Camera Images Print and Preview Incorrectly in Excel

SUMMARY

An image that has been created using the camera tool and then inserted into a separate sheet (different from the source) will become distorted when you print or preview the worksheet containing the image. The image will, however, display correctly on the screen. The distortion will occur after both sheets have been saved and closed, and only the worksheet that contains the image is reopened.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Problem

1. Enter numbers into cells A1:B5 in a new worksheet and save the worksheet.

2. Select cells A1:B5.

3. From the Toolbar, choose the camera tool.

4. Open a new worksheet and click a cell, or press ENTER on your keyboard, to paste the camera image. Save the new worksheet.

5. Close both worksheets.

6. Open the worksheet with the camera image and choose either OK or Cancel to update references.

7. From the File menu, choose Print or Print Preview.

Examples of distortion in a camera image are:

1. Cells become wider or higher.

2. Text grows two or three point sizes.

3. Numbers and words may be cut off in cells.

4. Graphics, charts, and text boxes grow in proportion to the enlarged cells.

Workaround

To prevent distortion of the image, open the source worksheet before opening the worksheet with the camera image.

The reason that this distortion occurs is that when an image is taken using the camera tool and then placed on a spreadsheet, it then becomes a linked picture. When a linked picture is displayed on the screen, Excel shows the picture based upon the screen display. When a linked picture is printed, Excel will change the picture of the linked region to match the sheet region of the original spreadsheet. (The sheet region does change slightly in appearance when printed.)

When a linked picture or camera image is placed on a worksheet and references a separate worksheet that has been closed and saved, Excel is unable to print or preview the picture correctly because the information from the source sheet is unavailable. Without this information, Excel will print the screen image of the picture. Because screen resolution and printer resolution are different, the picture will be distorted. Opening the supporting worksheet before opening the linked worksheet reestablishes the link, making the sheet region information available, and the image will then print and preview correctly.

REFERENCES

"Microsoft Excel User's Guide." Version 3.00, pages 72, 522, 525-526.