Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365. 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: Changing an AutoShape.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated May 7, 2022)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365
Excel allows you to work with predefined shapes. In Excel these are called (oddly enough) shapes. There may be times when you want to completely change a shape from one to another. For instance, you may want to change one banner shape to another. While you can simply delete your original shape and then draw a new one, Excel makes it even easier than that to change shapes.
Excel changes the shape used, without changing the overall size of the bounding rectangle that contains the shape. You can then proceed to edit the new shape, as desired.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (7132) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Changing an AutoShape.
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