Looking for Software - Tick Mark add-in for Excel

[Johnny]

Hi all,

I'm searching the web for a pre-built add-in (free or otherwise) that
will allow me to add what I call "tick marks" to cells in an Excel
workbook, and then associated these tick marks with a comment that is
visible when printed. For example, everyone knows the most common tick
mark, the '*' (astericks) If you are reading a document and there is
an astericks, you immediately look to the bottom of the page to read
the comment the astericks is assoicated with. It's a lot like a
footnote/endnote concept. In this application, however, I need may
different "symbols" because there are many different comments and using
a '*******' for the 7th comment is just too cumbersome. I usually use
the lowercase greek alphabet when I get past a double astericks.

I work in the accounting field, and I am forever printing worksheets,
and using a red pencil to insert comments on my spreadsheets. I use a
red pencil so people know that it was me who put the comment there.
Please differentiate this use of the term "tick mark" with other uses
of this term (like in charting/graphing, tallying, etc.)

Thanks in advance for your replies.

Thanks,
Johnny

 

[smw226 via OfficeKB.com]

Hi Johnny,

Have you tried the Webdings/ Wingdings font?

Thanks,

Simon

 

[Guest]

If you put any kind of font in the same cell as a value, you corrupt the
data, so I assume you would be using an adjacent column; or that you are
working with a sheet (or portion thereof) that does not rely on calculation
of referenced cells.

 

[Johnny]

I'm hoping that I can find a tick mark add-in that uses images and not
fonts in cells. I don't want to have to add a bunch of columns to
these worksheets for many different reasons. The worksheets I'm
dealing with have lots of formulas and is connected to a database. I'm
looking for something that literally simulates me actually writing in a
tick mark on paper. Alas such a thing might not exist.

 

[Tom Ogilvy]

Actually you could put the "tick mark" in using cell formatting and not
affect the value in the cell. You could not super or subscript it however.

 

[michael.beckinsale]

Johny,

A solution is to predefine what 'symbols' you want to use ie 'tick
mark' and insert each of them into a seperate cell in an Excel
spreadsheet using whichever font & colour you want that provides the
'symbol' you want. Then you export each cell and save it as a JPG
image. (I use the ASAP utilities to do this which is an Excel add-in
freely available)

The JPG images can then be pasted into any cell, it anchors itself to
the top left of the cell, and more importantly does affect the contents
of the cell.

This may seem a lot of work but once the images have been created you
can paste them in as many times as you like. To make things really easy
create a menu item from your personal.xls file and on a click the image
can be inserted. It would be even better if you did this as an add-in
but l dont know the level of your VBA skills. Both these solutions
would then be available for all workbooks.

let me know how you get on

Regards

Michael Beckinsale

 

[Johnny]

Michael,

I have ASAP utilities installed currently. Will you go into detail
regarding your post? I'm not sure I'm following you. If what you
propose does not affect the cell contents, than this sounds like what I
need. I have advanced VBA knowledge.

Thanks,
Johnny

 

[michael.beckinsale]

Johnny,

Follow these steps. I am using ASAP version 4.0.4

1) Open ASAP utilities
2) Launch
3) Special Characters
4) The default font is 'Lucinda Consol' if you scroll down you
will see what looks like a tick but is actually a square root. Copy and
paste
into a cell in Excel
5) Select the cell
6) Open ASAP
7) Export
8) Export selected chart or range & foolw instructions (I use JPG)
9) The image file is ready for use and can be copy / pasted into cell
or inserted using the following VBA code. Change path / filename to
suit.

ActiveCell.Select
ActiveSheet.Pictures.Insert("D:\Michael\TickMark1.JPG").Select
ActiveCell.Select

Hope this helps.

Let me know how you get on

Regards

Michael Beckinsale

 

[michael.beckinsale]

Johny,

Forgot to mention that you can obviously format the character (bold,
red etc) before making it a JPG image. Additionally the JPG image can
be 'formatted' using a suitable application

Regards

Michael Beckinsale