgets-and-files) - [PlexiiSlides overview](https://plexiidesk.com/help/slides-overview)