Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. 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: Sending Drawing Objects to the Back or Front.
When you create objects in Excel using the Shapes tool on the Insert tab of the ribbon, each object is drawn on its own layer. This means all objects are independent and can be moved on top of other objects. However, there may be times when you actually want an object to be under another object. You can do this by following these steps:
You can do the same sort of arrangement by choosing Bring Forward instead of Send Backward or Bring to Front instead of Send to Back (Excel 2007). Excel will move an item which may be behind others so that it overlays the others.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (7736) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Sending Drawing Objects to the Back or Front.
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2021-11-26 12:31:26
Tomek
@Steve:
It does work with pdf objects, both displayed as an icon and as a picture. At least in Excel in MS365 under Win10 it does. You can put pdf or other objects in front or behind a pdf object, but you cannot put any objects behind cells contents.
@Brad:
In contrast to Word, Excel doesn't allow text wrapping around the object, and therefore there is no setting to have the object behind text. The closest you can get to this is to set the object to be semitransparent.
2021-11-24 05:02:47
Brad
I would like to send the shapes behind the text in an excel document, so i can still utilise the cell contents rather than typing directly into the shape. Is this possible?
2017-11-27 14:50:33
Steve
Does not work for PDF objects.
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Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. 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: 
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