Heeeeelllpppp!! Excel Problem

Stumpy

This has been driving me crazy on and off for months.

I'm trying to do a basic spreadsheet, with a watermark/graphic BEHIND the text. Is it possible? I know how to do it in Word, and I suppose I could create the document in Word - but then I'd have to use a calculator or work out how to use Word's weird table adding up thing.

The furthest I have got is being able to get it behind "WordArt", I'm assuming because then that is classed as a graphic too - if there is just my one graphic plus a whole load of text, it just ignores me when I tell it to put the graphic "to the back".

NellyLock

you can have an excel table (with all the excelly goodness) in word instead of the word table,
->insert -> object ->microsoft excel worksheet.

not the optimum soln but a start...

NellyLock

as a follow up...this *may* help

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP012138021033.aspx

neil

Stumpy

Thanks for the advice. Unfortunately, I'm a bit behind the times and using Excel 2000, which doesn't have the option to put pictures in headers and footers.

I tried the Word thing before, although had another go and was a little more successful - using an existing Excel file rather than starting one from scratch, which seemed easier. I could, after much mucking about, get a watermark onto it, but it seems an awful lot of hassle. Its for a statement of work done, which I keep track of in excel - so I copy and type out the statement in an excel sheet, then "print" using a pdf printer, then e-mail out. Using the Word method just makes it even more complicated, so I might just have to rethink the layout. Ho hum!

(although I did seriously consider buying a new "student" pack of Office - about £90 - as I have a school aged son - do you know if this is exactly the same as a "normal" version?)

NellyLock

i am almost certain they are the same. (student office and normal) what "pdf printer" do u use? perhaps that can put the watermark on for you

Stumpy

NellyLock wrote:

i am almost certain they are the same. (student office and normal) what "pdf printer" do u use? perhaps that can put the watermark on for you

Its the adobe one - came bundled with some photo editing package, although I have also tried the cutepdf one, as it was free, and a friend wanted a pdf printer too. Did have a look at the adobe one and couldn't see any watermark option - there is on my regular printer driver, but nothing on there.

Didn't notice anything on the cutepdf driver, but then I wasn't really checking it out for that!

Mattjimf

You have to inport the image into excel, then using the image toolbar you can make it a watermark. see here

Stumpy

Mattjimf wrote:

You have to inport the image into excel, then using the image toolbar you can make it a watermark. see here

Yes - I've got as far as importing an image and watermarking it, the problem is, trying to get it behind text - if I pull the image onto the parts of the spreadsheet with text on, it covers it. I can use the options in "Order", ie, "send to back", etc, but they don't seem to work with normal bog-standard text, only with other graphics, such as WordArt.

Mattjimf

Sorry, try format > sheet > background. That should allow you to choose an image to set as the background for the sheet. I hope that it's a feature that they have in 2000.

Stumpy

Haha!! That works. Now I've just got to get the position right for the background image, but that's obviously the way to do it!! Thanks.