# Microsoft Office Application Help - Excel Help forum > Excel General >  >  Background image in single or multiple cells

## OptionTrader

I know you can set a background image for an entire sheet, but can you set a background image to cover only a selection of cells, say A1:D4 ?

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## teylyn

Hi, I don't think you can do that (AFAIK). 

With the end user in mind, it may be a good idea to keep the sheet free of eye candy and limit graphics to a minimum, like a logo or some such. For me, personally, any graphic as background to cells would be too distracting.

White space rules!!  :Smilie:

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## OptionTrader

Hi Teylyn

I'd normally agree that white space rules, but the background image in this case is a map. It's so that we can identify customers location using conditional formatting in each cell.

Anyone else agree that background images can't be used across selected cells only ?

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## teylyn

Weelll... in that case, why don't you use the map as the background for the sheet and hide the rows and columns where the background image would repeat because of tiling (I have not found anywhere to switch off image tiling in sheet backgrounds).

Of course that would only work if you don't need any other rows or columns before or after the map.

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## OptionTrader

That's what I'll have to do, unless someone knows different....

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## martindwilson

why not insert it in a comment? then it will pop up when cell hovered over
insert/comment
right click border of comment(not inside it)
format comment
colours and lines tab
from the fill colours dropdown choose
fill effects
click picture tab
select picture button
brows to image
click ok
youll get aalist of file types pick yours
click ok
click ok
then hide comment.
note for some reason (at least in excel version im working with) it doesnt like gif but jpeg and bmp work ok

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## OptionTrader

> why not insert it in a comment? then it will pop up when cell hovered over



Trouble is you then see the picture (comment) or the cells, but not both at the same time as you can when using a background picture.

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## martindwilson

why do you need to see both at the same time? its not as if a goldfish is using the worksheet is it?

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## akshay_kkohli

•	Select the Cell where you want to make the Background.
•	Click "Insert" and insert a rectangular Shape in that location.
•	Right click on the shape - select "Format Shape"
•	Goto "Fill" and select "Picture or texture fill"
•	Goto “Insert from File” option
•	Select the picture you want to make water-mark
•	Picture will appear at the place of rectangular shape
•	Now click on the picture “right click” and select Format Picture
•	Goto “Fill” and increase the transparency as required to look it like a “Water Mark” or light beckground
•	This will get printed also.

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## Jean Benoit

Hello , try this . Go to a selected cell,then to
1.  insert - picture
2. select the folder in which your picture is and add it to the excel sheet.
3. resize the picture to fit in the selected cell.
4. Right-click on the picture and go to Format picture
5. On the picture tab there you play with the brightness and contrast to obtain the correct format you wish as a background for the selected cell. When you are finished you click on close.
6. Next go to insert - text box and click in the selected cell where you inserted the formatted picture as background.
7. You then type your text and save. 
8. You repeat the process for other cells.

Hope this helped.

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## innkeeper9

EXCEL 2007 - I know this is on older post, but I just wanted to say thank you, and add some information, as I have search for days to 
find out how to do something that allows people to see where the drop downs are but won't print. I tried this method and it 
works, AND you can keep these backgrounds from printing by selecting one of the cells and then using control to select each individual 
cell until all the ones with the background are selected, then go to Format on the Picture Tools menu and click on group and 
select Group. Once that is done, right click on one of the images and go to size and properties, click the Properties Tab and uncheck 
print object. That should set all the objects in the group to not print.  Thanks again for the info on putting a background in a cell.

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