Using a Shape in Place of a Data Marker in Excel 2007:-


Replacing a data marker with one of the 175 shapes in the Shape dialog box is slightly more difficult than replacing a data marker with clip art. The fill settings on the Format Data Series dialog do not allow you to specify a shape. However, they allow you to import a shape from the Clipboard.

You follow these steps to create the top chart:

1. Create a 2-D column chart.

2. Select a cell in the worksheet. From the Insert menu, choose an upward arrow from the Shapes drop-down.

3. Click and drag to draw an arrow on the worksheet.

4. Right-click the shape and choose Copy.

5. Click the data series in the chart. Right-click and choose Format Data Series.

6. In the Format Data Series dialog that appears, choose the Fill category in the left panel. In the right panel, choose Picture or Texture Fill.

7. In the Insert From section, click the Clipboard button. Excel replaces the columns with the arrows.

8. Click Close to close the Format Data Series dialog.

This technique works best with 2-D charts. If you attempt to apply a shape to a 3-D column, the shape is pasted to each vertical face of the column.