Hiding Outline Symbols

Summary: Outlining a worksheet can be helpful as you try to manage the data that the worksheet contains. However, the outline symbols may detract from the appearance of your data. You can easily hide the outline symbols by making a quick change to your Excel options. (This tip works with Microsoft Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, Excel 2003, and Excel 2007.)

Once you go through the process of outlining your data, you may want to hide the outline symbols that Excel normally displays at the left of the worksheet area. These symbols are helpful as you are working with the data, by may be distracting if you are presenting the data to others. To turn off the symbols, follow these steps if you are using a version of Excel prior to Excel 2007:

Choose Options from the Tools menu. Excel displays the Options dialog box.
Make sure the View tab is selected. (Click here to see a related figure.)
Clear the Outline Symbols check box.
Click on OK.

If you are using Excel 2007, then the steps are a bit different:

Click the Office button and then click Excel Options. The Excel Options dialog box appears.
Click Advanced at the left side of the dialog box.
Scroll through the available options until you get to the Display Options for This Worksheet group. (Click here to see a related figure.)
Clear the Show Outline Symbols if an Outline is Applied check box.
Click on OK.

To again display the symbols, follow the same steps, but make sure the Outline Symbols check box is selected.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (3020) applies to Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003 | 2007

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Hiding Outline Symbols