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Show or hide all Excel objects (pictures, charts, shapes and comments)

Author Xiaoyang Last modified

Navigating through complex Excel worksheets that contain multiple objects such as pictures, charts, shapes, and comments can be challenging, especially when these elements overcrowd the workspace. Understanding how to effectively show or hide these objects can streamline your workflow and help maintain a cleaner, more organized spreadsheet. This guide will introduce some efficient tricks to manage the visibility of all objects in Excel, helping you maintain a tidy and organized spreadsheet.

Using shortcut to show or hide all objects in the active worksheet

You can use the following shortcut to toggle the display of all object including pictures, charts, shapes and comments in the current worksheet.

For Windows:

Ctrl + 6

For Mac:

^ + 6

Using the Selection Pane to show or hide all objects in the active worksheets

The "Selection Pane" in Excel provides a detailed overview of all objects present in your worksheet. It allows you to manage these objects individually or collectively, making it an essential tool for organizing your documents.

  1. Click "Home" > "Find & Select" > "Selection Pane" to open the "Selection Pane".
    A screenshot showing how to access the Selection Pane in Excel
  2. The "Selection Pane" lists all the objects in the active worksheet.
    • To hide or show objects individually, click the "eye icon" next to the object.
    • To hide or show all objects at once, click the "Show All" or "Hide All" buttons at the top of the selection pane.
      A screenshot showing the selection pane

Using Kutools for Excel to easily show or hide all objects in the active or all worksheets

The above methods only allow you to show or hide objects in the current worksheet. If you want to toggle the display of objects across all worksheets at once, "Kutools for Excel"'s "View Options" tool is your best choice for a quick and efficient solution.

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  1. After installing "Kutools for Excel", select "Kutools" > "View" > "View Options".
  2. In the "View Options" dialog box, select "Show all" or "Hide all" to toogle the display of objects in the current worksheet. To apply the settings to the entire workbook, click the "Apply to all sheets" button.
    screenshot of the View Options dialog box in Kutools for Excel for hiding or showing objects

To know more about this feature, please visit this page: View Options tutorial page.

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