Changing the Preferred Chart Type for Embedding in Excel

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 3.0, 4.0

SUMMARY

The preferred chart type is the default format Microsoft Excel uses when making a chart. When embedding charts in an Excel spreadsheet, Microsoft Excel uses the preferred chart type. Therefore, you cannot use a chart template directly for embedding charts on a worksheet. To embed a chart on a worksheet based on a template, you can change the preferred chart type to that of the template.

MORE INFORMATION

To change the preferred chart type to that of the template, do the following:

1. Open a worksheet containing the data you want to chart.

2. Select a blank cell on the worksheet.

3. From the File menu, choose New.

4. Select the chart template from the New dialog box. This creates a blank chart containing all of the template's formatting.

5. Choose OK.

6. From the Gallery menu, choose Set Preferred.

   This will set the preferred chart type to be the same as the chart template that you opened. Now you will be able to embed a chart based on an existing template.

7. Close the blank chart.

8. Select the worksheet data you want to chart.

9. Click the chart tool from the tool bar.

10. Drag the crosshair pointer across the worksheet to create the chart. A chart will appear that contains all the formatting you saved in the chart template.

REFERENCES

"User's Guide," version 4.0, pages 421-422 "Microsoft Excel User's Guide," version 3.0 for Windows, page 413