Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Sorting with Graphics.

Sorting with Graphics

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated March 6, 2024)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021


1

You already know that Excel allows you to place graphics in your worksheets. You may not know, however, that Excel allows you to sort graphics along with the regular data in your tables. For instance, you could create an inventory table that has the requisite part numbers, descriptions, and quantities. You could also include a column that shows a small picture of each inventory item. When you later sort the table, the pictures sort right along with the rest of the data in the table.

If you can't seem to make the graphics sort along with the other data in the table, keep these pointers in mind:

  • The graphics have to be sized so they fit completely within the cell. They cannot be taller or wider than the cell over which you placed them.
  • You should make sure that the sorting function is selecting the column in which your graphics have been placed. You can check this by seeing if the column is selected when you use the Sort tool on the Data tab of the ribbon.

If your graphics still won't sort, the properties of the graphic may have been changed to prohibit sorting. Follow these steps if you are using Excel 2007:

  1. Right-click on a graphic image. Excel displays a shortcut menu.
  2. Choose Size and Properties from the shortcut menu. Excel displays the Size and Properties dialog box.
  3. Make sure the Properties tab is selected. (See Figure 1.)
  4. Figure 1. The Properties tab of the Size and Properties dialog box.

  5. Make sure the Move and Size with Cells option is selected.
  6. Click on Close.
  7. Repeat steps 1 through 5 for all the graphics in the column.

The steps are different for users of Excel 2010:

  1. Right-click on a graphic image. Excel displays a shortcut menu.
  2. Choose Size and Properties from the shortcut menu. Excel displays the Format Picture dialog box with the Size option selected at the left.
  3. At the left side of the dialog box choose Properties.
  4. Make sure the Move and Size with Cells option is selected.
  5. Click on Close.
  6. Repeat steps 1 through 5 for all the graphics in the column.

If you are using Excel 2013 or a later version, the steps are different still:

  1. Right-click on a graphic image. Excel displays a context menu.
  2. Choose Size and Properties from the context menu. Excel displays the Format Picture task pane at the right side of the screen.
  3. Make sure the Size and Properties icon is selected. (It should be by default. If not, it looks like a square with size markings on it.)
  4. Expand the Properties section. (See Figure 2.)
  5. Figure 2. The Properties settings in the Format Picture task pane.

  6. Make sure the Move and Size with Cells option is selected.
  7. Repeat steps 1 through 5 for all the graphics in the column.
  8. Close the task pane.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (6139) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Sorting with Graphics.

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

Indenting a Paragraph

Normally your text extends from the left margin all the way to the right. If you need to indent a paragraph of your text, ...

Discover More

Pictures Move on their Own

Insert some pictures into a document, and you may be in for a surprise—they don't necessarily stay where you put ...

Discover More

Adding Borders to Cell Contents

Word allows you to quickly add borders to cells in a table, but you may not know that you can also add borders to the ...

Discover More

Professional Development Guidance! Four world-class developers offer start-to-finish guidance for building powerful, robust, and secure applications with Excel. The authors show how to consistently make the right design decisions and make the most of Excel's powerful features. Check out Professional Excel Development today!

More ExcelTips (ribbon)

Sorting Serial Numbers by Their Trailing Characters

Sorting information in Excel is a common task. Sorting information that isn't in the primary order that you need can be a ...

Discover More

Sorting by Colors

Need to sort your data based on the color of the cell or the color of the text within the cell? Excel makes it easy to do ...

Discover More

Sorting by the Last Digits in Variable Length Data

Excel is great at sorting information in a worksheet. Sometimes it can be a bit confusing as to how to set up the sort ...

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.

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 2?

2021-02-12 00:20:52

Darryl Gebien

How can you remove blanks from a single column that contains both multiple images and blanks?

Thanks!


This Site

Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu 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.