Using the Drawing Toolbar with an Excel Worksheet

Standard | Formatting | Drawing

The Drawing toolbar

This entire toolbar could become a floating window by double-clicking on the control bar at the far left end of this toolbar. That gives the following window, which can be placed anywhere on the screen:

This toolbar can be restored to its original position by clicking in the gray bar at the top and dragging it back to the top of the screen. Push the top of the window up to the bottom of the menu bar.

Function of commonly used buttons
	A pull down menu with several drawing options		Changes the pointer to a selection arrow
	Rotates the selected object to any degree		A pull down menu with several libraries of shapes
	Draws a line where you click and drag. Hold the Shift key down to make the line straight		Inserts a line with an arrowhead where you click and drag
	Draws a rectangle where you click and drag. Hold down Shift to draw a square		Draws an oval where you click and drag. Hold down Shift to draw a circle
	Draws a text box where you click and drag		Create text effects with Word Art
	Add, modify, or remove fill color from a selected object		Add, modify, or remove line color
	Formats the selected text with the color you click		Changes the thickness of lines
	Selects dash style for dashed lines		Select arrow style; placement and shape of arrowhead
	A pull down menu offers shadow choices		Add 3-d effects to rectangles or ovals

 

Carefully review the function of each of the buttons above. When you think that you are familiar with each of the buttons take the short quiz below. (The Drawing toolbar has been included as a reference)

This quiz is available without the table above

 

	A	B	C	D
1					Instead of striking the underline key fifteen times, you plan to draw a single line by clicking and dragging. Which button do you select?
2					You have drawn a line, and now want to change the color of the selected line. Which button do you select?
3					The last line you drew had an arrowhead at the wrong end. You want to change the arrowhead to the other end of the line. Which button do you select?
4					You created an object in a worksheet and you want to tilt it at an angle. Which button do you select?
5					You have drawn a rectangle around a selection of cells and want to change it to a dashed line. Which button do you select?
6					The heading of a worksheet is just plain text and you would rather create special effects with text. Which button do you select?
7					You are going to draw a perfect circle on your worksheet by holding down the shift key, clicking and dragging. Which button do you select?

Other toolbars

Standard | Formatting | Drawing

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