Making charts is one of the most common use of Excel or other spreadsheet software. But do you know a simple trick that can save you lot of time while using excel charting features?
Chart Templates or User Defined Charts
yes, using chart templates can save you a lot of time.
If you use a particular type of chart or formatting all the time, you can save all the steps involved in making the chart by using templates.
Here is a simple tutorial on using chart templates in excel.
1. Prepare your chart
First step is to to prepare a chart that you would like to save to template. The chart can be a formatted version of one of the typical excel charts or a more complex combination chart.
2. Now save the chart as a chart template
In excel 2007 you can do this by selecting the chart and going to design tab in the ribbon and clicking on “Save as template”
For earlier versions of excel, right click on the chart and select chart type and go to “custom types” tab. Select “user-defined” as the chart type and click on the Add button to add the chart to excel chart templates.
3. Use the chart templates
Next time you need to insert a chart, use the templates and save time.
In Excel 2007 use the templates option. In earlier versions, use custom types to find your already save templates.
Bonus tip: Moving Chart Templates from One Computer to Another
If you want to move all your chart templates from one computer to another, just go to My Documents \Application Data\Microsoft\Excel and copy the file XLUSRGAL to the other computer. Make sure you are not overwriting the existing XLUSRGAL file, but just add the sheets from one file to another.
If you are using Excel 2007, the chart templates are stored as *.crtx files. Just locate them and copy to target system. Usually they can be found in \AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates\Charts for Vista and My Documents \Application Data\Microsoft\Templates\Charts for XP.
Free Excel Chart Templates to Get you Started
And here is a huge list of beautiful excel chart templates, around 73 of them. Download and use them free. Get even more in our excel downloads page.
This is part of our Spreadcheats series, a 30 day online excel training series for office goers and spreadsheet users. Join today.
22 Responses to “Master Excel 2007 Ribbon with this Free Learning Guide”
Thank you, kind sir. Well done with the baby making.
I cannot get signed up for your newsletter. I tied both this email address and churchill2001@hotmail.com. never a response.
I cannot get signed up for your newsletter. I tied both this email address and churchill2001_at_hotmail_dot_com. never a response for either attempt.
@Doug, it shows that your email address is pending verification. Can you check your inbox (and may be spam folder too) for an email from me? The subject will be "Activate Subscription to Get your Free Excel Tips E-book"
[...] PPS: If you are struggling with ribbon, you should check out ribbon learning guide. [...]
Very Useful Info..Keep it up..
@Ajay.. you are welcome 🙂
how do u download microsoft excel for free?
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/default.aspx
Select Office
Free Trial
[...] Excel 2010 UI looks considerably better and less stressful than 2007. The colors are dull and subtle. The icons don’t call for attention unless you want to do something. The menus / ribbons feel smoother and slicker. [Learn to use Excel Ribbon with this Free e-Book] [...]
I can't open this pdf. I get the error message:
You do not have the required license to open this file.
Please request a license from the creator of the file, and add it using the license manager and they try opening it again.
What gives??
I downloaded the file again and it worked this time. Strange. (First file was 116 KB, second was 1644 KB... ???)
[...] More ribbon goodness | Free e-book to learn Excel Ribbon [...]
Hi Chandoo,
thanks for sharing your Excel 2007 learning experience with us; unfortunately the link to the pdf of the free Excel 2007 learning guide seems broken: my Acrobate Readers flags: "Unkown file type or corrupte data".
Have a nice day
Michael
well done this is great
Can somebody just provide a link the classic TAB exportedUI files for MS Office 2003 for us to use in office 2007/2010?. searching online, everybody just wnats to make a buck online with silly Classic Tab installers which do nothing more than inport exportedUI files for you.
Don't give me a ribbon how to guide, just give me free exportedUI files. I should not have to pay anyone for this, it is free XML, MS should have included this to begin with.
thanks
Dear.
There are a set of debit values and a set ot credit values in a column. I want a vba code by whcich the debit value plus a single / multiple credit value is zero that needs to be marked .
finally i will come to know out of the avaibale debits which cannot be used the with avilable credits either single or multiple values.
If multiple matching sets are available let it take the 1st or the 2nd one its not an issue.
Column A Ref
-1000 A
-5000 B
-8000 C
800 A
100 A
100 A
2000 B
3000 B
13000
15000
hi...
how to make this add-ins and display in ribbon... check this sample : http://www.cprsoft.com/GCDemo01.htm
thank you sir...
Please tell me format painter short cut key In excel ?
Thanks In Advance
thankfully.likeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
I am very much happy for such a great opportunity given to excel learners to advance their skills for the betterment of the future. I am a great user of this site and feel proud to have come across this web site.
I appreciate this, because I didn't do much works in my project management studies using gantt chart. As of now are have now learned some advancement.