Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. 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: Setting Default Attributes for Lines and Arrows.
Glenn adds lines and arrows regularly to flowcharts that he creates in Excel. He is wondering if there is a way to set a default line weight, color, and arrowhead, as it gets tedious to change the attributes all the time.
Setting defaults for Shapes (such as lines and arrows) is quite easy in Excel. Just follow these steps:
That's it. For the rest of your current Excel session your lines and arrows will be drawn using your desired formats.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (11579) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Setting Default Attributes for Lines and Arrows.
Solve Real Business Problems Master business modeling and analysis techniques with Excel and transform data into bottom-line results. This hands-on, scenario-focused guide shows you how to use the latest Excel tools to integrate data from multiple tables. Check out Microsoft Excel 2013 Data Analysis and Business Modeling today!
If you use Excel's graphic capabilities to insert a line or an arrow into a worksheet, you can change how that arrow ...
Discover MoreAdding a graphic to a worksheet is easy. Getting that graphic to just the right size may take a little bit of trial and ...
Discover MoreGraphics can really add pizzazz to a worksheet, but they can also present some drawbacks. If you want to get rid of all ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2016-10-12 00:54:30
faisal
i'm using office 2010. i cannot set as default shape when i'm using freeform tool. is there a way to do it?
2016-03-23 02:12:04
Robert Black
I am using Excel 2007. When Drawing in Excel, Insert=>Shapes=>Scribble, drawing a line, changing the line width and color, selecting it the context does not have Set Default line but has Set as Default Shape. When that is done, the default is not set but the procedure works for arrows and other shapes but not for the scribble feature for the line. Why?
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, 2013, and 2016. 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