Shapes and Elements in the Letter Editor - Templates & Editor

Shapes and Elements in the Letter Editor - Templates & Editor | AutoLetter Help Center

Shapes are versatile design elements that allow you to highlight areas, create divider lines, or add graphical accents to your letter. The AutoLetter editor offers 15 different shape types with extensive customization options.

The editor provides you with the following 15 shapes:

No.	Shape	Typical Use
1	Rectangle	Background areas, text boxes
2	Rounded Rectangle	Modern buttons, badges
3	Circle	Profile images, stamps
4	Ellipse	Oval frames, decoration
5	Triangle	Arrows, decorative elements
6	Line	Divider lines, connections
7	Arrow	Pointers, flow diagrams
8	Star	Ratings, awards
9	Diamond	Bullet points, decoration
10	Pentagon	Graphical accents
11	Hexagon	Technical illustrations
12	Octagon	Stamp look, badges
13	Cross	Markers, medical
14	Heart	Emotional campaigns, Valentine's Day
15	Arc	Curved accents

Open the shapes tool

Click on the Shapes icon in the toolbar. A selection of all available shapes appears.

Select a shape

Click on the desired shape. It will be inserted on the active page at a default size.

Adjust position and size

Drag the shape to the desired position. Use the handles at the corners and edges to change the size. You can enter exact values in the properties panel.

Each shape offers the following customization options in the properties panel:

Fill color: The surface of the shape. Choose from color presets or enter a HEX/RGB value. You can also leave the fill transparent.
Border color: The outline of the shape. Can be set independently from the fill color.

All values are given in millimeters (mm) for print-accurate positioning:

X position: Horizontal distance from the left page edge
Y position: Vertical distance from the top page edge
Width: Width of the shape in mm
Height: Height of the shape in mm

Corner radius: For rectangles, you can round the corners. The value is given in mm (0 = square, higher = rounder).
Line pattern: Choose between solid, dashed, or dotted lines.
Line weight: The width of the border.

Rotation: Rotate the shape at any angle (0-360 degrees). You can also rotate directly using the mouse on the rotation point.
Opacity: Set the transparency of the shape (0% = fully transparent, 100% = fully opaque). Useful for watermark effects or semi-transparent backgrounds.

When multiple elements overlap on your template, the Z-order determines which element is in front and which is behind:

Action	Keyboard Shortcut	Description
Bring to front	Ctrl + Shift + Arrow Up	Place element above all others
Send to back	Ctrl + Shift + Arrow Down	Place element behind all others
Bring forward	Ctrl + Arrow Up	Move element one position forward
Send backward	Ctrl + Arrow Down	Move element one position backward

Use semi-transparent rectangles as background elements for text areas. A white shape with 80% opacity over a background image ensures that text remains easily readable while the image still shows through slightly.

Consistent colors: Use a maximum of 2-3 colors for shapes in a template to achieve a cohesive overall look.
Alignment: Use the alignment functions to precisely align shapes relative to each other.
Grouping: When multiple shapes form a single element, group them with Ctrl+G. This lets you move them together without changing their relative positioning.
Mind the DHL zones: Make sure shapes on page 1 do not extend into the reserved DHL areas.