XL: Hiding Button Objects with Visual Basic for Applications

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
• Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 5.0, 5.0a
• Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

SUMMARY

This article describes two methods for preventing buttons from printing when you print the worksheet that contains the buttons.

NOTE: In Microsoft Excel 97 and Microsoft Excel 98, buttons within a worksheet are not printed by default.

MORE INFORMATION

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If the Worksheet Does Not Contain Other Graphic Objects

1. On the Edit menu, click Go To.

2. Click Special to open the Go To Special dialog box.

3. In the Go To Special dialog box, click the Objects option to select all objects on the worksheet. Click OK.

4. On the Format menu, click Object, and then click the Properties tab.

5. On the Properties tab, clear the Print Object check box. Click OK to accept the change.

If the Worksheet Contains Other Graphic Objects In Addition To Buttons

1. On the Insert menu, point to Macro, and then click Module.

   In Microsoft Excel 97 or Microsoft Excel 98, click the Tools menu, point to Macro, and then click Visual Basic Editor. On the Insert menu, click Module.

2. In the new module, type the following Visual Basic code:

         Sub Print_No_Buttons()
             ActiveSheet.Buttons.Select
         End Sub
   
   

3. Return to the sheet that contains the buttons. Click Macro on the Tools menu. (In Microsoft Excel 97 or Microsoft Excel 98, click the Tools menu, point to Macro, and then click Macros.)

4. In the Macro dialog box, select the Print_No_Buttons macro, and click Run.

   All of the buttons on the active worksheet are now selected.

5. Click Object on the Format menu and click the Properties tab.

6. Clear the "Print Object" check box, and then click OK.

   When you print out this worksheet, the buttons will not be printed.