Excel 2010 Just the Steps For Dummies
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In Excel 2010, you may want to reorder objects in a worksheet or group multiple objects together so that they act as one unit. Reorder objects if you want to move an object in front of or behind other objects. When you group objects, you combine them; therefore, any changes you make affect all objects in the group. Changes include moving, resizing, flipping, rotating, cropping and any style, shadow, or color changes. You can also create groups within groups to help you build complex drawings.

Reordering graphic objects

Follow these steps to control the order of graphic objects in a worksheet:

  1. Select the object you want to move.

  2. Click the arrow beside one of the following buttons in the Arrange group on the Drawing Tools tab:

    • Bring Forward: Includes Bring Forward, which moves the selected object up one level; and Bring to Front, which places the selected object on top of all objects.

    • Send Backward: Includes Send Backward, which moves the selected object down one level; and Send to Back, which places the selected object behind all objects.

  3. Select the desired option.

    The selected object moves to the new position.

    Rearranging the objects so the smaller red arrow is on top of the larger blue arrow.
    Rearranging the objects so the smaller red arrow is on top of the larger blue arrow.

Grouping objects together

To group two or more objects together in a worksheet, follow these steps:

  1. Select two or more objects.

    Hold down the Shift key or the Ctrl key to select multiple objects.

  2. On the Drawing Tools Format tab, choose Group→Group in the Arrange group.

    The selected objects become one object with a single boundary box around it. With grouped objects, any changes you make affect the entire object.

    A rectangle, circle, and triangle grouped together as one object.
    A rectangle, circle, and triangle grouped together as one object.

You can ungroup a group of objects at any time and then regroup them later. To ungroup the object, select the group and choose Group→Ungroup on the Drawing Tools Format tab. To regroup objects that have been previously grouped, select any object from the group and choose Group→Regroup on the Drawing Tools Format tab.

About This Article

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About the book author:

Diane Koers owns and operates All Business Service, a software training and consulting business formed in 1988, that services the central Indiana area. Her area of expertise has long been in the word-processing, spreadsheet, and graphics areas of computing. She also provides training and support for Peachtree Accounting Software. Diane's authoring experience includes over 40 books on topics, such as PC security, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Works, WordPerfect, Paint Shop Pro, Lotus SmartSuite, Quicken, Microsoft Money, and Peachtree Accounting. Many of these titles have been translated into other languages, such as French, Dutch, Bulgarian, Spanish, and Greek. She has also developed and written numerous training manuals for her clients.
Diane and her husband enjoy spending their free time fishing, traveling, and playing with their four grandsons and their Yorkshire Terrier.

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