How To Make Interactive Images In Ms Excel ?

It is possible to make an Interactive Images with MS Excel. This article gives you the detailed explanation about the Interactive Images and step by step instructions to make an Interactive Images in Excel.

What is Interactive Images in Excel

"Change of image by changing data in a particular Cell."

For Example, If I type Google in a Cell then google logo should appear. If I change the data from Google to Facebook, then the image also should change from Google Logo to Facebook Logo.

Options to be used

• Camera Option
• Data Validation
• Define Name

Formulas to be used

• Vlookup
• Indirect
• Concatenate (&)

How to add the Camera option to the Quick Access Toolbar

The below is calling as Quick Access Toolbar in MS Excel.

If we want to keep any option handy, then we can enable that option to the Quick Access Toolbar. So that instead of searching for the option from Main Menu, we can directly use from Quick Access Toolbar with single click.

Follow the below steps to add the Camera option to the Quick Access Toolbar

1. Go to File from Menu bar (for 2010 excel) or Go to Office Button (for 2007 excel)
2. Click Options (then Excel Options window opens)
3. Select Quick Access Toolbar from the left side bar
4. Choose All Commands from the drop down for Choose commands from:
5. Select Camera option from the list under All Commands
6. Click Add to add the Camera option to the Quick Access Toolbar
7. Click OK

Now, you can able to find the Camera option in the Quick Access Toolbar

Export the required Images to Excel

First of all, save all the images from web or from other source to your computer. So that we can insert these images in excel.

Follow the below steps to insert images into excel

1. Click Picture from the Illustrations group under Insert menu
2. Select the picture from the Computer
3. Follow steps 1 to 2 to export all the pictures from Computer to Excel (let say, you have exported 4 pictures of Google, Facebook, MSN and Twitter Logos)
4. Re size the width and height of all the pictures by dragging the edge of the picture
5. Move the 1^st Picture to the Cell A1, second picture to Cell A2, third picture to Cell A3 and last picture to Cell A4
6. Ensure that one pic should be fit in one cell, by adjusting the column width and row height of the respective Cells
7. Rename the sheet as Image List

Steps to make the Interactive Images

1. Go to the new worksheet (not workbook) and name it as “Interactive Image”
2. Go to A1 Cell
3. Click Data Validation from Data Tools group under Data menu
4. Select List from the Allow drop down in Settings Category
5. Type Google,Facebook,MSN,Twitter in Source box
6. Click OK
7. Enter the below data from G1 through H4 Cells

8. Use shortcut Ctrl+F3 (then name manager box appears)
9. Click New (then New Name window appears)
10. Type Name as "Image"
11. Enter the below formula in the Refers to box 
• =INDIRECT("Image!A"&VLOOKUP('Interactive Image'!$A$1,'Interactive Image'!$G$1:$H$4,2,0))
12. Click OK (then you returns to Name Manager window)
13. Click Close
14. Go to Cell G1
15. Click Camera option from the Quick Access Toolbar (then you get a cross symbol as cursor)
16. Drop that cross symbol somewhere in the visible Cell (then excel displays image showing G1 Cell content)
17. Change the formula to =image from =$G$1 (once you select the image you can find the formula in the formula bar)
18. Drag and drop the pic where ever it has to display

Now, you can change the data in A1 Cell then you can find changing the pic.

What is there in your mind? Have you tried the above steps. Share your experience that how it is working. Comment below.