How to Format Lines in an Excel Chart

1. Start Microsoft Excel 2007 and open a spreadsheet from your files that contains a chart to which you want to format the lines of.
2. Right-click on top of the line in the Excel chart that you want to format to display the shortcut menu. Choose 'Format (name of line)' from the shortcut list. The name of the line you are formatting will appear after the word 'Format' in the shortcut list. The 'Format' dialog box will open.
3. Select 'Line Color' from the list on the left side of the 'Format' dialog box if necessary. The line color options will be displayed on the right side of the dialog box. Choose 'Solid line,' 'Gradient line' or 'Automatic' to set the line color. If you choose one of the first two, you will see more formatting options appear. You can then specify the color, transparency and gradient settings for the line.
4. Click 'Line Style' from the list on the left side of the 'Format' dialog box. Set the width, compound type, dashed type, cap type and join type using the drop-down lists and boxes. Specify the type of arrow you want to use if applicable in the last part of this section.
5. Choose the 'Shadow' option on the left side of the dialog box to display the shadow settings for the line. Choose a shadow from the preset shadows and set the color. Use the sliders to set the transparency, size, blue, angle and distance of the shadow.
6. Click the 'Close' button to close the 'Format' dialog box and save your settings. You will return to your Excel chart with your newly-formatted lines visible.