Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Quickly Duplicating Drawing Objects.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 19, 2025)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021
You probably know that you can copy drawing objects using the familiar copy (Ctrl+C) and paste (Ctrl+V) commands. You may not know that there are other ways—quicker ways—that you can accomplish the same task.
The first method simply entails selecting the object and pressing Ctrl+D. That's it; the object is duplicated. In addition, if you hold down the shortcut key for a few seconds, the "autorepeat" feature of your keyboard will kick in and you can duplicate the object a zillion times in short order. Once duplicated, you can move the new objects wherever you need them in your worksheet.
If you prefer to use the mouse, you can duplicate objects by holding down the Ctrl key as you click and drag the object you want to duplicate. When you release the mouse button, the object is duplicated at the point where you released the button. (Don't release the Ctrl key until after you release the mouse button.)
Another benefit of both of these approaches is that you don't need to use the Clipboard. That means you won't disturb anything you previously copied to the Clipboard. These techniques work equally well for ClipArt, WordArt, and AutoShapes, as well as text boxes.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (800) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Quickly Duplicating Drawing Objects.
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Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here:
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