Sizing charts uniformly {need some tricks here}

[gabbey.maps]

With a number of worksheets with similar charts, I need to clip out
the charts basically all the same size for PowerPoint. Would like to
size them to the nearest 5-pix both height and width but none of the
methods are working.

My worksheets are viewed at 70% and the charts are formatted to
produce a professional appearance with small scale fonts, etc. Any
tips for doing this?

Have tried making the charts separate sheets but the fonts get all
messed up. Even tried `sizer´ utilities but none display or read out
the chart boarder dimensions in pixels.

-G

 

[Jon Peltier]

Your life will be easier if you use a 100% view in Excel, and make the
charts the size you want them to be in PowerPoint. If you shift-click on a
chart, so it is selected with white handles, not black, around its
periphery, the Format Object menu item will format the chart like a shape,
and you can get its dimensions in the dialog. I couldn't see in a ten second
look how to change the units.

I have a utility that shows you the size of the active chart:
http://peltiertech.com/Excel/Charts/chartvba.html#ChtSizeMenu

and another that aligns and sizes multiple charts to match each other:
http://peltiertech.com/Excel/Charts/chartvba.html#AlignChtDims

- Jon

 

[gabbey.maps]

Your life will be easier if you use a 100% view in Excel, and make the
charts the size you want them to be in PowerPoint. If you shift-click on a
chart, so it is selected with white handles, not black, around its
periphery, the Format Object menu item will format the chart like a shape,
and you can get its dimensions in the dialog. I couldn't see in a ten second
look how to change the units.

I have a utility that shows you the size of the active chart:
http://peltiertech.com/Excel/Charts/chartvba.html#ChtSizeMenu

and another that aligns and sizes multiple charts to match each other:
http://peltiertech.com/Excel/Charts/chartvba.html#AlignChtDims

- Jon

Thanks.. great stuff!!

-G

 

[Maggie Fagan]

Any suggestions for uniformly sizing the plot size within charts as well as the locations of text boxes and legends within the chart?

 

[gabbey.maps]

Your life will be easier if you use a 100% view in Excel, and make the
charts the size you want them to be in PowerPoint. If you shift-click on a
chart, so it is selected with white handles, not black, around its
periphery, the Format Object menu item will format the chart like a shape,
and you can get its dimensions in the dialog.

- Jon

The above method worked but I had trouble since my worksheets are
viewed at 65% to 70% and it was difficult to get the charts to look
right in PPT. I tried going to 100% view but that would mean changing
all the formats on scores of charts, which there was no time to do.
Using 100% the charts no longer looked professional, more like `kiddie´
quality. I wish that Microsoft could add some usability to this stuff.

My preferred way is still to format the charts and them clip them out
with PSP capture, then clean up the edges with a white brush tool.
Finally reduce pallet to 16-colors and save as GIF.

-G

 

[Jon Peltier]

The above method worked but I had trouble since my worksheets are

viewed at 65% to 70%

That's unfortunate. What do you feel are the particular unprofessional
aspects of charts viewed at 100%?

- Jon

 

[gabbey.maps]

That's unfortunate. What do you feel are the particular unprofessional
aspects of charts viewed at 100%?

- Jon

To be fair, I'll try it aGaiN today while in the process of putting
together our presentation. Generally with 100% views the fonts
don't look small enough, such as would be seen in a app note or
technical book.

Also.. I've been working in 60% and 70% worksheet views for so
long that going to 100% is like setting monitor/display resolution
back to 800 x 600. ))

BTW.. thanks for the great tips and code.

-G

 

[Jon Peltier]

If you adjust all of the features of the worksheet at 100% to look as they
did when your zoom was at some smaller percentage, you should be most of the
way to a suitable interface. Change font sizes, row heights, column widths,
etc.

- Jon