【Insert Shapes, Images and Icons in Excel】Detailed Guide ▷ 2022

When you are working with a Microsoft Excel spreadsheetyou can reinforce the information through that will allow the reader to have a better understanding of the data.

you will be able to choose shapes, icons and images as compatible graphic elements. The advantage of using them is that you will be able to edit them to suit your needs.

If you want to know how it is done, you will have to read this post until the last paragraph. We affirm this because We will show you when you can use one or the other element, as well as indicate all the aspects that you can edit of each one.

When is it best to insert a shape, icon, or image into a spreadsheet?

It will be convenient for you to use “Shapes” in a spreadsheet when you need to perform tasks that are related to flowcharts, organization charts or any other dynamics of data sequences. With these tools you can create your own customizations with quick and simple steps.

Instead, whenever you want have by default different types of drawings in which you will not be able to change the thickness of the outline or the color of the fill, as it happens with the “Shapes”you can use a “Icon” to represent ideas or draw the attention of the reader.

But if what you are looking for is have a layout that is not predetermined by Microsoft Excel and you want to expose any kind of Photographyyou will have to use the function “Insert images”. To which you can choose from the web or directly from your computer.

Formats of graphic elements in Excel What are all the changes I can make?

You can modify different aspects of the graphic elements that you can insert in Excel, which we will show you below:

Images

You can modify the following aspects of this type of element:

• You can remove the background of the parts you don’t want, as well as editing different areas to remove marks.
• you can also improve brightness, sharpness and contrast of the image so that it is more in line with the style you want to give it.
• Color is another of the points that you can Modifygetting better saturation and hue. In addition, you can color the picture with shades of different styles.
• If you prefer, you can use tools that they grant artistic effects so you can have a minimalist, old and blurry look, among others.
• In case you consider that the image is large, you can compress its size to fit the space of the document.
• Other things you can do is create your own style. For this you can generate different box types, lighting, 3D tilt, reflections, and many more designs.
• You can change the width, style and color of the borders of the image to establish an outline that is suitable with the document model that you have.
• In addition, you will be able to create different image designs using smart graphics so you can include them in your predefined styles.

icons

You can change some of these aspects of the icons:

• Enlarge or reduce its size. This will allow you to better fit the space what do you have for this graph.
• You will also have the possibility of modify their colors and orientation.

Shapes

With respect to this type of graph you can change these points:

• You will be able edit the shape so that it has a relation of its sides completely different from the original.
• you can also add textsthe fill color or directly delete it and edit the outline of the shape. With the latter you can remove it, change the thickness and color of the lines.
• the effects you can create with shapes will allow you to generate a sensation of shadow, reflection, internal illuminationsmooth edges and have an appearance in 3D.
• Another thing you can do is work with WordArt. So you can edit the outline, lighting, filling and color of the letters that you have incorporated into the figures.

Learn how to insert graphic elements in Excel like a pro

We will show you below the steps you must take to incorporate different graphic elements into a spreadsheet:

Images

In case you need to add an image in Excel, you will have to follow this guide:

• Select the menu “Insert”.
• In the group “Illustrations”click on the option “Images”.
• Choose if you want to obtain the graph from the device or through the tool “Pictures online…”. When you have found what you were looking for you will have to click on “Insert”.

Shapes

If what you are looking for is to insert shapes, you should do this step by step:

• When you have clicked on “Insert” you will find in the group of tools “Illustrations” the function “Shapes” so you will have to select it by clicking on it.
• you will see that pulled down a menu in which you will have to choose the figure you need. If you want to add more, you will have to repeat the steps.
• once you’ve finished and you want to write inside these shapesyou will have to right click and choose the function “Insert text”.
• For join the different pieces so that you can easily move them and edit their size, you must click on the tool “Group”. For this it will be necessary to press the right mouse button.
• In case you want change fill or outline colorwith the right click (once you have selected the shape) choose “Shape format…”. You should do the same if you need modify outline style.

icons

For insert an icon in a spreadsheet You must have Microsoft Excel 365.

We will show you the steps you must follow in this case:

• Go to the tab “Insert” and look for the group “Illustrations”.
• Click on the function “Icons”.
• you will find a window showing icons separated by categories. Choose the one that suits you.
• To finish click on “Insert”.