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: Editing Graphic Objects.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated January 31, 2023)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021
The technique you use to edit a graphics object depends on the type of object you are editing. The most common editing tasks—sizing and deleting objects—are easy to do in Excel.
To size an object, you first have to select it. This is done by using the mouse to point to one of the lines in the object. When you click on the mouse button, notice that handles appear around the outside of the rectangle that contains the object.
If you position the mouse pointer over one of the corner handles, it changes to a double-headed diagonal arrow. If you then click and hold down the mouse button, you can change the size of the object, keeping the proportions the same.
If you move the mouse pointer over one of the other handles, it changes to arrows that indicate the direction you can move the side. The shape of the graphics object is appropriately skewed, based on how you move the handle.
Finally, to delete a graphics object you need simply select it and press the Del key. You can also use one of the delete options from the Home tab on the ribbon.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (8934) 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: Editing Graphic Objects.
Program Successfully in Excel! This guide will provide you with all the information you need to automate any task in Excel and save time and effort. Learn how to extend Excel's functionality with VBA to create solutions not possible with the standard features. Includes latest information for Excel 2024 and Microsoft 365. Check out Mastering Excel VBA Programming today!
Want to get a graphic to just the right position on a worksheet? Sometimes the easiest way is to use the arrow keys on ...
Discover MoreNeed to make sure that someone cannot delete a graphic in a worksheet? The ability to protect the graphic depends on ...
Discover MoreA picture is worth a thousand words, but getting the picture, particularly a screen shot, into a workbook may seem ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2019-03-30 09:14:30
Alan Cannon
If the graphical object is one that was inserted as a shape, smart art object, text box, or equation, the proportions aren't maintained unless you hold down the Shift key while dragging the corner. Only picture formats, including screen clips, automatically maintain proportions without using the Shift key.
Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
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:
Comments