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: Drawing Lines.

Drawing Lines

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated February 21, 2025)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021

Excel provides tools that allow you to create a number of shapes that were previously only available through the use of a drawing program. One of these shapes is a line. (Yes, the simple line!) Here's how you add one to your worksheet:

Display the Insert tab of the ribbon.
Click the Shapes tool in the Illustrations group. Excel displays a drop-down cornucopia of drawing objects.
Click the line that most closely resembles the type of line you want to draw.
Position the mouse pointer where one end of the line is to be located.
Click and hold the mouse button.
Drag the mouse until the line is the desired length.
Release the mouse button.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (10086) 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: Drawing Lines.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

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What is 2 + 8?

2021-08-07 21:20:30

Ronmio

If you want the line to be perfectly horizontal or vertical (or inbetween in 45° steps), just position the end of the line at approximately the desired angle and hold down the shift key while letting up on the mouse button. The line will snap to precisely the angle you want.

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