Set the direction for worksheets and charts

Microsoft Office Excel 2003

  • Do one of the following:
    • Press or release the Sheet Right-To-Left Button image button.

    • On the Tools menu, click Options, click the International tab, and select or clear the View current sheet right-to-left check box.

ShowSet the direction for new workbooks and worksheets

  1. Click Options on the Tools menu, and then click the International tab.
  2. Do one of the following in the Right-to-left option group.
    • Click Right-To-Left to have new objects displayed in a direction familiar to right-to-left users.

    • Click Left-To-Right to have new objects displayed in a direction familiar to left-to-right users.

ShowChange the direction of a chart

When right-to-left editing is enabled in Microsoft Excel, and the default orientation for new charts is right-to-left, charts are automatically configured with a right-to-left view. This means that the horizontal (category) axis origin and the vertical (value) axis appear to the right side of the chart, and the chart legend appears to the left of the chart.

You can manually move chart objects to a position that supports the direction you are trying to achieve— for example, to change a left-to-right chart to a right-to-left chart, do the following:

  1. Click the horizontal (category) axis to select it, then right-click the axis and click Format Axis on the shortcut menu.
  2. Click the Scale tab and select the Categories In Reverse Order option. The horizontal (category) axis origin and the vertical (value) axis appear at the right side of the chart.
  3. Click the legend border to select it, then right-click the border and click Format Legend on the shortcut menu.
  4. Click the Placement tab and select Left in the Placement group. The chart legend will appear to the left of the chart.