Linked Microsoft Excel Chart Resizes After Updating in Word

ID: Q76832

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 1.0, 1.1, 1.1a, 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0a-CD, 2.0b, 2.0c, 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c

SYMPTOMS

If you link a Microsoft Excel chart to your Word for Windows document and then change the size of the chart in Microsoft Excel, the size also changes in Word when you update the link.

Similarly, if you scale the linked chart in Word and then update the link, Word restores the chart to the current size of the original chart in Microsoft Excel.


CAUSE

By design the size information for the Microsoft Excel chart is part of the link. As a result, whenever you change the size (or other formatting) of the chart in Microsoft Excel, the size also changes in Word, regardless of whether you use any formatting switches (such as \* mergeformat) in the Word LINK field. Similarly, the size information stored in the link overrides any scaling or cropping you apply to the chart in Word.

For information about embedded (instead of linked) Microsoft Excel charts in Word documents, query on the following words in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

problems and scaling and embedded and excel and chart and object


STATUS

This occurs by product design


WORKAROUND

Note: The steps in this section are for Word 6.0 and Microsoft Excel 5.0. For workarounds in earlier versions of these applications, see the "More Information" section below.

Method 1

To change the size of the chart in Word, size it in Microsoft Excel.

Method 2

Use the procedure below to link only the chart data and not its formatting information (including size) in your Word document.

This method works by creating a copy of the Microsoft Excel chart in Microsoft Excel and linking the copy of the chart (instead of the original) to Word. You apply any formatting to the original chart in Microsoft Excel, not the copy, which means the formatting changes are not part of the link to Word. Because the link to Word is from the second chart in Excel, only those formatting changes made directly to the second chart appear in Word. In other words, by linking to a linked copy of the Microsoft Excel chart, you can update the data but not the formatting.

  1. Create the chart in Microsoft Excel.


  2. Copy the Chart by selecting it and choosing Copy from the Edit menu.


  3. Position the insertion point in another area in the Microsoft Excel sheet. This can be a different area of the current sheet or another sheet in the workbook.


  4. From the Edit menu, choose Paste.


  5. Select the copy of the chart and choose Copy from the Edit menu.


  6. Switch to Word and position the insertion point where you want the chart to appear.


  7. From the Edit menu, choose Paste Special.


  8. In the As box, select Microsoft Excel Chart Object.


  9. Select the Paste Link option, and then choose OK.



MORE INFORMATION

This section contains the steps you can use to update only the chart data and not its formatting in versions earlier than Word 6.0 or Microsoft Excel 5.0.

Use the following procedure to update data in a dynamic data exchange (DDE) linked chart in Word 2.x and earlier or in Microsoft Excel 4.x and earlier:

  1. Open the chart in its own window. If the chart is embedded in SHEET1 in Microsoft Excel, double-click the chart in Microsoft Excel to bring it into its own window (SHEET1 CHART1).


  2. From the Chart menu, choose Select Chart.


  3. From the Edit menu, choose Copy.


  4. From the File menu, choose New and Chart to create CHART1.


  5. From the Edit menu, choose Paste.


  6. Adjust CHART1 to the size you want.


  7. From the Chart menu, choose Select Chart.


  8. From the Edit menu, choose Copy.


  9. Open Word for Windows and position the insertion point where you want to place the chart.


  10. From the Edit menu, choose Paste Link to bring the Microsoft Excel chart into the Word for Windows document.


  11. Select Auto Update (ALT+A) and choose OK.


  12. Switch back to Microsoft Excel.


  13. From the Chart menu, choose Protect Document, select the chart and windows check boxes, and type a password if you want to fully protect the size of CHART1.


  14. From the Window menu, choose Hide.


After you enter new data into SHEET1, update SHEET1, (SHEET1 CHART1), and CHART1 by double-clicking the button at the intersection of the row numbers and column letters. Although (SHEET1 CHART1) is resized, the chart in Word for Windows is NOT resized because CHART1 is fully protected. The process above forces a break in the link for resizing the chart. However, because of the nature of the link, the data continues to be updated in Word for Windows from the Microsoft Excel chart.


REFERENCES

"Microsoft Word User's Guide," version 6.0, pages 609, 616-617

"Microsoft Word for Windows User's Reference," version 1.x, pages 178, 201- 203

Additional query words: 1.x 2.x winword2 word6 winword 6.0 linking embedding updating scaling cropping scaled cropped resizing resized bigger too big littler smaller small stay same officeinterop ddeauto protection 5.0

Keywords : kbfield
Version : WINDOWS:1.0,1.1,1.1a,2.0,2.0a,2.0a-CD,2.0b,2.0c,6.0,6.0a,6.0c
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type :


Last Reviewed: October 12, 1999
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