Creating Graphical Comment Boxes

Microsoft Excel contains a useful feature for allowing users to add a comment to a spreadsheet cell, which can be used to provide instructions to other people who may use the sheet. Cells with comments are denoted with a small red triangle in the top right corner, which then displays the comments box when the mouse is hovered over it.

It’s an often asked question, “How can I have a picture instead of text?”

To add a simple text comment, it’s just a matter of right clicking a cell and selecting the option ‘Insert Comment’, having a graphic as cell comment, or as the background to a comment cell requires a little more work.

To create a graphical comment in your spreadsheet, first right click the cell requiring the comment as usual, and select ‘Insert Comment’

When you see the ‘Edit Comment’ box appear as shown above, right click on the shaded area and select the option ‘Format Comment’.

Next click on the tab labelled ‘Colours and Lines’

Under the ‘Fill’ section select the drop down box for colour selection, and click on ‘Fill Effects’, in the next dialog you will see a tab marked ‘Picture’, select this.

You are now presented with a simple dialog that will allow you to select a picture from a drive, along with a couple of self explanatory options.

Once you have selected your picture, you can return to the main Excel Worksheet, and edit any text that you would like displayed over the top of your graphic.