Weekly Computer Tip # 323
3 December 2010


Copy a chart and paste it in Excel as a picture
(Excel 2003-2007)

In Excel, if you copy an existing chart to another worksheet or to a different workbook the chart remains linked to its underlying data and modifies every time you change the chart data. But what if you want to copy it as a picture so that it won't change?

Here's how: (in Excel 2007)

  1. Select the chart that you want to copy as a picture.
  2. On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click the arrow below Paste, click As Picture, and then click Copy as Picture.
  3. Click OK.
  4. Click where you want to add the picture and paste your chart as normal. (I would use CTRL+V.)

Here's how: (in Excel 2003)

  1. Select the chart that you want to copy as a picture.
  2. Hold down the Shift key and choose the Edit, Copy Picture command.
  3. Select "As shown on screen" for the best picture quality.
  4. Click OK.
  5. Click where you want to add the picture and paste your chart as normal. (I would use CTRL+V.)

With special thanks to Gill Tinsley for asking this question during this week's "surgery". (Next!)

.