Inserting Multiple Drawing Objects

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated July 11, 2020)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003

There may be times when you want to insert multiple drawing objects (such as squares, rectangles, ovals, or circles) in your worksheet. Rather than click on the drawing tools on the Drawing toolbar before creating each object, Excel provides a nifty shortcut. All you need to do is double-click on the drawing tool you want to use. For instance, you can double-click on the Rectangle tool if you want to draw rectangles or squares. Excel "locks" the tool into place, and you can create as many of the objects as you desire. When you are done creating them, click on the tool again or press the Esc key to return the mouse pointer to normal.

You can apply the same concept to creating AutoShapes, but the process is just a bit longer. Follow these steps:

  1. Click on the AutoShapes tool on the Drawing toolbar. Excel presents a listing of AutoShape categories.
  2. Click on the category you want to use. Excel displays a wide array of AutoShapes you can use.
  3. Notice that at the top of the AutoShapes menu there is a small horizontal bar. Click on this bar and drag it to some other location on your screen. When you release the mouse button, the AutoShapes menu appears on its own, floating on your desktop.
  4. Double-click on any item on the menu. It remains selected.
  5. Create any number of that AutoShape in your worksheet.
  6. Press Esc or click on the AutoShape again (in the floating menu) to return the mouse pointer to normal.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2356) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.

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. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Underlining Section References Automatically

If you have a document that has some sort of keyword within it (such as "Section") you may want to automatically format ...

Discover More

Clearing the Undo Stack in a Macro

When writing a macro, you may need a way to clear the undo stack. This can be done with a single command, as described in ...

Discover More

Conditional Formatting

One of the powerful features of Excel is the ability to format a cell based on the contents of that cell or another. It ...

Discover More

Solve Real Business Problems Master business modeling and analysis techniques with Excel and transform data into bottom-line results. This hands-on, scenario-focused guide shows you how to use the latest Excel tools to integrate data from multiple tables. Check out Microsoft Excel 2013 Data Analysis and Business Modeling today!

More ExcelTips (menu)

Adjusting Picture Appearance

Excel provides the Picture toolbar to help you modify any images in your worksheet. This tip explains how to use the ...

Discover More

Cropping Pictures

Excel allows you to easily add graphics to a worksheet. If you want to crop an image you previously added, here's how to ...

Discover More

Using the Mouse to Adjust Your View of 3-D Graphs

Want to adjust the perspective from which your 3-D graph is viewed? Excel allows you to use the mouse to rotate the graph ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 2 + 2?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

This Site

Got a version of Excel that uses the menu interface (Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, or Excel 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.

Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2024 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.