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: Setting Default Attributes for Lines and Arrows.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated July 8, 2021)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Glenn adds lines and arrows regularly to flowcharts that he creates in Excel. He is wondering if there is a way to set a default line weight, color, and arrowhead, as it gets tedious to change the attributes all the time.
Setting defaults for AutoShapes (such as lines and arrows) is quite easy in Excel. Just follow these steps:
That's it. For the rest of your current Excel session your lines and arrows will be drawn using your desired formats.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (3357) 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: Setting Default Attributes for Lines and Arrows.
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2019-07-12 18:15:18
Lester
How can you make the default stick for ever, not just for "the current Excel session" ??
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.
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