Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365. 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: Taking Pictures.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated March 21, 2022)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365
Excel allows you to capture "pictures" of your worksheets that you can use in other worksheets. This may sound odd, but it is quite helpful at times. You capture pictures by using the Camera tool. This tool is not available on the various Excel ribbons; you need to add it to the Quick Access toolbar using the techniques covered in other issues of ExcelTips.
With the Camera tool in place, follow these steps:
Now you can manipulate the picture the same as you would any other graphic—stretch it, resize it, crop it, move it, or whatever. The really cool thing, however, is that the picture is dynamic. This means that if you change the information in the original range (that you selected in step 1), then the information in the picture changes as well.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (8111) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Taking Pictures.
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2020-10-12 09:51:15
Nick From London
Dustin Yes
Crate a table
Put the Part Numbers in Column A in Numerical order and the pictures 1 per cell in Column B Put the Row No in C and any description in D
Highlight them all and give the range a name eg Parts
Use the Camera where you want the picture and photo one of the cells.
Create the following ranges with these Values
Range Name Value
PictureCell ="$B$" & FIXED((VLOOKUP(Part_No,Parts,3,-1)),0) *
PictureRef =INDIRECT(PictureCell)
Part_No cell with part no in it.
Parts as above
*You may need to put a sheet name in the definition of PictureCell range
Click on the Picture drawn with the Camera and change the Formula to "= PictureRef "
Then changing the Part No should change the picture.
Good Luck
(see Figure 1 below)
Figure 1. Print out of example sheet.
2020-10-11 18:49:23
Dustin in suburbs
Is there way to have a dynamic picture work in conjunction with vlookup.
I have a sheet that is used to make labels and pulls from a “DATA” sheet. I would like the picture to change based the reference cell. If I enter 159 in A4, cell f7 would display the picture for part 159 etc.
2020-10-01 08:13:28
Nick From London
Hi
The camera tool provides a picture of cells that changes when the content of the cell changes.
The picture content is a range so by editing it to a named range and as named ranges are formulae you can control what is being shown.
This is different from using Snip It or similar that takes a one time picture.
Hope this helps.
Nick
2020-10-01 08:12:22
Nick From London
Hi
The picture tool provides a picture of cells that changes when the content of the cell changes.
The picture content is a range so by editing it to a Named range and as named ranges are formulae you can control what is being shown.
This is different from using Snip It or similar that takes a one time picture.
Hope this helps.
Nick
2020-09-25 04:55:41
Kiwerry
Assign a macro:
After you have created a picture, the context menu for the picture includes the "Assign macro..." option, so that you can easily create a control which will run a macro and which will dynamically respond to changes in the source. Another advantage over using traditional buttons is that you don't have to change in and out of Design Mode to change it.
2018-03-29 05:46:18
Nick from Londom
I have used the camera tool with a table of different diagrams 1 per cell in a hidden worksheet. Then by manipulating the camera source range I can change the diagram depending on a value in a cell.
2018-03-27 08:22:15
Allen Cody
Also if the worksheet is password protected against changes the camera tool won't work. At least it didn't for me.
2018-03-26 05:08:21
Henry Arthur
Ben, I agree that 'Snippet' is easier if you want a fixed snapshot, but it doesn't take an interactive 'picture'. As Allen mentioned above, the picture is dynamic.
2018-03-24 12:57:17
Allen Cody
I do a lot of cutting and pasting of Excel worksheets and tables into MS Word. A simple technique is to highlight the area (cells) of the worksheet you want to paste into Word, then do a past option as a picture (metafile).
2018-03-24 09:38:34
Ben amer
Thank you for sharing,..
Can't we use Snippt Tool .. And bypass the all that steps?
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Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365. 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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