Excel Drawings:
How to use Excel as a Drawing Tool

Your Systems2win templates are written using Microsoft Excel.
Everything you already know about Excel, you can use with your Systems2win templates,
and everything you learn here, you can use with anything else you ever do with Excel.

Table of Contents Videos Working with Shapes Working with Arrows and Connectors Viewing & Printing Also see: Excel Training

Search Use "Ctrl+F" to find keywords Additional Search Tips

Color conventions: Excel instructions are highlighted in green.
If different... instructions for Excel 2007 and higher are in orange,
and instructions for Excel 2003 and lower remain in green.

---

Bookmark = Training

Training & Demo Videos Training Videos for How to use Excel as a drawing tool The 7 Advantages of using Excel as a drawing tool (4 mins) Types of Drawing Objects (8 min video) How to Select Objects (7 min training video) How to change size of workspace (3 mins) How to use Excel as a drawing tool (10 mins) Additional relevant training Introduction to Systems2win templates (4 min video) Quick Start Initial Training What every user should know to use any Systems2win template Training & Demos home page

Make sure your sound is on Video Help   The 7 Advantages of Excel as a drawing tool

---

Bookmark = Shapes

Working with Shapes

Bookmark = help

How to view help for any Systems2win shape

Excel 2007+: RIGHT-click edge of shape > Size and Properties > Alt Text
Excel 2003: RIGHT-click edge of shape > Format Object or Picture > Web tab

There in the Alt Text, you will find an explanation of what each shape is used for.

Bookmark = FindShapes or StandardPalette

Where to find shapes

Studies have proven that our brains read and interpret the meaning of pictures and symbols much more quickly and accurately than words.

This is especially true when instructions are being communicated to people that speak different languages.

Excel's standard palette of AutoShapes

Excel 2007+: Insert > Shapes
Excel 2003: Drawing toolbar > AutoShapes

Systems2win shapes

Systems2win menu > Copy Shapes

Systems2win provides a standard palette of commonly used shapes
that can be quickly copied and  pasted into any Excel document -
to make it easy for your your people to give your company's documents a consistent and professional look and feel.

And the Systems2win safety and haz mat icons are ideally sized for formatted for the Standard Work templates.

Bookmark = addShapes

User-defined shapes

Systems2win menu > Copy Shapes

Scroll down to the User-Defined Shapes section - where you can copy & paste to any Excel document
your company's own palette of shapes for your unique industry needs
for safety, tools, equipment, hazardous materials, supplies,
and anything else that is better communicated with pictures rather than words.

How to add your own custom shapes

How to add custom shapes to any working document

Simply Paste (Ctrl+V) any shape that has been copied to your clipboard.

How to add custom shapes to your master templates

Key Point: The only custom shapes that will be automatically found and transferred to your new templates when you upgrade are the shapes that you add to the User-Defined Shapes section of your master shapes.xls file.

Shapes.xls is the file that appears when you select Systems2win menu > Copy Shapes. See help for Where to find shapes. Learn more about the Systems2win Personalization Upgrade Utility, that automatically finds and transfers your most common personalizations to your new templates every time that you upgrade.

 

Option 1) Make your custom shapes available using Systems2win menu > Copy Shapes

Add your own favorite icons to the User-Defined Shapes section of the shapes.xls file,
located in the \tCI\ folder of your S2winPortal.

All of your users will then always have access to your shapes when working in ANY Excel document,
(even non-Systems2win Excel documents),
by simply clicking Systems2win menu > Copy Shapes

and every time you upgrade, your user-defined shapes will be automatically found and transferred to your new templates as part of the Systems2win Personalization Upgrade Utility feature.

You have unlimited space for as many icons as you need.
How? Simply insert rows above the thin gold line to make additional space in the User-Defined Shapes section of the shapes.xls file.

If your IT Department choose a portal setup choice that supports synchronization,
then your shapes.xls file will automatically sync to each user's PC.
If your portal setup choice does not support synchronization,
then you can manually copy from \S2winPortal\tCI\shapes.xls
to overwrite the shapes.xls file in the Systems2win sub-folder in each user's default templates folder.

Option 2) Provide a link to your custom shapes from your Help page
(and yes, you can do both options)

In the User-Defined Training section of the Help worksheet of any Systems2win template -
provide your users with a link to the document containing your personalized palette of icons
(which might be the \S2winPortal\tCI\shapes.xls file described above,
or can be any other type of document located anywhere on any of your servers).

Additional tips for adding your own custom shapes

Ensure that every shape that you add is formatted correctly:
Excel 2007+: Right-click > Format Shape or Size and Properties
Excel 2003: Right-click > Format Picture or AutoShape

1. Properties should be set to Move and size with cells
   (this enables your shapes to be hidden and unhidden when hide and unhide rows and columns)
2. Size > Lock Aspect Ratio should be unchecked
   (this allows shapes to be easily restored to original size if they ever become distorted)
3. Alt Text should contain your description and/or help for each shape

If you want your icons to be perfectly sized and formatted for the Standard Work templates,
then you will want them to be no more than 36 pixels wide and 31 pixels tall.
(.32" x .38")

Bookmark = DrawingToolbar

How to display the Drawing toolbar

Excel 2007+: The Drawing Tools menu tab appears at the very top of the window whenever you select any drawing shape. Click the Drawing Tools menu tab to display the Drawing Tools ribbon. Training & video: How to make Office 2007+ easier to use

Excel 2003 and lower: View > Toolbars > Drawing     Tip: Play with Drawing Toolbar to learn how to align shapes, rotate, add new shapes, and more

Bookmark = select

How to select an AutoShape

To select an AutoShape, hover your mouse pointer over the edge of the AutoShape
until your mouse cursor turns into a four-sided cross-arrows (like this )

Then either:

1. Click the left mouse button to select the shape
2. Right-click to open a pop-up window to format the AutoShape
3. Right-click and drag to copy or move the shape

Important to notice: If you click in the middle of an AutoShape that contains text - it will assume that you want to edit the text.
You need to click the edge to select the entire shape.

Bookmark = SelectObjects

How to mass select a group of shapes

Option 1) Hold down the Ctrl key as you left-mouse-click the edge of multiple objects.
(Just like you select multiple objects in most other Windows applications.)

Option 2) Toggle the Select Objects arrow "on"
Excel 2007+: Home tab > Find and Select > Select Objects
Excel 2003: Drawing toolbar> Select Objects arrow

The Select Objects arrow changes the way your mouse functions - to make it easier to select objects. With the Select Objects arrow toggled on: a) you can click anywhere on the object to select it. (you don't need to select just the edge of the shape). b) you can draw a box around a group of shapes, and select everything in the box To restore normal mouse functions... either toggle the Select Objects Arrow OFF, or double-click any open space on your worksheet.

Because it is so frequently used...
we HIGHLY recommend adding the Select Objects arrow to your Quick Access Toolbar in Excel 2007+.

Bookmark = copy

How to copy & paste shapes and connectors

Regular copy & paste works 99% of the time: Select the object, then Ctrl+C to copy and Ctrl+V to paste, or any other favorite way you have for copying and pasting anything else in any typical Windows application, such as Edit > Copy... If that doesn't work... (for instance, if you use regular copy & paste to try to copy a straight arrow connector, it might paste as a collapsed tiny dot), then use this alternate copy method that works 100% of the time: RIGHT-click and drag the selected object, then select "copy here" from the menu that pops up when you release your RIGHT mouse after dragging

Bookmark = move

How to move shapes

Select the object, then drag.

Or use the arrow keys on your keyboard to "nudge" selected objects.

Tip: To prevent vertical or horizontal movement, hold down the Shift key while dragging.

Bookmark = resize

How to resize a picture or shape

Right-click the picture or shape...
Excel 2007+: > Size and Properties > Size tab
Excel 2003: > Format Picture > Size tab

To keep the proportional ratio of height and width - left-click the image to select it, then left-click and drag the lower right corner of the image - keep holding down the left mouse as you drag to resize the image.

To make the image thinner or taller - left-click to select the image, then left-click and drag one of the white circles that appears in the middle of each edge of the shape.

Bookmark = resetPictureSize How to reset picture size Many shapes (including Link Icons) are set to move and size with cells. One big advantage is that these shapes are hidden when you hide a row or column, and reappear when the row or column is again unhidden.   Caution: Prior to version 5, it was especially easy for a shape's size to become distorted. (Yet another reason to keep your Annual Maintenance current)

To reset the original size of a picture or shape... Right-click the picture or shape... Excel 2007+:  > Size and Properties > Size tab Excel 2003: > Format Picture > Size tab then ensure that the checkbox for "Lock Aspect Ratio" is unchecked before you click the Reset button.

Bookmark = reduce

How to reduce image sizes

To reduce the total megabytes size of your Excel file,
you will want to reduce the size of large images that you paste into Excel.

This is especially useful for the Job Instructions template.

Option 1) Resize the picture

If you don't already own Photoshop or some other image editing software, you can always use either:

a) Picture Manager that comes with Microsoft Office (Start > All Programs > Microsoft Office folder > Microsoft Office Tools folder > Microsoft Office Picture Manager)

Open your large image file in Picture Manager, then select Picture > Resize
Then use the panel that appears on the right side of your window to resize your picture.

b) the Paint program that comes free with Microsoft Windows. (Start > All Programs > Accessories > Paint)

Open your large image file in Paint, and select Image > Stretch Skew.
Enter the percent to which you want to shrink the image.

If you want to keep both a large and small size of the image, use File > Save As – and give your smaller image another name.

Option 2) Crop picture

In Picture Manager, select Picture > Crop,
then pull the dark black corners to select where you want to crop,
then use the panel that appears on the right side of your window to crop your picture.

In MS Paint: Select, then Crop

Picture Manager or Paint is better,
even though Excel also has its own Crop feature:

Excel 2007+: Double-click an image
Excel 2003: Double-click an image  > Picture tab
Choose what you want to crop, then select the Compress

Option 3) Compress pictures

In Picture Manager, select Picture > Compress Pictures,
then use the panel that appears on the right side of your window to compress your picture.

Or...
Excel 2007+: Double-click an image > Compress
2003: Double-click an image > Picture tab > Compress button

Tips:
Notice that you can choose to compress only selected pictures, or All pictures in document with one click of a button!

Training video -
How to quickly compress image file sizes (1 min)

Images within grouped shapes will not be compressed.

As great as Excel's Crop and Compress features sound -
the truth is that Excel is not ideal for image editing -
and your primary strategy for reducing image file sizes should be to use image editing software to get those images down to a reasonable file size before you ever paste them into Excel.

Bookmark = editText

How to edit text within an AutoShape

To enter text in a blank AutoShape - right-click > Edit Text.

To edit text that already exists in an AutoShape - simply left-click and start typing.

If this doesn't work, then either:
a) It is a picture, not an AutoShape, (and pictures don't support text), or
b) You are using Excel 2000 or lower, and this is a grouped AutoShape. You need to ungroup it, do your editing, then regroup it.

Bookmark = format

How to format an AutoShape or picture

If you right-click on the edge of an AutoShape, (or anywhere on a picture that is not an AutoShape),
and select Excel 2007+: Format Shape or Excel 2003: Format AutoShape,
then a pop-up window will appear with many window tabs for different formatting options.

If you right-click within the text area of an AutoShape that contains text,
and select Excel 2007+: Format Shape or Excel 2003: Format AutoShape,
then a pop-up window will appear with only one window tab - to format text.

Bookmark = MatchFormat

How to format an AutoShape to match the formatting of another AutoShape

Format Painter, ( on the Office 2007+ Home tab, or the Office 2003 Standard Toolbar
can be used to apply the same formatting to match another AutoShape.

Click the shape with the desired formatting, then click the Format Painter button, then click the shape to which you want to apply the formatting.

Or to format a new AutoShape...

Right-click an existing AutoShape that has your desired formatting, and select...
Office 2007+: Set As Default AutoShape or Office 2003: Set AutoShape Defaults
Then add any new AutoShapes from Excel's standard palette, and your new AutoShapes will be formatted to match your AutoShape Defaults.

Bookmark = ChangeToAnotherShape

How to change an AutoShape to another shape

Office 2007+: Drawing Tools > Edit Shape > Change Shape

Office 2003: Drawing Toolbar... Draw > Change AutoShape

Bookmark = rotate

To rotate a shape

Simply use the green rotate handle. Tip: You might need to zoom to a higher resolution for the rotate handle to appear. Tip: If using Excel 2000 or lower, you can rotate AutoShapes, but can't rotate pictures. Refer to known issues.

Bookmark = bringFormward

How to bring an object forward or backward

Some objects sit on top of other objects. For instance, a shape might be on top of a line, or a line might be on top of a shape.

To bring an object forward or backward, select one or more AutoShapes, then right-click the edge of one of the selected AutoShapes, then select Order, and choose Bring to Front or Send to Back.

Bookmark = group

How to group shapes

so that they are treated as a single shape

Select all objects that you want to group together, then right-click and select Grouping > Group.

To ungroup shapes, right-click the grouped shape, then select Grouping > Ungroup.

Tip: Whenever you group, ungroup, or regroup, you need to reset Properties if don’t want the shapes to move and size with cells.
(This is true not only for the grouped or regrouped item, but ungrouped shapes also get reset to move and size with cells!)

Excel 2007+ tip: Unlike earlier versions of Excel, you can't just select anywhere within the grouped shape. If you select an interior shape within a grouped shape, it treats it as if it was not grouped at all. So you need to carefully select the outermost "box" surrounding the grouped shape.

Bookmark = name

How to Name a Shape

Select the shape.

In the Name Box that you will find just to the left of the Formula Bar in all versions of Excel...

type your chosen name
then hit the Enter key on your keyboard.

Key Point: The name won't stick until you hit the Enter key.

Example of a common use of this feature:

To name a grouped shape consisting of a User Help Text Box and some Link Icons.

Bookmark = Properties

To change the Properties of a shape

to move or size with cells, or to lock or unlock the shape

Excel 2007+: Right-click > Size and Properties > Properties tab

Excel 2003: Right-click > Format AutoShape > Properties tab

Bookmark = SnapToGrid

Snap To Grid

Toggle it on or off...
Excel 2007+: Drawing Tools > Align > Snap to Grid
Excel 2003: Drawing Toolbar> Draw > Snap > To Grid

Snap To Grid Tips Many shapes have been specially designed by Systems2win to fit perfectly within the grid - so that you can instantly resize all shapes in an entire column just by dragging the column width. When using specially-sized snap-to shapes - always nudge the shape just a little to the RIGHT - rather than to the left. It is wise to lay out most of your snap to grid shapes first - before adding connector arrows.

---

Bookmark = Connectors and attachConnectors

Working with Arrows and Connectors

How to attach connectors to shapes

so that the connectors move with the shape

Tip: Lines and arrows with green and red ends (when selected) are "connectors". Lines and arrows with white ends do not stay connected to an object when it is moved. On Systems2win templates, the standard palette of shapes will often contain identical-looking connecting and non-connecting lines and arrows.. Excel 2007+: All lines and arrows are now connectors. The white ends turn red when connected. The legacy non-connector arrows provided in the Systems2win stencil, however, still work as non-connector arrows.

How to:

1. Copy your chosen connector from the Systems2win palette of shapes.
   Tip: Straight connectors sometimes paste as a tiny dot if you use regular copy & paste. If this happens, use our 100% method to copy.
2. Drag an end of a Connector to the place where you want it to connect to the AutoShape.
   Tip: You can connect to any of the blue dots that appear when you hover a connector line near an object. Or use a Connector Diamond for special placement.
3. When the end of the Connector turns red and the AutoShape lights up for a moment - the Connector is now "connected" to the shape.

Option 2:

This method is not supported in Office 2007+, but works in Office 2003 or lower.

1. Right-click your desired connector in the Systems2win palette of shapes, and select Set AutoShape Defaults.
   Office 2007+: Set As Default Line
2. Select your desired connector from...
   Office 2007+: Drawing Tools > Elbow Connector. 
   Office 2003: Drawing Toolbar > AutoShapes > Connectors.
3. Left-click the two objects you want to connect.
   

Bookmark = ConnectorDiamond

Connector Diamond

Systems2win menu > Copy AutoShape
includes a tiny Connector Diamond - which is a tiny object that can be used as an anchor point for connecting a connector arrow to an unusual place. (Perhaps you want your connector arrow to terminate in "open space", or to connect to a place on an object other than the blue connectors that are part of every shape.)

Tip: Consider grouping your Connector Diamond with a shape.

Bookmark = elbow

Change a Connector
between straight, elbow, or curved

Office 2007+: Right-click the Connector > Connector Type > select your choice.

Office 2003: Right-click the Connector, and select your choice.

Bookmark = bendShapes

How to bend shapes

to create curved arrows or freeform circles

The easiest way to create a curved arrow or line is to use a curved connector (instructions above), but sometimes you want a shape curved with more precision.

How?

Systems2win menu > Copy Shapes
Right-click a shape that is already formatted the way you want your new shape to be, then select...
Office 2007+: Set As Default Line
Office 2003: Set AutoShape Defaults

then ...

a) To create a bent arrow or line...
select ...
Office 2007+: Drawing Tools > Curve
Office 2003: Drawing Toolbar > AutoShapes > Lines > Curve

Left click to start your line, and for each corner position. Enter to finish.

b) To create a freeform circle...
select...
Office 2007+: Drawing Tools > Freeform
Office 2003: Drawing Toolbar > AutoShapes > Lines > Freeform

Draw your circle

 

(or easier yet - just copy & paste the pre-formatted circle - and resize it - and maybe change the color)

---

Bookmark = ViewingAndPrinting

Viewing and Printing

View in Page Break Preview

View > Page Break Preview      Tip: When viewing in Page Break Preview mode, (rather than View > Normal), you can simply drag the thick blue lines to change the Print Area.

Bookmark = ChangeSizeDrawingSpace

How can I change the size of my drawing space?

Systems2win has defined your drawing canvas to automatically print on a single page, and has defined your AutoShapes to scale appropriately... so you can simply hide, unhide, delete, or insert rows and columns.

a) Rather than deleting, it is usually better to hide and unhide rows and columns.

b) To insert rows or columns, use Insert Copied Cells or Shift Down/Right and Copy
(Get out of the novice bad habit of using Insert > Rows)

c) Change row height or column width
(This is rarely your best option)

To resize a drawing in Word or PowerPoint

Word 2007+: Drawing Tools > Size

Word: 2003: Format > Drawing Canvas > Size tab

Caution: Don't just "pull the corners" of your drawing canvas, or you might be in for some rude surprises.

To resize the drawing space of an Excel Organization Chart

Refer to Org Chart training

Printing

File > Print

More printing tips