Changing How Arrows Look

The Drawing toolbar in Excel allows you to place arrows within your workbook. Once an arrow is placed where you want it, you can easily change the way the arrow looks by following these steps:

1. Select the arrow by clicking on it. (You can tell if the arrow is selected by whether there are handles at each end of the arrow line.)
2. Choose AutoShape from the Format menu. Excel displays the Format AutoShape dialog box.
3. Make sure the Colors and Lines tab is selected. (Click here to see a related figure.)
4. Use the Begin Style and End Style drop-down lists to specify how each end of your arrow line should appear.
5. Use the Begin Size and End Size drop-down lists to specify the size of each arrowhead. (These drop-down lists are available only if you specified an actual arrowhead in the Begin Style and End Style drop-down lists.)
6. Click on OK. Your arrow is updated, as you specified.

If you are using Excel 2007, you may have noticed that there is no longer a Drawing toolbar. This means that you need to use a different method of formatting the line to show arrowheads:

1. Select the arrow by clicking on it. (You can tell if the arrow is selected by whether there are handles at each end of the arrow line.)
2. Display the Format tab of the ribbon. (This tab is visible only after you select the arrow you previously placed in the worksheet.)
3. Click the Shape Outline option in the Shape Styles group. Excel displays a palette of options.
4. Choose the Arrows option, and you'll see a variety of choices for how the arrow should appear. Pick the option that represents what you want, and it is applied to the line.