Excel: Create Dozens of Lightning Bolts

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Problem: I need to create multiple shapes. In the old Excel, I could double-click a shape icon and then draw multiple copies of the shape without going back to the menu. Now, I can't seem to double-click the lightning bolt in the Shapes menu.

Strategy: Microsoft came up with a solution to this problem, although it is as subtle as the double-click trick in the old Excel.

It helps to draw one shape first, format it, and then right-click and select Set as Default Shape. This will ensure that the new shapes have the same color as this shape. Follow these steps:

  1. Select Insert, Shapes dropdown.
  2. Right-click any shape and choose Lock Drawing Mode. The mouse pointer changes to a thin plus sign.

  1. Find a shape, right-click, and select Lock Drawing Mode.
    1. To draw a default size shape, click the mouse pointer anywhere on the worksheet. To draw a shape of a different size, click and drag to draw the shape.
    2. When you are done drawing shapes, press the Esc key or select another worksheet to exit Drawing mode.

    The lighter drawings shown below are default drawings created with a single click in the upper corner of the shape. The darker drawings required a click and drag to size.

  2. Shazam!