Follow along with me as I show you how to insert a photo in Excel using simple and proven methods.

Microsoft Excel isn’t only for data. It can easily accommodate photographs and images so you can make your data analytics reports or databases meaningful. There are many formatting options you can use to make it even more useful for storing large amounts of photographs for archiving purposes. However, you must know all the ways and modifications you can make when inserting an image file. This will enable you to make the best use of this Microsoft Excel feature. Let’s get started!

Insert from the Ribbon Menu

The Pictures tool in Excel’s Insert menu allows users to add images to their worksheets for better visualization. It provides options to insert images from a file, stock images, or online sources like Bing Search. Technically, inserted images are objects that can be resized, moved, or formatted without affecting cell contents. You’ll find it easy to use because images can be dragged, resized, and styled with just a few clicks.

Place in Cell

Open Excel and select the worksheet where you want to insert a photo. Ensure the destination worksheet is active.

Click on the Insert tab in the ribbon at the top of the Excel window.

Select the Pictures option in the Illustrations group to open a menu for Place in Cell and Place Over Cells options. Click on Place in Cell.

Finalize the source of your image by selecting This Device (to upload from your computer), Stock Images (built-in images), Mobile Device (import images from linked mobile), or Online Pictures (search and insert from the web).

Browse for your image file if selecting This Device. Select the source image and press the Insert button.

Wait for the image to appear in your worksheet at its default position and size, usually over the grid cells.

Your image will now be inside the selected cell, meaning it moves and resizes automatically if you adjust the cell’s size.

Resize the cell if needed to fit the image properly by adjusting row height and column width.

Save your workbook to keep the inserted image by pressing Ctrl + S.

Place Over Cells

Navigate to the Insert tab on the ribbon to access options for adding photographs to your worksheet.

Click Pictures in the Illustrations group, which opens a dropdown menu with two options. Hover the mouse over the Place over Cells option.

Choose where to get your image from by selecting This Device, Stock Images, Online Pictures, and Mobile Device.

Locate and select your image file if uploading from your device. Then click Insert to place it in the worksheet.

The image will appear floating over the cells. The photo object doesn’t get locked inside a particular cell.

Drag the image to reposition it anywhere on the worksheet without affecting cell content or structure.

Resize the image if necessary by clicking and dragging its corners to make it fit your layout.

Apply formatting options if needed by using the Picture Format tab to add borders, effects, or adjustments.

Save the work by pressing Ctrl + S.

Copy and Paste

If the photo you want to insert is in a Word or PowerPoint document, you can copy and paste the file into an Excel worksheet.

Open the source file, like a Microsoft Word document containing images from which you wish to import one or more to an Excel worksheet.

Click on the image you wish to copy. Press Ctrl + C to copy the content.

Go to the destination worksheet in an Excel workbook, select a cell as the destination, and press Ctrl + V to paste the image file.

Excel will insert the photograph instantly.

You can apply this method to other apps, like Outlook, web browsers, etc.

Using Shapes or SmartArt

The Picture option in Excel’s SmartArt Graphic library helps you to create visually appealing diagrams with images. It provides different layouts, such as Picture Lists and Picture Hierarchies, to organize images with text. Technically, SmartArt automatically arranges pictures inside shapes while keeping them linked to structured diagram elements. You might find it easy because SmartArt can help you add, replace, and resize pictures without manually adjusting the entire layout.

You can create a functional database of pictures containing names and features using this method. Let me walk you through below.

Go to the destination worksheet and click on the Insert tab on the Excel ribbon menu.

Select the SmartArt command inside the Illustrations block.

The Choose a SmartArt Graphic dialog box will open.

Click on the Picture option in the left-side navigation panel.

On the right side, you’ll see 36 image placeholders as SmartArt objects. These are templates you can use.

Select a template, like Circular Picture Callout, and click OK to insert it into the worksheet.

Drag and drop the SmartArt object to change its position.

Now, double-click on the photograph icon in the SmartArt image placeholder to open the Insert Pcitures dialog box.

You can choose from options like From File, Stock Images, Online Pictures, and From Icons.

If you select From File, you can upload an image file from the local storage. Select the source image file and click on the Insert button.

Excel will adjust the inserted image within the SmartArt object.

You can go on and add other three photographs for this SmartArt object.

Use the Type your text here navigation panel showing up on the left or right side of the object to add metadata to the image for referring or archiving purposes.

Save the workbook by pressing Ctrl + S keys together.

Link to an Image File

Sometimes, you may want to simply insert a link to a photograph in Excel if you wish to reduce the Excel file size. You can add many image links in one Excel workbook which can act as an image catalog.

The image file can be linked from the local or networked storage in a PC. Alternatively, you can add an online link or hyperlink to a photograph hosted elsewhere on a website.

To use this method, open the destination worksheet and click on the Object command in the Insert tab of the Excel ribbon menu.

The Object dialog box will open.

Navigate to the Create from file tab.

Click on the Browse button and select a photograph from the local or network storage.

Select OK on the Object dialog box to set up the object link.

An image thumbnail similar to Windows will show up on the Excel worksheet.

You can now repeat these steps to add more image links.

Double-click on any of the image object links to open the photograph using the default image viewer of your PC, like the Photos app.

Using the Bitmap Image Object

Sometimes, you might want to import photographs directly from a scanner or digital camera connected to your PC. In that case, you can use the Bitmap Image Object option from the Insert menu. Let me show you how below:

Bring up the Object dialog box on the destination Excel worksheet by clicking the Object command in the Text block of the Insert tab.

Select the Bitmap Image option from the Create New tab.

Click OK to insert an image placeholder in the Excel worksheet. In parallel, the Windows Paint app will also open.

Select the File menu in the Windows Paint app and click on the From scanner or camera option.

Follow on-screen instructions to import photographs from the scanner or digital camera synced with your PC.

The photographs will open on the Windows Paint app and also in the image placeholder on the Excel worksheet.

Conclusions

So these are some of the tried and tested methods that you can use to insert photographs in an Excel worksheet.

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