How do I preserve data formatting in a pivot chart?

[Guest]

After establishing all desired fonts, text alignments, and data series
colors/patterns within a pivot chart, I cannot preserve the settings. As I
change a selection in a page field button on the chart, the data series
revert back to default color settings.

Any autoformat options I can toggle on/off?

 

[Debra Dalgleish]

This is a known problem with pivot charts. There's some information in
the following MSKB article, which suggests recording a macro as you
apply the formatting:


Changing a PivotChart removes series formatting in Excel
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=215904

 

[Jon Peltier]

In a two minute experiment, I applied AutoFormatting to the pivot table.
I dont' really care for any of the built in formats, but I used the
blank format. This seems to retain the formatting.

Anyone know how to customize these built in formats? I suspect it's not
possible.

- Jon
-------
Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP
Peltier Technical Services
Tutorials and Custom Solutions
http://PeltierTech.com/
_______

 

[Guest]

Debra,
I'm experiencing the same issues with preserving formats in pivot tables.
I've never been a big fan of recording macros. Is ther a way to use visual
basic code to preserve the formats. Perhaps as the pivot table was refreshed
you could reapply formats? I'm not trying to do anything funky with my
formats, biggest pet peeve being that the column witdth always changes. Eric

 

[Debra Dalgleish]

Eric,

For a pivot table, you can turn off AutoFormat, and it should prevent
changes to the column widths --

Right-click a cell in the pivot table
Choose Table Options
Remove the checkmark from AutoFormat table.
Ensure that there's a checkmark in Preserve formatting.
Click OK