Copy from Excel into Powerpoint - picture changes

[Andrew Wood]

I have a problem in XP copying from Excel to Powerpoint.

I have run the same process of copying in Windows 2000
and it works but it fails when I try it in XP.
I copy a selection of Excel cells that includes a graph,
title & text boxes and copy into Powerpoint as a picture.
In Win 2000 I used the Paste Special, Picture option and
then resized the picture, no problems, it is a perfect
copy. In XP I used the Paste Special, Picture (both
windows and enhanced options), this then however changes
the layout of the copied in cells (the title, text boxes
and graph all move position slightly so that the
resultant picture has things in the wrong place), it
changes both the Powerpoint picture & the original Excel
is changed as well, even though all I have done is copy
from Excel to Powerpoint. The only solution in XP appears
to be to copy & paste as a Paste Special, Device
Independent Bitmap, the problem then is that the
granularity of the picture is not very detailed so the
numbers look fuzzy when you print them. The only proper
solution is to go back to using or borrowing a Windows
2000 PC.

Please let me know how to fix this problem, in theory
upgrading to XP should result in an improvement not a
step backwards in functionality !.

FYI I am using a brand new Dell Optiplex GX270 with a
Pentium 4 3.2ghz with 256mb RAM. I have installed XP
Version 2002 Service Pack 1, 5.1.2600 with MS Powerpoint
2003 (11.5529.5606) & Excel 2003 (11.5612.5606).

I look forward to your response

Andrew Wood

 

[Glen Millar]

Andrew,

I did some preliminary testing here. If I highlight cells and a chart in
Excel, and paste into PowerPoint, I get a resultant table which includes the
cells and a chart. But it is all a mess. Same if I just copy cells and paste
in PowerPoint. I didn't get any change in the source file, though.

I guess what is happening is you are getting a paste result that is based on
a table, and it is not satisfactory.

The solution may depend on your requirements. But first, when you paste, you
should get a little smart tag button appear near the pasted content in
PowerPoint. You can click it and change your resultant paste option. If you
paste a copied chart, you get it pasted as an Excel worksheet. You can hit
the button and also change that to a picture of the chart.

However, for both cells *and* a chart, I'd recommend personally one of two
options. One is to copy and paste link it into PowerPoint. But any changes
in Excel will update in PowerPoint. Else, as you have started to find out,
it may be better to paste special as an image. My preference is for some
sort of format like wmf or emf. These are not just bitmaps, but contain
vector information that you can regain by busting them up into objects (try
paste special of a chart...wmf, right click on the pasted chart, ungroup,
turn to drawing object and ungroup again).

Hope that helps.

--
Regards,

Glen Millar
Microsoft PPT MVP
http://www.powerpointworkbench.com/
Featured Presenter, PowerPoint Live 2004
October 10-13, San Diego CA
http://www.powerpointlive.com

 

[Michael Koerner]

You might try turning off under Tools | Auto Correct Options... | Autocorrect
as you type | remove the checkmark from Automatic layout for inserted objects.

--
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Michael Koerner [MS PPT MVP]


I have a problem in XP copying from Excel to Powerpoint.

I have run the same process of copying in Windows 2000
and it works but it fails when I try it in XP.
I copy a selection of Excel cells that includes a graph,
title & text boxes and copy into Powerpoint as a picture.
In Win 2000 I used the Paste Special, Picture option and
then resized the picture, no problems, it is a perfect
copy. In XP I used the Paste Special, Picture (both
windows and enhanced options), this then however changes
the layout of the copied in cells (the title, text boxes
and graph all move position slightly so that the
resultant picture has things in the wrong place), it
changes both the Powerpoint picture & the original Excel
is changed as well, even though all I have done is copy
from Excel to Powerpoint. The only solution in XP appears
to be to copy & paste as a Paste Special, Device
Independent Bitmap, the problem then is that the
granularity of the picture is not very detailed so the
numbers look fuzzy when you print them. The only proper
solution is to go back to using or borrowing a Windows
2000 PC.

Please let me know how to fix this problem, in theory
upgrading to XP should result in an improvement not a
step backwards in functionality !.

FYI I am using a brand new Dell Optiplex GX270 with a
Pentium 4 3.2ghz with 256mb RAM. I have installed XP
Version 2002 Service Pack 1, 5.1.2600 with MS Powerpoint
2003 (11.5529.5606) & Excel 2003 (11.5612.5606).

I look forward to your response

Andrew Wood