Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here: Changing the Size of a Drawing Object.

Changing the Size of a Drawing Object

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 2, 2022)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


You already know that you can use the Drawing toolbar to add graphic objects to your Excel worksheet. As you create and refine your drawings, there will doubtless be times when you need to change the size of objects. You can change the size of most objects by following these steps:

  1. Select the Pointer tool from the Drawing toolbar.
  2. Point to the object whose size you want to change, and then select it by clicking the mouse button. Excel displays small boxes called handles around the object.
  3. Point to one of the handles, click on it, and hold down the mouse button.
  4. Drag the mouse. The size of the object will change as you move the mouse.
  5. Release the mouse button when the object is the desired size.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2198) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Excel (Excel 2007 and later) here: Changing the Size of a Drawing Object.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

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