Chapter 23: Visualizing with Custom Number Formats and Shapes
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To insert a WordArt graphic on a worksheet, choose Insert ➪ Text ➪ WordArt and then
select a style from the gallery. Excel inserts an object with the placeholder text Your text
here. Replace that text with your own, resize it, and apply other formatting if you like.When you select a WordArt image, Excel displays its Drawing Tools contextual menu. Use
the controls to vary the look of your WordArt. Or, right-click and choose Format Shape to
use the task pane.Word Art consists of two components: the text and the shape that contains the text. The
Format Shape task pane has two headings (Shape Options and Text Options). The Ribbon
controls in the Drawing Tools ➪ Format ➪ Shape Styles group operate on the shape that
contains the text—not the text. To apply text formatting, use the controls in the Drawing
Tools ➪ Format ➪ WordArt Styles group. You can also use some of the standard formatting
controls on the Home tab or the Mini toolbar.Working with Other Graphics Types
Excel can import a variety of graphics into a worksheet. You have several choices:Inserting an image from your computer If the graphics image that you want to insert
is available in a file, you can easily import the file into your worksheet. Choose Insert ➪
Illustrations ➪ Pictures. The Insert Picture dialog box appears, allowing you to browse for
the file. Oddly, you can’t drag and drop an image into a worksheet, but you can drag an
image from your web browser and drop it into a worksheet.
Inserting an image from an online source Choose Insert ➪ Illustrations ➪ Online
Pictures. The Insert Pictures window appears, allowing you to search for an image.
Copying and pasting If an image is on the Windows Clipboard, you can paste it into a
worksheet by choosing Home ➪ Clipboard ➪ Paste (or by pressing Ctrl+V).About graphics files
Graphics files come in two main categories:Bitmap Bitmap images are made up of discrete dots. They usually look pretty good at
their original size but often lose clarity if you increase the size. Examples of common bit-
map file formats include BMP, PNG, JPEG, TIFF, and GIF.
Vector Vector-based images, on the other hand, are composed of points and paths that
are represented by mathematical equations, so they retain their crispness regardless of
their size. Examples of common vector file formats include CGM, WMF, and EPS.
You can find millions of graphics files free for the taking on the Internet. Be aware, how-
ever, that some graphics files have copyright restrictions.Using bitmap graphics in a worksheet can dramatically increase the size of your workbook.