Shapes.. trying to print a square square

  • Thread starter Thread starter keepitcool
  • Start date Start date
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keepitcool

Hi..

Anyone know how Excel exactly computes the size of printed shapes?
Testing has show that similar (but enexpectedly) it IS related to the
standard font. (as are column width/row height)

I'd love to have an exact way to set a shapes's size so that the printed
size is the same as what I intend it to be when I set a 5inch x 5inch
SQUARE!.


This is what Microsoft says about Column widths...
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=213422

Quote :(
"There is no direct way to assign exact column widths
in inches or centimeters without trial and error. "

Excel shape rendering appers to be related to the standard font TOO...
a 5" x 5" shape on a 300x300dpi printer i get following pixelcounts:
(tested several printers... sames sizes)

If I set Courier New 10 => 1498wide x 1307 high
If I set Arial 10 => 1578wide x 1468 high
If I set Arial 12 => 1491wide x 1512 high
If I set Arial 14 => 1398wide x 1440 high
If I set Tahoma 12 => 1440wide x 1536 high SQUARE? NOT!

Does that make sense ????
I think it must have sometinhg to do with going back to the old days..
how many 0's fit on a line when printing 10CPI at 12LPI...
they they made a change to WYSIWYG... but couldnt really figure it out..

(If I do this in Word it comes out exactly as intended)
5inch x300dpi = 1500px x 1500px

Damn what a nuisance!


Line 0pt. No line.Interior fill black.
I deselect the shape's resize with cells.
I deselect A4/Letter resizing.
I zet printer zoom to 100%
I set screen zoom to 100%

I set the size to 5 x 5 inch...
I print ... and the square is not a square...
I print to several printers and then for convenience I've use's the
Document Imaging Printer to make a tiff so I can measure the pixels.
and yes I've reentered the size between the font changes.


Greetings..


keepITcool
Amsterdam...
 
keepitcool,
Dose the Format Shapes>Properties = Don't Move or Size with cells
help to correct the problem?
Cecil
 
no.
I made sure it was deselected BEFORE runnng the tests.
this quirk happens in all versions of excel.( 97/xp and 2003.)

anyone got a serious answer?

keepITcool
 
This isn't a fix but maybe it will help:
I found that Excel drawing objects loose ~10% height
(printer dependent) during print. However, if the object
is copied as a picture and pasted into the document,
the "picture" retains its full height.

Paste a picture of an object adjacent to the original
object and the two items look identical on screen. Hit
the print preview and note the height loss in the Excel
drawing object.
 
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