Help! Chart losing date format

R

Rollin_Again

Help! Excel Charts losing formats
I am using Excel 2000 SP-3 on a Windows 2000 machine and have bee
having some strange problems. I have 4 charts that are in a singl
workbook along with the source data for them. After the workbook ha
been updated and the charts are correct, I am copying the charts to
brand new workbook by right clicking the worksheet tab and selectin
copy option. I am only copying the chart to the new workbook, not th
data. Two of the charts copy fine but the other two charts are changin
from having a gray background to an orange background. I am currentl
manually having to go to these charts and set the background to th
right one.

In addition to this, when the charts are inserted into an Outloo
message and emailed, they are losing other formats that are containe
in the original charts. The most obvious difference is that the X axi
of the chart changes from a Date format to what appears to be a genera
format. Instead of seeing a date along the bottom axis such as 2/11/04
all the recipients are seeing a number such as 38027. Also, the X axi
date labels are losing their alignment format. Anyone else had thes
problems or know a solution?

Thx
Rolli
 
J

Jon Peltier

Rollin -

The date format problem happens because the axis formats are probably
linked to the source data. As long as the source data is in an open
workbook, Excel will go and find the format and apply it. To get around
this, before copying the chart, double click on the axis, select the
Number tab, and uncheck the Link to Source checkbox.

I suspect the problem with the gaudy colors is due to the new workbook
having a different color palette than the old one. If you copy a chart
from a workbook with one color palette, Excel remembers not the color,
but the position of the color within the palette. So if you changed the
gaudy orange color which is the second one down and to the right in the
default palette to a nice pleasing gray tone, when you paste your chart
into a default paletted workbook, the chart looks to the second color
down and to the right, and uses orange. Fortunately you can share
palettes. Go to the new workbook, choose Options from the Tools menu,
click on the Color tab, and choose the customized workbook in the Copy
Colors From dropdown.

- Jon
 
Joined
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TEN YEARS LATER! And this is still helping people.

Thank you Rollin for posting the question, and thank you Jon Peltier for answering!
 

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