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: Zooming With the Keyboard.

Zooming with the Keyboard

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated October 3, 2020)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


1

For most purposes, Excel allows you to issue commands and perform functions by using either the mouse or the keyboard. Unfortunately, Excel does not provide "equal access" for all commands. For instance, it is relatively easy to zoom in or out using the mouse, but there is no easy way to do it using the keyboard (other than using the keyboard to traverse the menus and select a zoom setting).

If you want the ability to zoom in or out easily using the keyboard, the only way to get it is to create a macro and then assign the macro to a keyboard combination. The following VBA macro (MyZoomIn) allow you to zoom in to (enlarge) a worksheet by 10%:

Sub MyZoomIn()
   Dim ZP As Integer
   ZP = Int(ActiveWindow.Zoom * 1.1)
   If ZP > 400 Then ZP = 400
   ActiveWindow.Zoom = ZP
End Sub

Notice that the macro only allows you to zoom in up to 400%. This is because Excel allows you to only zoom that high, and any higher would generate an error. A slight variation on the same theme results in a macro I call MyZoomOut. It zooms out of (reduces) a worksheet by 10%:

Sub MyZoomOut()
   Dim ZP As Integer
   ZP = Int(ActiveWindow.Zoom * 0.9)
   If ZP < 10 Then ZP = 10
   ActiveWindow.Zoom = ZP
End Sub

This macro sets the bottom boundary at 10%, which is the smallest you can go. Any smaller, and Excel would generate an error again.

The final trick to make these macros really useful is to assign them to a keyboard combination. You can then quickly zoom in or out by 10% with a simple keystroke. The following are the steps you can use to assign a macro to a keyboard combination:

  1. Press Alt+F8. Excel displays the Macro dialog box, which includes a list of your defined macros. (MyZoomIn and MyZoomOut should be among them.)
  2. Select the MyZoomIn macro.
  3. Click on Options. Excel displays the Macro Options dialog box. (See Figure 1.)
  4. Figure 1. The Macro Options dialog box.

  5. In the Shortcut box, specify the shortcut you want to use. For instance, if you want to use Ctrl+I, you would enter an I in the Shortcut box.
  6. Click on OK.
  7. Select the MyZoomOut macro.
  8. Click on Options. Excel again displays the Macro Options dialog box.
  9. In the Shortcut box, specify the shortcut you want to use. For instance, if you want to use Ctrl+O, you would enter an O in the Shortcut box.
  10. Click on OK.
  11. Click on Cancel to close the Macro dialog box.

Note:

If you would like to know how to use the macros described on this page (or on any other page on the ExcelTips sites), I've prepared a special page that includes helpful information. Click here to open that special page in a new browser tab.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2731) 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: Zooming With the Keyboard.

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

Lines that Don't Change When You Type

Create a form in Word and you will invariably be faced with the need to places fill-in-the-blank lines in the document. ...

Discover More

Cannot Add Worksheets to a Workbook

If you cannot add a worksheet to your workbook, it could be because the workbook is protected. This tip shows how to ...

Discover More

Inserting a Page Break Every X Rows

As you format your worksheet, Excel allows you to add page breaks where you'd like. If you want to put in a series of ...

Discover More

Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 2013 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Access) with VBA programming, using it for writing macros, automating Office applications, and creating custom applications. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2013 today!

More ExcelTips (menu)

Turning Off ScreenTips

ScreenTips are one of those artifacts of Microsoft trying to make Excel be overly helpful. If the ScreenTips bother you, ...

Discover More

Viewing Your Work Full-Screen

Want to use the maximum space possible for displaying information on screen? You'll want to learn how to use the ...

Discover More

Removing Personal Information

As you create and work on your workbooks, Excel can include sensitive personal information with the data. If you want to ...

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.

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 five less than 6?

2022-02-01 01:00:06

Ander

Alan, you're a genius. This is so helpful to us lonely types still using the pre-"ribbon" [shiver!] version of Excel. Thanks!


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.