How to copy & paste excel charts to Words as Windows Metafile

[Guest]

hi all,

Office 2003 SP1, Windows XP Pro SP2,

i have created some charts in excel worksheets. what i want to do is to copy
and paste the chart into my Word document. additionally, i want to paste it
as a Windows Metafile picture not as MS Office Drawing Object or Picture
(Enhanced Metafile).

now, i seem to only be able to get (in Word) Edit -> Paste Special ->
Picture (Windows Metafile) option if i had selected (and copied) at least
two or more charts to be pasted in the Word document. had i only selected a
single chart then the only option available to me is Edit -> Paste Special ->
Picture (Enhanced Metafile) or MS Office Drawing Object. the problem with
having to copy multiple charts is i have then have to crop them in the word
document.

can anyone explain to me why is the particular behaviour and whether there
is a work-around this? any advice, help and information is appreciated.

thank you,
jes

 

[Jon Peltier]

Here's the best way to do what you want. Select the chart in Excel. Hold
Shift while selecting Copy Picture from the Edit menu (Shift changes Copy to
Copy Picture). Select the On Screen and Picture options. Switch to Word, and
do a normal paste.

- Jon
-------
Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP
Peltier Technical Services
Tutorials and Custom Solutions
http://PeltierTech.com/
_______

 

[Guest]

Thank you Jon for your suggestions. Your suggestion did bring the menu Edit
-> Paste Special -> Picture (Window Metafile) option in Word but when pasted
the picture was pasted (and behave) as if it was pasted as Picture (Enhanced
Metafile) option. What I wanted to achieve was a 'floating' picutre in the
Word document rather than a picture that was 'forced' located onto the
sentence line (you know the one with the 'reverse' P mark when Hide/Reveal
codes was swtiched on) when pasted.

Like I said previously, if I has selected two or more charts, there appear
to be no problem but if only one chart was selected, pasting as Picture
(Window Metafile) option seems to be unavailable. Is this a bug or just the
way it is or I am not doing it right yet?

Would therefore appreciate any further advice/information. Again, thank you.

jes

 

[Andy Pope]

Hi,

Try selecting the chart with the shift key down. Such that the sizing
handles around the chart are white circles instead on black squares. In
fact like when you select multiple objects. Now do simple cut and Paste
special in Word. This what you are after?

Cheers
Andy

 

[Jon Peltier]

Most people prefer pasting the picture inline, but you have different
requirements.

Anyway, now you have to change it from an inline object to a floating object
in Word. Select the picture of the chart (in Word), then from the Format
menu, choose Picture. Click on the Layout tab, and pick the option that
matches how you want the picture to float, and how text should wrap around
it. Click on the Advanced button to get more options.

- Jon
-------
Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP
Peltier Technical Services
Tutorials and Custom Solutions
http://PeltierTech.com/
_______

 

[Guest]

Thank you to Andy and Jon for the replies.

Andy your suggestion worked as I wanted it to work. Don't know why MS did it
such a way that if I want to copy just the one chart, I have to hold the
shift key to effect what I wanted. I would have reported this to MS if I know
how - maybe they can remedy this.

I have two further questions that I would like to ask but one of it is not
directly related to the topic - however I could not find the exact avenue to
address it to.

1. (Related to my question/topic) What would be the technical term or
explanation to what I am trying to do (copying the chart with the white
handlers) and why the difference between the handling when the handlers
around the perimeter of the charts is either white circles or black small
squares?

2. (Unrelated to my question/topic) When I click the link from my
notification (when there was a reply) email from this newsgroup, sometimes it
gets me directly to the reply but other times the link only gets me to the
start of the newsgroup, from which I have to then look for my postings. Would
anyone be able to explain why this is the case? If this question better
posted elsewhere, I would appreciate suggestion of a suitable newsgroup.

Thank you once again. Look forward to receiving responses.

jes

 

[Jon Peltier]

1. When you select the chart such that the black handles are evident, you
have selected the chart area or another chart element. When you select it so
that the white handles are visible, you have selected the ChartObject, which
is the container which holds an embedded chart.

2. You're using the MS web interface for the newsgroup. I have no idea how
this works, nor how its notifications work. Many participants in these
newsgroups use an NNTP interface, such as Outlook Express, which is logged
into the news server msnews.microsoft.com.

- Jon
-------
Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP
Peltier Technical Services
Tutorials and Custom Solutions
http://PeltierTech.com/
_______

 

[Guest]

Thank you Jon for your information regarding chart element and object.

On this occasion, the link took me straight to this posting. The
inconsistency baffled me but something that I just have to live it. Despite
anti-virus, firewall and regular back-ups, I found web email to be
indispensable as another layer of protection, the inconvenience of which I am
willing to put up in return for security. So I do not use Outlook express or
MS Outlook or any other client emails.

Thank you anyway for your help and additional information.

jes