How to Create Printable Timelines
Timelines are excellent resources for work meetings, personal goals or family reunions. Learn how to create a timeline using Microsoft Excel, a program readily available on many personal and public computers.
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Instructions
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1
Decide what your timeline will include. Sketch out your timeline on a sheet of paper. Do any research needed on dates for your timeline.
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2
Get on the computer and open up the Excel program. Open a new, blank document/spreadsheet.
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3
Type the name of the timeline at the top "fx" line of the spreadsheet. Format text as desired using text color or cell color, which can be found under "Format."
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4
Skip a few lines down to row number eight. If you anticipate long descriptions for each event, go down further to row number 12 to 15. Select the entire row in the length you think will be long enough for your timeline.
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5
Click the "paint bucket" icon at the top right-hand corner of the document toolbar to choose a color for the timeline line.
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6
Click on the cell in column "A" in the row just above the colored line. Type in the date of the first event. Click on the cell in column "A" above that date. Type in the description of the event.
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7
Click on the cell border of the description so that the description cell is selected. Go to "Format" then "Cells" and click on the "Alignment" tab. Click "Left" under Horizontal and "Top" under Vertical. Make the Degrees option to "-90." Then click the "Wrap Text" and "Shrink to Fit" boxes. Click "OK"
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8
Repeat steps seven and eight for the next events down the timeline. Put the date in the row below the line and the description in the cells above the date. To include descriptions below the line, make the degrees option "90" instead of "-90."
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9
Click "File" then "Save" and "File" then "Print" to save and print your timeline.
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Tips & Warnings
Free Excel Timeline Spreadsheets are available online Adding pictures with your descriptions is easy simply by copying and pasting a photo into the description box.
Your timeline may print on more than one page, depending on its size.
