Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here: Positioning a Graphic in a Macro.

Positioning a Graphic in a Macro

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated February 12, 2022)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


Felix is writing a macro to add a graphic to a worksheet. He needs to position the graphic relative to the top-left corner of a particular cell. He wonders how he can place the graphic, within the macro code, so it is just to the right and beneath the upper-left corner of a given cell.

This task is relatively easy to do if you realize that each cell in a worksheet has both a Top and Left property that defines the location of both the top and left edges of the cell. You can adjust those values, slightly, to get the offset that you want, in this manner:

Dim rCell As Range
Set rCell = Range("A2")
With ActiveSheet.Shapes("Picture 1")
    .Top = rCell.Top + 5
    .Left = rCell.Left + 3
End With

Note that after this code is executed the graphic (defined by the name Picture 1) is placed just below the top edge of cell A2 and just to the right of its left edge.

Note:

If you would like to know how to use the macros described on this page (or on any other page on the ExcelTips sites), I've prepared a special page that includes helpful information. Click here to open that special page in a new browser tab.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (9725) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Excel (Excel 2007 and later) here: Positioning a Graphic in a Macro.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

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