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: Formatting the Border of a Legend.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated December 28, 2024)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
When you create a chart in Excel, the Wizard that you follow may create a chart legend, depending on the type of chart you are creating. Normally, the appearance of the legend will be acceptable for the type of chart you are creating. You have complete control, however, over how the legend appears.
One of the elements you can change is the type of border Excel places around the legend. To change the appearance of the legend's border, follow these steps:

Figure 1. The Patterns tab of the Format Legend dialog box.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (3197) 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: Formatting the Border of a Legend.
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