Creating Shapes, Graphics, Illustrations - Part 1

Although Excel is not designed as a comprehensive graphic design tool, we can create in Excel all kinds of shapes/illustrations, actually without limits. There are many ways to do that, and the main methods are:

• Obviously - charts: while primarily used for data visualization, the charting capabilities of Excel can be utilized to create simple illustrations. By manipulating the data  (applying various conditional formatting rules) and using other formatting options, you can create visually appealing illustrations within the charting framework.
• Inserting predefined shapes: Excel provides a variety of predefined shapes that you can insert from the "Insert" tab on the ribbon. These shapes include rectangles, circles, arrows, lines, and more. They can be customized in terms of size, color, rotation, and other formatting options.
• Using drawing tools (to draw shapes): Excel allows you to draw custom shapes using the "Shapes" tool. You can choose from different shapes, such as polygons, curves, and freeform shapes. By selecting the "Draw" option, you can manually create the desired shape by clicking and dragging on the worksheet.
• Using SmartArt: this feature feature allows you to create diagrams, flowcharts, and other visual representations. SmartArt provides a variety of predefined layouts and styles, making it easy to create professionally-looking illustrations. You can access SmartArt through the "Insert" tab as well.
  
• Combining shapes: Excel also enables you to combine multiple shapes to create new ones. This can be done by selecting the desired shapes, right-clicking, and choosing the "Group" or "Combine Shapes" option.
• Editing shapes: Once a shape is created, you can further customize it by resizing, rotating, or changing its fill color, outline color, and other formatting options. This can be done by selecting the shape and using the available formatting tools.
• In addition, the Lasso Select tool is now available in Excel. This technique allows you to select non-contiguous cells or objects in Excel.

The following examples give some idea of how you can use these methods to design various graphic solutions and what you can create using Excel tools.

 

 

PhotoShow: Looping through images in a folder

There are occasions when you'd like to demonstrate your photos or other images on your computer screen, in a continuous display, each one for predetermined number of seconds, or whatever time span you choose.

This can be quite easily accomplished (automated) with the following VBA macro:

Sub ImageShow()
'Displays images located in a folder on your computer for predetermined times
Dim myFolder As String, myFile As String
Dim imgPath As String
ActiveWindow.DisplayHeadings = False
Application.DisplayScrollBars = False
ActiveWindow.DisplayGridlines = False
ActiveWindow.DisplayWorkbookTabs = False
Application.DisplayFullScreen = True
Application.DisplayStatusBar = False
Range("A1").Select
'Select your folder (with photos/images only)
MsgBox "Please select your folder with photos/images"
With Application.FileDialog(msoFileDialogFolderPicker)
    .AllowMultiSelect = False
    .Show
    myFolder = .SelectedItems(1)
End With
myFile = Dir(myFolder & "\", vbReadOnly)
Do
    imgPath = myFolder & "\" & myFile
    'Open consecutively each image in the selected folder
    ActiveSheet.Shapes.AddPicture Filename:=imgPath, LinkToFile:=msoFalse, _
        SaveWithDocument:=msoTrue, Left:=ActiveCell.Left, Top:=ActiveCell.Top, Width:=-1, Height:=-1
    ActiveSheet.Pictures.Select     'Resize the image to fit screen size
        With Selection
            .ShapeRange.LockAspectRatio = msoTrue
            .ShapeRange.Height = 725    'Change the height to fit your screen size
        End With
    Application.Wait (Now + TimeValue("00:00:05"))
    Range("AA5").Value = myFile        'Change the range if needed for visibility
    DoEvents
    Selection.Delete    'Delete displayed image
    myFile = Dir
    If myFile = "" Then Application.Wait (Now + TimeValue("00:00:05")): Exit Do
Loop While myFile <> ""
Application.DisplayStatusBar = True
ActiveWindow.DisplayHeadings = True
Application.DisplayScrollBars = True
ActiveWindow.DisplayGridlines = True
ActiveWindow.DisplayWorkbookTabs = True
Application.DisplayFullScreen = False
Range("AA5").Value = ""     'Change the range to match the location set above
End Sub

Printing multiple workbook ranges on one page

Sometimes we may need to print couple of areas located in separate ranges of our worksheet or on different worksheets in our workbook. The reason? This way we could simply save couple of paper sheets. Also, such combining of separate ranges on one page might be useful, or even necessary, for comparison / presentation purposes, etc.

So, how could we do that?

The easiest way, I'm using, is to employ the Excel Camera tool. The tool might not be available by default on your Quick Access Excel toolbar (top-left corner). If so, you can add it there by choosing Toolbar>Customize>More Commands...  Scroll through the list of Commands to find Camera and drag it to the toolbar. From now on it'll be always ready for you to use.

 
Here's how to use it, e.g. for printing: