Insert Graphics Into Microsoft Excel

As with other components of Microsoft Office, Microsoft Excel allows you to insert graphic images into your spreadsheets. You can insert any of the clip art images that come with Microsoft Office, or you can insert a picture file from your hard drive or from a Web page. Following are instructions on how to insert graphics into Microsoft Excel 2003, 2007, and 2010.

Steps

Inserting Clip Art

  1. Choose the location where you want to insert the clip art. You can insert clip art in any worksheet cell or in the header or footer.
    • To select a cell, click on it.
    • To select a header or footer in Excel 2003, select "Page Setup" from the File menu and then click the Header/Footer tab on the Page Setup dialog.
    • To select a header or footer in Excel 2007 or 2010, click the "Header & Footer" button in the Text group on the Insert menu ribbon.
  2. Access the "Insert" feature.
    • In Excel 2003, select "Picture" from the Insert menu, then select "Clip Art."
    • In Excel 2007 and 2010, select "Clip Art" from the Illustrations group on the Insert menu ribbon.
  3. Search for the clip art image you want. Type either a descriptive word or phrase in the "Search for" field of the Clip Art task pane or a portion of the file name. You can narrow your search with either or both of the following methods:
    • Check only the boxes in front of the items in the "Search in:" dropdown list that represent the places you want to search for a clip art image.
    • Check only the "Clip Art" box in the "Results should be:" dropdown list. (The other available options are Photographs, Movies, and Sounds.)
  4. Click the "Go" button.
  5. Select the clip art item in the results list that you choose to insert it into your spreadsheet.

Inserting a Picture From a File

  1. Choose the location where you want to insert the picture.
  2. Access the Insert feature.
    • In Excel 2003, select "Picture" from the Insert menu, then select "From File."
    • In Excel 2007 and 2010, select "Picture" from the Illustrations group on the Insert menu ribbon.
  3. Browse to the picture you want to insert in the Insert Picture dialog. Double click a folder to open it, or type the picture name in the "File name:" field. You can also use the drop-down field to the right of the "File name:" field to narrow the available pictures to a particular file type.
  4. Insert the picture. Either click the "Insert" button or double-click the picture file.
    • When you insert a picture this way, it increases the overall size of your Excel file. You can instead insert a link to the picture by clicking the down arrow to the right of the "Insert" button and clicking "Link to File." If you later move the picture to a different location on your computer, however, the link will be broken and you will have to re-create the link to have the picture available again.

Inserting a Picture From a Web Page

  1. Go to the Web page that displays the image you want to insert.
  2. Right-click the image. A popup menu appears.
  3. Select "Save Picture As" from the popup menu.
  4. Give the picture file a name. Enter it in the "File name:" field.
  5. Click the "Save" button.
  6. Follow the instructions under "Inserting a Picture From a File." Browse to the picture file you created or enter its name in the "File name:" field of the Insert Picture dialog.

Copying a Picture From a Web Page

  1. Go to the Web page that displays the image you want to copy.
  2. Right-click the image. A popup menu appears.
  3. Select "Copy" from the popup menu.
  4. Right-click the place in your spreadsheet where you want to insert the picture. Another pop-up menu appears.
  5. Select "Paste" from the popup menu. Your picture appears at the location you selected.
    • If you chose a picture that is hyperlinked to another Web page, you will see a hyperlink to that Web page in place of the image you wanted. If this happens, return to the Web page that featured the image you want and follow the instructions under "Inserting a Picture From a Web Page."

Tips

  • If you plan to insert your graphic into a header or footer, save a copy of the original graphic file so that you can revert to it if you decide to alter the image and find the alterations don't look as good as you thought they would.
  • Always save your Excel spreadsheet file before you replace a graphic or before formatting or cropping the graphic image.
  • Excel 2003 allows you to insert pictures from your scanner or camera directly to your spreadsheet. This functionality was removed from Excel 2007 and 2010 with the change to the menu ribbon interface. If you either plan to update from Excel 2003 to one of the newer versions or if you think you want to use a scanned image or picture in more than one spreadsheet, you should save digital images to your computer and then insert them as picture files.

Warnings

  • Spreadsheet headers and footers are visible with the rest of the spreadsheet in Excel 2003 and earlier versions only by using the Print Preview feature.
  • Be aware of the usage rights for any graphic image you plan to incorporate into your Excel spreadsheet before you use them, if you plan to distribute your spreadsheet outside your office. The images in the Microsoft Office Clip Art and Media Library can be used for any purpose other than reselling the images themselves; the same is true for most stock photography when you buy it. If you have any doubts about your rights to an image, contact the image owner for permission.

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Sources and Citations

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