Part III: Creating Charts and Graphics
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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, Ctrl-click the Shape object. You can then use the
formatting commands on the Home tab of the Ribbon. To change the formatting of specific charac-
ters within the text, select only those characters, and use the Ribbon buttons. Or, right-click and
use the Mini toolbar to format the 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 the chapter.Formatting Shapes
When you select a Shape, the Drawing Tools ➪ Format contextual tab is available, with the
following groups of commands:Every worksheet and chart sheet has a drawing layer. This invisible surface can hold Shapes, SmartArt,
WordArt, graphic images, embedded charts, inserted objects, and so on.You can move, resize, copy, and delete objects placed on the drawing layer, with no effect on any
other elements in the worksheet. Objects on the drawing layer have properties that relate to how
they’re moved and sized when underlying cells are moved and sized. When you right-click a graphic
object and choose Size and Properties from the shortcut menu that appears, you get a tabbed dialog
box. Click the Properties tab to adjust how the object moves or resizes with its underlying cells. Your
choices are as follows:l (^) Move and Size with Cells: If this option is selected, the object appears to be attached to the
cells beneath it. For example, if you insert rows above the object, the object moves down. If
you increase the column width, the object gets wider.
l (^) Move But Don’t Size with Cells: If this option is selected, the object moves whenever rows or
columns are inserted, but it never changes its size when you change row heights or column
widths.
l (^) Don’t Move or Size with Cells: This option makes the object completely independent of the
underlying cells.
The preceding options control how an object is moved or sized with respect to the underlying cells.
Excel also lets you attach an object to a cell. To do so, open the Excel Options dialog box, click the
Advanced tab, and select the Cut, Copy, and Sort Inserted Objects With Their Parent Cells check box.
After you do so, graphic objects on the drawing layer are attached to the underlying cells. If you copy
a range of cells that includes an object, the object is also copied. Note that this is a general option that
affects all objects and, by default, this option is enabled.
About the Drawing Layer