Inserting a Shape

You can add a Shape to a worksheet's draw layer by choosing Insert Illustrations Shapes, which opens the Shapes gallery, shown in Figure 23.1. Shapes are organized into categories, and the category at the top displays the Shapes that you've used recently. To insert a Shape into a worksheet, you can do one of the following:

• Click the Shape in the Shapes gallery and then click in the worksheet. A default-sized shape is added to your worksheet.
• Click the Shape and then drag in the worksheet. This allows you to create a larger or a smaller Shape, or a Shape with different proportions than the default.

When you release the mouse button, the object is selected, and its name appears in the Name box (as shown in Figure 23.2).

A few Shapes require a slightly different approach. For example, when adding a FreeForm Shape (from the Lines category), you can click repeatedly to create lines. Or click and drag to create a nonlinear shape. Double-click to finish drawing and create the Shape. The Curve Shape (in the Lines category) also requires several clicks while drawing. If you choose the Scribble Shape, you just drag the mouse pointer across the worksheet to create your masterpiece. If you connect the ends, it will be a filled Shape.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when creating Shapes:

• Every Shape has a name. Some have generic names like Shape 1 and Shape 2, but others are given more descriptive names (for example, Rectangle 1). To change the name of a Shape, select it, type a new name in the Name box, and press Enter.
• To select a specific Shape on a worksheet, just click it.
• When you create a Shape by dragging, hold down the Shift key to maintain the object's default proportions.
• You can control the way objects appear onscreen in the Advanced tab of the Excel Options dialog box. (Choose File Options.) This setting appears in the Display Options for This Workbook section. Normally, the All option is selected under For Objects Show. You can hide all objects by choosing Nothing (Hide Objects). Hiding objects may speed things up if your worksheet contains complex objects that take a long time to redraw.

Adding text to a Shape

Many Shape objects can display text. To add text to such a Shape, select the Shape and start typing the text.

To change the formatting for all text in a Shape, click the Shape object to select it. You can then use the formatting commands on the Font and Alignment groups of the Home tab of the Ribbon. To change the formatting of specific characters within the text, select only those characters, and use the Ribbon controls. Or right-click and use the Mini toolbar to format the selected text. In addition, you can dramatically change the look of the text by using the tools in the Drawing Tools Format WordArt Styles group. You can read more about WordArt later in this chapter.

Formatting Shapes

When you select a Shape, the Drawing Tools Format contextual tab is available, with the following groups of commands:

• Insert Shapes: Insert new Shapes; change a Shape to a different Shape.
• Shape Styles: Change the overall style of a Shape; modify the Shape's fill, outline, or effects.
• WordArt Styles: Modify the appearance of the text within a Shape.
• Arrange: Adjust the “stack order” of Shapes, align Shapes, group multiple Shapes, and rotate Shapes.
• Size: Change the size of a Shape by typing dimensions.

Additional commands are available from the Shape's shortcut menu (which you access by right-clicking the Shape). You can also use your mouse to perform some operations directly; for example, you can resize or rotate a Shape.

Figure 23.3 shows a worksheet with some Shapes that use various types of formatting.

As an alternative to the Ribbon, you can use the Format Shape task pane. Right-click the Shape and choose Format Shape from the shortcut menu. The task pane contains some additional formatting options that aren't on the Ribbon. Changes appear immediately, and you can keep the Format Shape task pane open while you work.

I could probably write 20 pages about formatting Shapes, but it would be a waste of paper and certainly not an efficient way of learning about Shape formatting. The best way, by far, to learn about formatting Shapes is to experiment. Create some shapes, click some commands, and see what happens. The commands are fairly intuitive, and you can always use Undo if a command doesn't do what you expected it to do.

Stacking Shapes

Shapes (as well as other objects on the drawing layer) are arranged in a stack. Each object that is added is placed at the top of the stack. Therefore, a large Shape can be stacked on top of a smaller Shape, completely obscuring it.

The Selection task pane lists the objects in order. (The first object listed is at the top of the stack.) You can drag and drop item names in the Selection task pane to change the stack order.

Another way to change the stack order of a Shape is to right-click the Shape and choose one of these commands from the shortcut menu:

• Bring to Front Bring to Front: Sends the Shape to the top of the stack
• Bring to Front Bring Forward: Sends the Shape one level higher
• Send to Back Send to Back: Sends the Shape to the bottom of the stack
• Send to Back Send Backward: Sends the Shape one level lower

These commands are also available in the Drawing Tools Format Arrange group of the Ribbon.

Grouping objects

Excel lets you group (combine) two or more Shape objects into a single object. For example, if you create a design that uses four separate Shapes, you can combine them into a group. Then you can manipulate this group as a single object (move it, resize it, apply formatting, and so on).

To group objects, press Ctrl while you click the objects to be included in the group. Then right-click any of the selected Shapes and choose Group Group from the shortcut menu.

You can even make a group of grouped Shapes. Notice that the Selection task pane displays grouped objects in an outline format, so you can easily see which Shapes make up a group.

When objects are grouped, you can still work with an individual object. Click once to select the group; then click again to select the object.

To ungroup a group, right-click the group object and choose Group Ungroup from the shortcut menu. This command breaks the object into its original components.

Aligning and spacing objects

When you have several objects on a worksheet, you may want to align and evenly space these objects. You can, of course, drag the objects with your mouse (which isn't very precise). Or you can use the navigation arrow keys to move a selected object one pixel at a time. The fastest way to align and space objects is to let Excel do it for you.

To align multiple objects, start by selecting them. (Press Ctrl and click the objects.) Then use the tools in the Drawing Tools Format Arrange Align drop-down list.

You can instruct Excel to distribute three or more objects so that they're equally spaced horizontally or vertically. Choose Drawing Tools Format Arrange Align, and then select either Distribute Horizontally or Distribute Vertically.

Reshaping Shapes

Excel has many Shapes to choose from, but sometimes the Shape you need isn't in the gallery. In such a case, you may be able to modify one of the existing shapes using one of these techniques:

• Rotate the Shape. When you select a Shape, it displays a small circular arrow. Click and drag this arrow to rotate the Shape.
• Group multiple Shapes. You may be able to create the Shape you need by combining two or more Shapes and then grouping them. (See “Grouping objects,” earlier in this chapter.)
• Reconfigure the Shape. Many Shapes display one or more small yellow squares when the Shape is selected. You can click and drag this square to change the Shape's outline. The exact behavior varies with the Shape, so you should experiment and see what happens. Figure 23.4 shows six variations of an up-down arrow. This particular shape, when selected, has two yellow squares, which allows lots of variations.

  

• Create a Freeform Shape. Select the Freeform Shape (in the Lines category of the Shapes gallery) to create a custom Shape. Figure 23.5 shows a Freeform Shape, with eyes and a mouth added. The shadow effect completes the masterpiece.

  

• Editing a Shape's Points. Another way to create a unique Shape is to edit its points. Select the Shape and choose Drawing Tools Format Insert Shapes Edit Shape Edit Points. You can then drag the points to reconfigure the Shape. Figure 23.6 shows an example of a Shape (named Frame) that has been edited beyond all recognition.

  

Printing objects

By default, objects are printed along with the worksheet. To avoid printing a Shape, right-click the Shape and choose Size and Position. In the Format Shape task pane, expand the Properties section and then clear the Print Object check box.

Inserting SmartArt

To insert SmartArt into a worksheet, choose Insert Illustrations SmartArt. Excel displays the dialog box shown in Figure 23.7. The diagrams are arranged in categories along the left. When you find one that looks appropriate, click it for a larger view in the panel on the right, which also provides some usage tips. Then click OK to insert the graphic.

When you insert or select a SmartArt diagram, Excel displays its SmartArt Tools contextual tab, which provides many customization options.

Customizing SmartArt

Figure 23.8 shows a SmartArt graphic (named Vertical Equation, from the Process category) immediately after I inserted it into a worksheet. The Type Your Text Here window makes it easy to enter text into the elements of the image. If you prefer, you can click one of the [Text] areas in the image and type the text directly.

This particular diagram depicts two items combining into a third item. Suppose that your boss sees this graphic and tells you that you need a third item. To add an element to the SmartArt graphic, just select an item and choose SmartArt Tools Design Create Graphic Add Shape. Or you can just select an item and press Enter. Figure 23.9 shows the modified SmartArt, after adding a third item and providing text.

When working with SmartArt, keep in mind that you can move, resize, or format individually any element within the graphic. Select the element and then use the tools on the SmartArt Tools Format tab.

Changing the layout and style

You can easily change the layout of a SmartArt diagram. Select the object and then choose SmartArt Tools Design Layouts. Any text that you've entered remains intact.

After you decide on a layout, you may want to consider other styles or colors available in the SmartArt Tools Design SmartArt Styles group.

Learning more about SmartArt

This section provided a basic introduction to SmartArt. The topic is probably complex enough to warrant an entire book, but I recommend simply experimenting with the commands.

About graphics files

Graphics files come in two main categories:

• Bitmap: Bitmap images are made up of discrete dots. They usually look pretty good at their original size but often lose clarity if you increase the size. Examples of common bitmap file formats include BMP, PNG, JPEG, TIFF, and GIF.
• Vector: Vector-based images, on the other hand, are comprised of points and paths that are represented by mathematical equations, so they retain their crispness regardless of their size. Examples of common vector file formats include CGM, WMF, and EPS.

You can find millions of graphics files free for the taking on the Internet. Be aware, however, that some graphics files have copyright restrictions.

When you insert a picture on a worksheet, you can modify the picture in a number of ways from the Picture Tools Format contextual tab, which becomes available when you select a picture object. For example, you can adjust the color, contrast, and brightness. In addition, you can add borders, shadows, reflections, and so on — similar to the operations available for Shapes.

And don't overlook the Picture Tools Format Picture Styles group. These commands can transform your image in some interesting ways. Figure 23.12 shows various styles for a picture.

In addition, you can right-click and choose Format Picture to use the controls in the Format Picture task pane.

An interesting feature is Artistic Effects. This command can apply a number of Photoshop-like effects to an image. To access this feature, select an image and choose Picture Tools Format Adjust Artistic Effects. Each effect is somewhat customizable, so if you're not happy with the default effect, try adjusting some options.

You might be surprised by some of the image enhancements that are available — including the ability to remove the background from photos. The best way to learn these features is to dig in and experiment. Even if you have no need for image enhancement, you might find that it's a fun diversion when you need a break from working with numbers.

Inserting screenshots

Excel can also capture and insert a screenshot of any program currently running on your computer (including another Excel window). To use the screenshot feature, follow these steps:

1. Make sure that the window you want to use displays the content you want.
2. Choose Insert Illustrations Screenshot. You'll see a gallery that contains thumbnails of all windows open on your computer (except the current Excel window).
3. Click the image you want. Excel inserts it into your worksheet.

You can use any of the normal picture tools to work with screenshots.

If you don't want to capture a complete window, choose Screen Clipping in step 2. Then click and drag your mouse to select the area of the screen to capture.

Displaying a worksheet background image

If you want to use a graphics image for a worksheet's background (similar to wallpaper on the Windows Desktop), choose Page Layout Page Setup Background and select a graphics file. The selected graphics file is tiled on the worksheet.

Unfortunately, worksheet background images are for onscreen display only. These images do not appear when the worksheet is printed.