If you want to draw a line between two points in an Excel worksheet, you have several options. You can use the Shapes feature, the Chart feature, or the Freeform feature. In this Excel tutorial, we will show you how to use each of these methods and explain their advantages and disadvantages.

Using Shapes to Draw a Line Between Two Points

One of the easiest ways to draw a line between two points in Excel is to use the Shapes feature. This allows you to insert a line as a shape object that you can customize and position anywhere in the worksheet. Here are the steps to use this method:

1. Open the Excel workbook and activate the worksheet in which you want to draw/insert the line.
2. Click the Insert tab and then click on Illustrations.
3. Click on the Shapes icon and choose from any of the existing 12 Line options. You can choose a straight line, a line with an arrow at one or both ends, a curved line, or a freeform line.
4. Go to the worksheet, click the left key on your mouse/trackpad and drag the cursor to insert a line of that length. You can adjust the angle and direction of the line by moving the endpoints.
5. To customize the line, select it and use the Format tab that appears under Drawing Tools. You can change the color, thickness, style, and effects of the line.

Using this method, you can draw multiple lines between different points in your worksheet. However, there are some limitations of this method:

• The lines are not linked to any data or cells, so they will not update automatically if you change or move your data.
• The lines are not part of a chart, so they will not have any labels or legends associated with them.
• The lines may overlap with other objects or text in your worksheet, so you may need to adjust their order or alignment.

Using Chart to Draw a Line Between Two Points

Another way to draw a line between two points in Excel is to use the Chart feature. This allows you to create a scatter plot that shows the relationship between two sets of data. You can then add a trendline or connect the data points with a line. Here are the steps to use this method:

1. Open the Excel workbook and activate the worksheet that contains your data.
2. Select your data and click on Insert > Charts > Scatter (or X Y) > Scatter with only Markers.
3. This will create a scatter plot that shows your data points on an X-Y plane. You can customize the chart by using the Design and Format tabs that appear under Chart Tools.
4. To add a trendline, select your data series and click on Chart Design > Add Chart Element > Trendline > More Trendline Options. You can choose from different types of trendlines, such as linear, exponential, polynomial, etc., and adjust their settings.
5. To connect the data points with a line, right-click on your data series and select Format Data Series. In the Format Data Series pane, click on Marker Options and select None for Marker Type. Then click on Line Options and select Solid Line for Line Type.

Using this method, you can draw one or more lines between different sets of data points in your worksheet. However, there are some limitations of this method:

• The lines are linked to your data, so they will update automatically if you change or move your data. However, this may also cause unwanted changes if you do not want your lines to reflect your data changes.
• The lines are part of a chart, so they will have labels and legends associated with them. However, this may also clutter your chart if you have too many lines or data series.
• The lines may not be accurate or meaningful if your data does not have a clear relationship or trend.

Using Freeform to Draw a Line Between Two Points

A third way to draw a line between two points in Excel is to use the Freeform feature. This allows you to manually draw a line or any other shape using your cursor or touch screen option. Here are the steps to use this method:

1. Open the Excel workbook and activate the worksheet in which you want to draw/insert the line.
2. Click on Insert > Illustrations > Shapes > Freeform: Shape or Freeform: Scribble.
3. Go to the worksheet and use your cursor or touch screen option to draw a line or any other shape that you want. You can edit or erase your drawing by using the Drawing Tools tab that appears under Shape Format.
4. To customize your drawing, select it and use the Format tab that appears under Drawing Tools. You can change the color, thickness, style, and effects of your drawing.

Using this method, you can draw any line or shape that you want in your worksheet. However, there are some limitations of this method:

• The drawing is not linked to any data or cells, so it will not update automatically if you change or move your data.
• The drawing is not part of a chart, so it will not have any labels or legends associated with it.
• The drawing may not be precise or consistent if you draw it manually.

Related posts:

How to Add Trendlines in Excel How to Make SPC Control Chart How to add horizontal line to chart?