Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 26, 2022)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Francois has a bunch of comments in a worksheet, and each comment contains a picture as a background. He would like to remove those background pictures from the comments and place them, instead, as graphics in the cells just to the right of where the comments are located.
The only way to do this is with the aid of a macro. The reason is that you cannot manually select and copy any graphic that has been stored in the background of a comment. You can, in a macro, approximate "grabbing" the image:
Sub CommentPictures()
Dim cmt As Comment
Dim rCell As Range
Dim bVisible As Boolean
For Each cmt In ActiveSheet.Comments
With cmt
bVisible = .Visible
.Visible = True
Set rCell = .Parent.Offset(0, 1)
.Shape.CopyPicture _
Appearance:=xlScreen, Format:=xlPicture
rCell.PasteSpecial
Selection.ShapeRange.LockAspectRatio = msoFalse
Selection.Width = rCell.Width
Selection.Height = rCell.Height
.Visible = bVisible
.Shape.Fill.OneColorGradient msoGradientFromCenter, 1, 1
End With
Next cmt
End Sub
The macro steps through each comment in the active worksheet. The entire comment (including the background) is copied as a graphic to the Clipboard, then it is pasted into the desired cell. The background of the comment is then set to a different fill instead of the graphic.
You should note that this approach provides only an approximation of grabbing the background picture. It also, in copying the entire comment as a graphic, copies any text that is contained in the comment.
Note:
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (11164) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.
Dive Deep into Macros! Make Excel do things you thought were impossible, discover techniques you won't find anywhere else, and create powerful automated reports. Bill Jelen and Tracy Syrstad help you instantly visualize information to make it actionable. You’ll find step-by-step instructions, real-world case studies, and 50 workbooks packed with examples and solutions. Check out Microsoft Excel 2019 VBA and Macros today!
Need to copy whatever is in a comment into a cell on your worksheet? If you have lots of comments, manually doing this ...
Discover MoreExcel allows you to not only put information into cells, but into comments attached to those cells. Here's how to copy ...
Discover MoreAdding comments to your worksheet can be helpful in documenting what the worksheet contains. If you want to make sure ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
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.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments