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: Adding Graphics to a Header or Footer.

Adding Graphics to a Header or Footer

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated September 5, 2025)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021

When you are designing the header and footer for a worksheet, Excel allows you to add various special elements to your header or footer. You can even insert a picture into the header or footer. Just follow these steps:

  1. Display the Insert tab of the ribbon.
  2. Click the Header & Footer tool in the Text group. Excel displays the Design tab of the ribbon.
  3. Click either the Header or Footer tool depending on whether you want to affect the header or footer.
  4. Select the section of the header or footer (left, center, or right) in which you want your graphic to appear.
  5. Click on the Picture tool, in the Header & Filter Elements group on the Design tab of the ribbon. Excel displays the Insert Pictures dialog box.
  6. Use the controls in the dialog box to locate and select the graphic you want in the header or footer.
  7. Click on Insert. Excel places the graphic at the designated spot in the header or footer, displaying the code &[Picture] where the graphic will appear.
  8. Make other changes to the header or footer, as desired.
  9. Click somewhere outside the header or footer, in the main body of the worksheet.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (6219) 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: Adding Graphics to a Header or Footer.

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

Searching for Footnote and Endnote Marks

Do you want to quickly search for any footnote or endnote marks in your document? Word makes it easy using the standard ...

Discover More

Converting From Numbers to Text

If you have a range of numeric values in your worksheet, you may want to change them from numbers to text values. Here's ...

Discover More

Anchoring Comment Boxes in Desired Locations

Want your comment boxes to appear someplace other than the right side of a cell? You may be out of luck, and here's why.

Discover More

Excel Smarts for Beginners! Featuring the friendly and trusted For Dummies style, this popular guide shows beginners how to get up and running with Excel while also helping more experienced users get comfortable with the newest features. Check out Excel 2019 For Dummies today!

More ExcelTips (ribbon)

Dynamic Headers and Footers

Do you want to change the headers and footers that appear on different pages of your printout? Here's how you can get ...

Discover More

Full-Width Headers and Footers in Excel

Excel allows you to create headers and footers. In this tip you discover that the headers and footers in Excel may not be ...

Discover More

Changing Section Headers

Add subtotals to a worksheet and you can instruct Excel to start each new subtotal section on a new printed page. You may ...

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 four more than 9?

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 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.

Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2026 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.