Object Alignment

 




🔁 PROCESS FLOW TO ALIGN SHAPES & INSERTED PDF FILES IN EXCEL

Step 1: Insert Shapes and PDF Objects

🔹 For Shapes:

  1. Go to Insert > Illustrations > Shapes.

  2. Select the shape (e.g., rectangle, circle, arrow) and draw it on your sheet.

🔹 For PDF Files:

  1. Go to Insert > Text > Object.

  2. In the dialog box:

    • Click Create from File tab.

    • Click Browse and select the PDF file.

    • Tick Link to file or Display as icon if required.

    • Click OK to insert.

Step 2: Enable Alignment Tools

  1. Select all objects (hold Ctrl and click each item).

  2. Go to Shape Format / Picture Format / Object Format tab (appears after selecting objects).

  3. Use the Arrange group of tools:

    • Align

    • Group

    • Rotate

    • Bring Forward / Send Backward

Step 3: Use Align Options

After selecting multiple objects, go to Shape Format > Align to use:

OptionWhat It Does
Align LeftAligns all objects to the leftmost
Align Center                      Centers objects horizontally
Align RightAligns all to the rightmost edge
Align TopAligns to the topmost object
Align MiddleCenters objects vertically
Align BottomAligns to the bottommost edge
Distribute HorizontallyEqual space between objects horizontally
Distribute VerticallyEqual space vertically

Step 4: Snap to Grid or Shape

To help keep objects neat:

  1. Go to Page Layout > Align.

  2. Enable:

    • ✅ Snap to Grid

    • ✅ Snap to Shape

This helps you align precisely with rows, columns, or other shapes.

Step 5: Group Objects (Optional)

To move or align multiple items as one:

  1. Select multiple objects.

  2. Go to Shape Format > Group > Group.

  3. Now the grouped item can be resized or aligned together.

Step 6: Fine-tune with Arrow Keys

  1. Select an object.

  2. Use Arrow Keys to nudge position.

  3. Hold Ctrl while pressing arrow keys for micro-movement.

Step 7: Use Selection Pane (for better control)

  1. Go to Home > Find & Select > Selection Pane.

  2. This opens a list of all shapes and objects.

  3. You can:

    • Rename items for easy reference.

    • Reorder or hide objects.

    • Select overlapping items easily.

✅ Best Practices:

  • Use same size and shape for consistency.

  • Lock objects (Right-click > Size and Properties > Lock aspect ratio / position).

  • Use gridlines or temporary helper shapes as guides.

  • Create templates to avoid repetitive work.

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