Adjusting Picture Appearance

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated March 25, 2021)

Excel users can quickly and easily adjust the appearance of a picture once it is placed in a workbook. Adjustments are accomplished the easiest if you are using the Picture toolbar. This toolbar should become visible when you click on a graphic. If it does not, you can right-click on the graphic and choose Show Picture Toolbar from the Context menu.

The toolbar has several tools on it that control the appearance of the selected graphic. These tools include the following:

  • Image Control. This tool presents a menu of options you can use to specify how the graphic should be treated, i.e., as a black and white drawing or as a grayscale image.
  • More Contrast. Increases the contrast between light and dark in the image.
  • Less Contrast. Decreases the contrast between light and dark.
  • More Brightness. Turns up the overall brightness of the image.
  • Less Brightness. Makes the image more dark, overall.

In order to use the adjustment tools, simply click on them. (When using the Image Control tool you will need to select an option from a menu first.) Remember that if you mess things up you can always click on the Undo tool on the regular Excel toolbar. If you mess things up too bad, you can click on the Reset Picture tool on the Picture toolbar. This sets you image back to its pre-change settings.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (1998) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.

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. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Shortcut for Full-Screen Mode

Want to get rid of almost everything on the screen except your document? Here's how to easily maximize what you see.

Discover More

Quicker Multiple Replace Operations

Need to replace a lot of the same characters very, very quickly? Here's a great way to do the replacement.

Discover More

Replacing Commas with Periods

Want to replace all commas in a formatted number with periods, and vice-versa? There are a couple of approaches you can ...

Discover More

Program Successfully in Excel! This guide will provide you with all the information you need to automate any task in Excel and save time and effort. Learn how to extend Excel's functionality with VBA to create solutions not possible with the standard features. Includes latest information for Excel 2024 and Microsoft 365. Check out Mastering Excel VBA Programming today!

More ExcelTips (menu)

Changing How Arrows Look

If you use Excel's graphic capabilities to insert a line or an arrow into a worksheet, you can change how that arrow ...

Discover More

Using the Camera in VBA

The camera tool allows you to capture dynamic "pictures" of portions of a worksheet. If you want to use the camera tool ...

Discover More

Using Chart Titles

Titles can be a great addition to any chart. They help provide explanatory information about the information in the ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is seven more than 1?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

This Site

Got a version of Excel that uses the menu interface (Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, or Excel 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.

Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2026 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.