How to Save MULTIPLE Excel Charts as Images

Exporting charts and graphs from Excel as image files can be incredibly useful. It allows you to easily insert high-resolution charts into reports, presentations, websites, and more.  In this post, we’ll cover multiple ways that you can save Excel charts as images.  While many of us use the convenient screenshot, for important presentations, you’ll want to use the highest quality images.

Why Save Excel Charts as Images?

Saving Excel charts as image files can make them much more versatile, shareable, and protected. For starters, by exporting charts as images, you gain the ability to seamlessly insert them into Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, and web pages while retaining full quality across platforms. Additionally, image formats have wider compatibility across different email clients compared to Excel file formats. This makes it easier to share charts through email.

Furthermore, image charts can be used in non-Office applications that don’t allow Excel embedding. Transitioning to sharing benefits, image sizes are smaller than Excel sheets, enabling easier online sharing without requiring recipients to have Excel.

Moreover, saving as an image protects the chart formatting from accidental changes that could occur if left as an Excel file. Finally, with the ability to edit charts in graphics editors like Photoshop, images provide more flexibility for enhancing Excel visualizations outside of spreadsheets. In summary, the versatility and shareability of charts can be greatly improved by saving Excel charts as images.

How to Save an Excel Chart as PNG, JPG, GIF, PDF

Excel provides built-in options to save charts as images. Here are the steps:

1. Create your chart in Excel as usual. Select and format it how you want.
2. With your chart selected, right-click and “Save as Picture…”
3. Choose the format and location.

And that’s it! Your Excel chart is exported and saved as an image file.

The image resolution will be high quality. You can set the exact dimensions (in pixels) before exporting in the export dialog box.

But, what if you have multiple charts to export to images?

How to Export Multiple Charts to Images Easily with Macabacus

If you work with Excel charts frequently, the add-in makes exporting them as images much easier. With Macabacus installed, you can:

1. Select multiple charts at once
2. Navigate to the Macabacus Ribbon
3. Click Charts > “Save Chart as Picture” to export all of them

Watch This Video on Saving Charts With Macabacus

Key Benefits of Saving Images with Macabacus

• Export unlimited charts in just a few clicks.
• Charts are automatically named sequentially for the organization.
• Works for all chart types and retains full formatting.
• Saves tons of time vs. exporting individually.
• Perfect when you have dozens of charts to export on a model.

For frequent Excel users working with many charts, Macabacus can save hours of time and effort exporting charts as images. It’s a highly useful tool for automating the process.

Additional Options to Save Charts as Images

Here are some other options/tips for saving Excel charts as images:

• Copy (Ctrl+C) the chart and paste (Ctrl+V) into a graphics editor to save as an image file.
• Use VBA macros to automate exporting charts as pictures.
• Adjust image resolution before exporting – higher for printing, lower for web.
• Instead of static images, save/export as an interactive HTML file to retain chart functionality.
• Export the chart alone, or export with surrounding worksheet data.

Image Format Definitions

When saving Excel charts as images, which file format should you use? Here’s an overview:

• PNG: Great all-purpose choice. Supports transparency. No loss of quality. Best for print or high-resolution digital use.
• JPG: Useful for photos or complex charts. Smaller file sizes than PNG, but some quality loss is possible. Many times, you can find a balance and get a serviceable resolution with a smaller file size.
• GIF: For simple charts with limited colors/gradients. Small files. Note animated GIFs are not supported.
• BMP: Large, uncompressed files. Quality similar to PNG but larger file size.
• TIFF: Lossless compression. Very large high-quality files. More for professional printing use.

So, in summary, PNG and JPG are the most common and useful formats for Excel charts as images. PNG gives the best quality, while JPG is better for file size reduction.

Tips for Exporting Quality Excel Charts

Garbage in, garbage out. Follow these tips to get the highest quality charts when exporting:

• Refine and format your Excel chart before exporting – colors, labels, plot area, font sizes, etc.
• Check the image resolution or dimensions. Increase for printing quality.
• For JPGs, use higher quality settings, e.g., 90%+ to minimize compression artifacts.
• Know the difference between raster vs vector formats. Raster (PNG, JPG) is better for Excel charts.
• Avoid compressing images multiple times. Export once from Excel at maximum quality.
• If editing in another program, save a copy in Excel format first to retain vector data.
• Ensure your chart colors/gradients/textures are optimized for the output format.
• Check out the image on both screen and in print. Printed output may look different.

Following these tips will give you print-ready Excel charts when exporting and get the most out of Excel’s image-saving capabilities.

Saving your Excel charts and graphs as images is simple and offers many benefits for sharing and using your charts outside of Excel.  The built-in Export feature provides an easy way to save charts in standard image formats like PNG, JPG, and more while retaining full quality.  For frequent Excel chart users, tools like Macabacus can automate exporting multiple charts as images with just a few clicks.

Try Macabacus for free and export multiple charts as high-resolution images today.