How Do I Lock an Image to a Cell in Excel 2010

It’s very common for Microsoft Excel spreadsheets to contain images, but they don’t behave the same way as data when they are first inserted into a cell.

Images in Excel essentially exist on a layer above the spreadsheet and are not subject to the same rules that apply to a cell that only contains data.

For example, if you resize a row or a column, or if you cut and paste a row or column, the image will not move or travel as the cells that contain text or numbers will.

Fortunately, this is behavior that you can adjust, and it can be done by locking the image to a cell.

Once the image is locked to the cell it will resize appropriately if you adjust the size of the row or column, and it will move with the row or column if you cut and paste it to a new location.

How to Lock an Image in Excel 2010

You are going to have the option of setting the image so that it will either Move and size with cells or Move but don’t size with cells.

The Move and size with cells option will cause the image to automatically adjust its size as you adjust the size of the cell, but it will not resize if you select the Move but don’t size with cells option.

We are going to be selecting the option to have the image resize, but you can easily select the other option instead, if you prefer.

Step 1: Open the spreadsheet containing the image that you want to lock to your cell.

Step 2: Adjust the size of the cell containing the image so that the image fits entirely within the cell. Note that this isn’t technically necessary, but the image can be difficult to manage if you don’t do it, plus the cells that the image overlaps will not be visible.

resize the cell so that the image fits inside of it

Step 2: Right-click the image, then click the Size and Properties option on the shortcut menu, which will open a new Format Picture window.

open the format picture window

Step 3: Click the Properties option near the bottom of the column on the left side of the Format Picture window.

how to lock a picture to a cell in excel 2010

Step 4: Click the Move and size with cells option under Object Positioning near the top of the Format Picture window. Click the Close button at the bottom of the window to apply the changes and close the window.

select the mvoe and size with cells option

Now that you know how to lock an image to a cell in Excel 2010, you can make it easier to relocate images that you want aligned with other data in a particular row or column.

Are you having difficulty formatting your spreadsheet so that all of your columns fit on one page when it is printed? This article can show you a simple way to adjust the Excel print settings to fix the problem.

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