XL4: Size of Graphic Objects Change When Printed

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, version 4.0

SUMMARY

In Microsoft Excel version 4.0, certain types of graphic objects will change size when they are printed or viewed in print preview. Any object created with the drawing tools will exhibit this behavior, as will any embedded object that has been resized.

WORKAROUND

Change the size of the embedded object and then resize it back to the original size.

MORE INFORMATION

This behavior is by design.

In most cases, the size of the object is based on its position relative to the cells around it. When the worksheet is printed or viewed in print preview, the physical size of the cells will change, and the object is updated accordingly.

NOTE: Options you select in the Object Properties dialog box, have no effect on this behavior.

Non-resized embedded objects are the exception to the above behavior. If a graphic object is pasted into a worksheet, but not resized, Microsoft Excel automatically calculates the object s size based on the information from the metafile.

You can see the effect of this behavior when you are using the drawing tools in conjunction with an embedded object. If the embedded object is not resized, the hand-drawn objects will be resized when you print; however, the embedded object will not be resized, resulting in non-WYSIWYG output.

Steps to Reproduce the Problem

1. Open CARS.BMP in Paintbrush

2. Copy and paste into the picture into a Microsoft Excel document

3. Do not do anything to resize the object.

4. Draw a circle around the object so that the corners of the object are very close or are touching the circle.

5. Look at the object in print preview.

6. The circle will no longer be the right size. It will have grown or shrunk slightly, depending on your screen resolution.

7. If you resize the bitmap, and then resize the circle to fit it, the image in print preview will be correct.