Pattern fills in Excel 2007

[gregorio]

I'm disappointed to read the post that "filling a bar chart w/ a pattern" has
been "deprecated"

I would prefer NOT to buy a color printer...I don't know how to print a nice
bar chart in a manner that people can read.

Can't you at least offer info, or some jpegs we could insert as pictures
into our charts.

 

[BoniM]

If you have existing workbooks that include charts that use pattern fills,
you can use them as a template for new charts in 2007. Just open an existing
chart that includes patterns and with the chart selected, under chart tools,
design, click save as template. The next time you need that type of chart,
choose Other charts in the Charts group on the insert tab. Click Templates
and choose your desired chart, it will apply to include the patterns. Give
it a descriptive name when you save it, the template icon only displays the
basic chart type (cols, etc). If you add columns later, it will not pick up
the existing patterns for your next series until you go to Chart tools,
design, type, change Chart Type and select your template again.

 

[Bernard Liengme]

Why not use a gradient fill - you can make 3 or 4 bars in B&W look very
different with this technique
best wishes

 

[Jon Peltier]

I've heard, but haven't verified, that the VBA commands for applying pattern
fills to chart elements still work in Excel 2007. Record a macro in an
earlier version of Excel to get the syntax.

FWIW, I've never been satisfied by how these patterns appear in printouts.
The patterns look fine at 72 or 96 dpi on screen, but they are greatly
shrunk when printed out on a 300 or 600 dpi printer, so they all look gray.

- Jon