Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, and 2013. 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: Nudging a Graphic.
You already know that you can insert graphics in an Excel worksheet and that you can position those graphics using the mouse. Sometimes using the mouse doesn't give the greatest amount of control over the placement of an object. For this reason, you may want to only use the mouse to handle the "rough placement" of a graphic. You can then nudge the graphic into its final location.
To nudge a graphic, simply make sure it is selected, and then use the arrow keys. Pressing an arrow key moves the graphic in the direction indicated.
It should be pointed out that this technique works just fine if you are nudging a graphic such as a shape, a text box, or an inserted image—and if those graphics are on a regular worksheet. In fact, you can select multiple graphics (hold down the Ctrl key as you click on each one) and then use the arrow keys to nudge them.
What doesn't seem to work is if you place any of these objects on a chart sheet. The, the arrow keys simply "cycle" between the various graphic objects you've placed on the chart. Further, if the chart is actually an object on a worksheet (not on its own chart sheet), then you can't nudge in the manner already described.
If the chart is an object visible in a worksheet (not on its own chart sheet), then you can nudge it by holding down the Ctrl key and left-clicking on the chart. This selects the chart, as an object, and then the arrow keys will work to nudge the object.
If the graphic objects are on a chart sheet, there is no way that we've been able to discover to do the nudging.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (10257) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, and 2013. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Nudging a Graphic.
Professional Development Guidance! Four world-class developers offer start-to-finish guidance for building powerful, robust, and secure applications with Excel. The authors show how to consistently make the right design decisions and make the most of Excel's powerful features. Check out Professional Excel Development today!
When you insert a shape into a worksheet, Excel does some preliminary formatting on that shape. You can subsequently make ...
Discover MoreWant your shapes to really "pop" off the page? Add a drop shadow to them, as described in this tip.
Discover MoreYou can add all sorts of objects to your workbooks, including video clips. Here's the pros and cons (along with the ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
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 © 2018 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, and 2013. 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