Excel Productivity tips

Pro

Printing part of a spreadsheet

• Select the cells you want to print.

• Select Print Area in the File menu and Set Print Area in the sub-menu (Select Clear Print Area to print the whole spreadsheet later).

• Print the spreadsheet as usual. Only the selected cells will be printed. 

Formatting charts 

Charts can be changed and edited, both in worksheets and in the documents into which they have been pasted. The pattern of lines, scales, font, numbers and alignment can all be changed if required. 

To format the scale of a chart, for example, proceed as follows: 

• Click on any numeric value alongside an axis to select the axis.

• Click Selected Axis in the Format menu.

• The Format Axis window appears.

• Click the Scale tab in the window.

• Enter appropriate values in the boxes.

On some charts, for example, it might not be appropriate to start the scale at zero.

• Click OK to apply the new scale.

• You can see the effect of the values in the boxes on the right in the chart below. 

To change a Chart Title, do the following: 

• Click the current title to select it.

• The title text is highlighted (see right).

• Type the new title in the Formula Bar.

• Click the Enter check mark on the Formula Bar when you have finished.</p>

• The new title appears on the chart. 

To format text—such as the title or axes labels—in a chart on the worksheet, proceed as follows: 

• Double click on the text.

• A Format window appears with the Font tab clicked.

• Select the font, style, size and so on as appropriate.

• Click OK to apply the formatting. 

To change the chart type, right-click on the chart and select Chart Type from the pop-up menu that appears. Select the type of chart you require. It will replace the old chart while keeping its properties, i.e. labels and scaling, intact. In a pasted chart, right-click the chart. Select Worksheet Object in the menu that appears and Edit in the sub-menu. Then continue as before. 

For other options, click on the chart to select it. Then select Chart Options in the Chart menu. Click the appropriate tab in the Chart Options window that appears.

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