Inserting a Picture in Your Workbook

Summary: Even though Excel is a spreadsheet program, it still allows you to insert graphics into your worksheets. This tip explains the various graphic formats that can be used with Excel and how to insert those graphics. (This tip works with Microsoft Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, and Excel 2003.)

Excel allows you to insert a wide range of picture (graphic) types in your documents. You can insert the following types:

Picture Type		Filename Extension
Compressed Enhanced Metafile		EMZ
Compressed Macintosh PICT		PCZ
Compressed Windows Metafile		WMZ
Computer Graphics Metafile		CGM
CorelDraw		CDR
Encapsulated PostScript		EPS
Enhanced Metafile		EMF
FPX Format		FPX
Graphics Interchange Format		GIF
JPEG Format		JPG
Kodak Photo CD		PCD
Macintosh PICT		PCT
PC Paintbrush		PCX
Picture It! Format		MIX
Portable Network Graphics		PNG
Tagged Image File Format		TIF
Windows Bitmap		BMP
Windows Metafile		WMF
WordPerfect Graphics		WPG

This list looks very inclusive, but you may not be able to insert all of these on your particular version of Excel. The graphic files you can actually import depends on the version of Excel you have installed and which import filters you installed.

To insert a picture in your workbook, follow these steps:

Choose Picture from the Insert menu, and then choose the From File option. This displays a file selection dialog box.
In the Files of Type field, select the type of graphics file you want to insert.
Locate and choose a filename for the picture you want to insert.
Click on Insert.

Excel inserts the picture as if it is floating over your worksheet. You can then move the picture by simply using the mouse to drag the picture a new location.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2193) applies to Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003

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Inserting a Picture in Your Workbook