Zooming with the Keyboard

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.)



Figure 1. The Macro Options dialog box.

4. 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.
5. Click on OK.
6. Select the MyZoomOut macro.
7. Click on Options. Excel again displays the Macro Options dialog box.
8. 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.
9. Click on OK.
10. Click on Cancel to close the Macro dialog box.

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.