From Calvin & Hobbes to Photo Tagging: Excel’s Unexpected Image Capability

In Excel, using Visual Basic, you can change an image as you scroll. This makes it easy to look at each image and annotate it.

This is how I transcribed every Calvin & Hobbes.

I used this technique first when typing out the strips during my train rides from Bandra to Churchgate. I had an opportunity to re-apply it recently when we needed to tag hundreds of photographs based on a set of criteria.

Here’s how you can do this. Note: This works only on Windows.

STEP 1: Create a new Excel workbook and save it as an Excel macro-enabled workbook. (Note: When opening it again, you need to enable macros)

STEP 2: Open File > Options (Alt-F-T), go to Customize Ribbon. Under “Customize the Ribbon”, enable the “Developer” menu.

STEP 3: In Developer > Insert > ActiveX Controls, select Image and draw a rectangle from A1 to J10. (Resize it later.)

STEP 4: By default, this will be called Image1. In any case, note down the name from the Name box on the top left.

STEP 5: In cells A11 onwards, add paths to file names.

STEP 6: Click Developer > Visual Basic (Alt-F11), go to ThisWorkbook, and paste this code:

Option Explicit

Private Sub Workbook_SheetSelectionChange(ByVal Sh As Object, ByVal Target As Excel.Range)
    Dim img As String
    img = Sh.Cells(Target.Row, 1).Value
    If (img <> "" And img <> "file") Then ActiveSheet.Image1.Picture = LoadPicture(img)
End Sub

Replace ActiveSheet.Image1 with ActiveSheet.(whatever) based on your image name in Step 4.

STEP 7: Select Developer > Design Mode. Click on Image1. Then select Developer > Properties. In this panel, under PictureSizeMode, choose 3 - fmPictureSizeModeZoom to fit the picture.

Now scroll through the rows. The images will change.