How do you make a pattern fill in Excel?

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Pattern Fill Add-In
How do I create a pattern in Excel?
How can you get a fill with lines pattern style excel?
How do you add texture fill in Excel?

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated May 9, 2020)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003

When you create a chart with Excel, you typically use the Chart Wizard to create the basic chart, and then make changes to prepare the final chart exactly as you want it. One of the things that Excel allows you to control is the pattern used to fill the graphic representation of a data series.

Normally, series are presented as appropriate for the type of chart you are creating, and then filled with varying colors. For most charts this may be more than adequate. However, you may want to change the pattern used in a data series, instead of using the solid color used by default. To do this, follow these steps:

Create your chart as you normally would.
Click on the data series that you want to customize. There should be selection handles that appear around the data series elements.
Choose Selected Data Series from the Format menu. Excel displays the Format Data Series dialog box.
Make sure the Patterns tab is selected. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The Patterns tab of the Format Data Series dialog box.

Click on the Fill Effects button. Excel displays the Fill Effects dialog box.
Make sure the Pattern tab is selected. (See Figure 2.)

Figure 2. The Pattern tab of the Fill Effects dialog box.

From the selections in the dialog box, choose the pattern you want applied to the data series.
Click on OK to close the Fill Effects dialog box.
Click on OK to close the Format Data Series dialog box.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (3022) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.

Author Bio

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

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Pattern Fill Add-In

In xl2007 the chart feature of using pattern fills was deprecated.
For backward compatibility the functionality was included in the new charting engine. Only the interface to it was excluded.
This add-in provides the UI in order to use that functionality.
The add-in add a new group to the following contextual tabs, which appear when a chart is selected.

Chart Tools, Layout
Chart Tools, Format
Drawing Tools, Format
Pivot Chart Tools, Layout
Pivot Chart Tools, Format

The dialog allows you to select Foreground and Background colours.

You can also select from the predefined patterns

When completed the chosen pattern and colours are applied to the select chart element, if applicable.
Chart with normal formatting

Chart with Shingle pattern applied.

The add-in will now handle shapes as well.
The Pattern Fill button also appears on the Drawing Tools Format contextual tab when a shape is selected.

You can apply pattern fills to the following charting elements

Chart Area
Plot Area
Data Series (any chart style that has fill capabilities)
Data Point
Data Labels
Data Label
Legend
Chart Title
Axis Titles

Note: Due to the fact that using VBA destroys the undo stack you will not be able to use undo to restore any changes made using the add-in.

Revision v1.1 - Added code to pick up, where possible, Theme colours used in workbook.
Revision v2.0 - Add-In now handles shapes.
Revision v3.0 - Added Fills for Pivot Charts
Revision v3.3 [4-Jul-2009]

Recoded Selection detection routine to handle OM bug.
Transparent shapes should now retain transparency.

Revision v3.4 - Filling of Line shapes such as arrows, arc, curves and scribbles.

Instructions on how to install an add-in
To replace existing add-in with later version you simply need to overwrite the existing add-in. Make sure Excel is not running otherwise you will not be able to replace the file.

How do I create a pattern in Excel?

Fill a column with a series of numbers Select the first cell in the range that you want to fill. Type the starting value for the series. Type a value in the next cell to establish a pattern.

How can you get a fill with lines pattern style excel?

Right-click the shape that you want to add a pattern fill to and select Format Shape. In the Format Shape dialog box, click the Fill tab. In the Fill pane, select Pattern fill and then select a pattern, foreground color, and background color for your pattern fill.

How do you add texture fill in Excel?

For additional gradient styles, click More Gradients, and then in the Format Chart Area pane, under Fill, click the gradient options that you want to use. To use a texture fill, click Texture, and then click the texture that you want to use.