Try These Excel Shortcuts to Save Time Creating and Formatting Charts
by Avantix Learning Team | Updated September 23, 2020
Applies to: Microsoft® Excel® 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019 and 365 (Windows)
If you create a lot of charts in Excel, you're probably looking for shortcuts to speed up creation and formatting. The following are some useful shortcuts you can use with Excel charts.
Recommended article: Excel Data Entry Tricks and Shortcuts Every User Should Know
1. Create a new chart on a new sheet
To create a new chart on a new sheet:
- Select the data you want to use to create a chart.
- Press F11. Excel creates a chart on a new sheet using the default chart type.
2. Create a new chart on the current sheet
To create a new chart on the current sheet (an embedded chart):
- Select the data you want to use to create a chart.
- Press Alt + F1. Excel creates a chart on a new sheet using the default chart type.
3. Select and move an embedded chart
To select and move an embedded chart on a worksheet:
- Click or Ctrl-click the edge of the chart.
- Use right, left, up and down arrow keys to move the chart.
4. Display the Formatting task pane or dialog box
To display the Formatting task pane (2013 and later versions) or dialog box (2010):
- Select an item in a chart.
- Press Ctrl + 1. A task pane or dialog box appears.
5. Copy formatting from one chart to another
To copy formatting from one embedded chart to another:
- Select the chart with the formatting you want to copy by Control-clicking on its edge.
- Press Ctrl + C.
- Select the chart to which you wish to copy the formatting by Control-clicking on its edge.
- Press Ctrl + Alt + V. A dialog box appears.
- Click Formats and then click OK.
Below is the Paste Special dialog box that appears:
To copy formatting from one chart sheet to another:
- Select the chart with the formatting you want to copy by clicking just inside the page corner. This is equivalent to select all.
- Press Ctrl + C.
- Select the chart to which you wish to copy the formatting by clicking just inside the page corner.
- Press Ctrl + Alt + V. A dialog box appears.
- Click Formats and then click OK.
Below is the Paste Special dialog box that appears:
You can save a lot of time formatting by copying and pasting formats between charts.
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Recommended Microsoft Excel training
Microsoft Excel: Intermediate / Advanced
Microsoft Excel: Data Analysis with Functions, Dashboards and What-If Analysis Tools
Microsoft Excel: Introduction to Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)
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