Locking the Size of Pictures in Comments

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated May 13, 2024)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016


1

Jamie routinely places pictures in comments. He then sizes the pictures so they are just like he needs. However, if Jamie later adds or deletes cells, rows, or columns near the cell to which the comment is anchored, all of a sudden the picture is huge, often 10 to 40 times the original size. He wonders if there is a way to lock the size of a picture placed into a comment.

There are a few things you can try. First, you can change the properties of the comment in the following manner:

  1. If the comment is not normally visible, right-click the cell and choose Edit Comment from the resulting Context menu.
  2. Right-click on the comment border. (Make sure you are actually right-clicking the border, not the contents of the cell itself. You can tell if you will be right-clicking the border because the mouse pointer will look like a four-headed arrow when you are hovering over the border.)
  3. Choose Format Comment from the Context menu. Excel displays the Format Comment dialog box.
  4. Make sure the Properties tab is displayed. (See Figure 1.)
  5. Figure 1. The Properties tab of the Format Comment dialog box.

  6. Make sure the Don't Move or Size with Cells option is not selected.
  7. Click on OK.
  8. Repeat steps 1 through 6 for all the comments that contain pictures.

A better solution might be to edit the pictures that you are placing into the comments. Chances are good that the size of the images is reverting to their original size. You can edit the images (using a program other than Excel) to get the pictures to the size you want. Then, insert them back into the comments. This has the added advantage of making your workbook size smaller than it was before. (Graphics—especially large graphics—can increase the size of your workbook files very quickly.)

A third option is to forego the comment route all together. Instead, use text boxes to insert images into your workbook. This approach keeps the picture dependent on the textbox size instead of the more malleable comment.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (13444) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016.

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

Resetting All Shortcut Keys

At some point you might want to wipe out all the custom shortcut keys you've created in Word. This is easy to do by ...

Discover More

Changing Chart Size

Place a chart on a worksheet and you may not be satisfied with its size. Changing the size of a chart is a simple process ...

Discover More

Sequentially Numbered Labels

A common task in Word is to create labels. This tip presents two approaches you can use when you need to create labels ...

Discover More

Dive Deep into Macros! Make Excel do things you thought were impossible, discover techniques you won't find anywhere else, and create powerful automated reports. Bill Jelen and Tracy Syrstad help you instantly visualize information to make it actionable. You’ll find step-by-step instructions, real-world case studies, and 50 workbooks packed with examples and solutions. Check out Microsoft Excel 2019 VBA and Macros today!

More ExcelTips (ribbon)

Copying Comments to Cells

Need to copy whatever is in a comment (a "note") into a cell on your worksheet? If you have lots of comments, manually ...

Discover More

Static Sizes for Comment Boxes

Adding comments to your worksheet can be helpful in documenting what the worksheet contains. If you want to make sure ...

Discover More

Adjusting Comment Printouts

Need to print out comments, but in a way that you control what is included in the printout? Here's a way you can extract ...

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 5 - 0?

2018-10-23 17:02:10

Pat Hughes

How do you add pictures to the comment?
What I'm really looking for is how to format the printed comment page before you print it. There is too much space between comments. I want to lessen the space like in a paragraphs option. Is there a way to change the way the comments page looks?


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.