Let’s suppose you are reviewing a worksheet that contains multiple graphs. You are then assigned to convert them into an image file. So, how are you going to do it?
Luckily, there are several methods that can help you with converting your graphs into images. JPG is a common image format for this purpose, but it comes with a limitation – it’s not the ideal choice when you need a high-quality image. There’s a reason behind this – JPG files use the lossy file format. As a result, whenever you save your images in JPG, it loses some of its quality.
Therefore, a better option is to go for a lossless format, such as TIF or PNG whenever, you need your images in high quality. Also, do keep in mind that you can convert one image format to another image format, so you can easily have files in multiple formats and use them accordingly.
Types of Image Formats
You can store your images in a wide range of file formats. The four most common types of image formats are as follows.
TIFF (Tagged Image File Format)
TIFF produces images of large sizes. They are uncompressed and include a significant amount of image data. TIFFs are flexible due to a wide range of color variety, such as RGB, CMYK, and grayscale, as well as the content .i.e. image tags and layers.
TIFF format is mostly used in page layout software, such as InDesign and photo editing software like Photoshop.
JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group)
JPEG is used for image formatting. These images are compressed so they store information in small files. However, these files also reduce some image details. Hence, they aren’t considered suitable for line drawings. On the other hand, JPEG is heavily used for online platforms since it’s good for website optimization.
PNG (Portable Network Graphics)
PNG enables you to benefit from better compression and a versatile range of colors. It’s mostly used for website images. Although PNG files are larger in size than JPEG files, the former is well-known for higher quality.
GIF (Graphics Interchange Format)
GIF format is similar to JPEG as it also compresses images, but this compression is lossless. This means that image details aren’t lost when you use the GIF format. However, GIF is limited in terms of the color range. Due to this reason, it’s not used for photography.
How to Change a Graph into a Picture with Microsoft Office
One of the tools that you can use to convert your charts into images is Microsoft PowerPoint or Microsoft Word. The following steps can help you in this regard:
- Open Microsoft Excel and select the relevant chart.
- Press Ctrl + C or right-click the image to copy it to the Clipboard.
- Open Microsoft PowerPoint or Word.
- On the Home tab, find the Paste tool and click the down-arrow with it.
- Among the available options, pick Paste Special. A dialog box will appear.
- Pick JPEG picture or any other image format.
- Click OK to paste the image into the PowerPoint slide or the Word document.
- Right-click on your pasted image and select Save as Picture from the available options.
- Locate the controls in the dialog box to assign a filename or location.
- Save the image by clicking on Save.
How to Change a Graph into a Picture with Snipping Tool
Another tool you can use to turn your graphs into images is the Snipping Tool. It comes pre-installed with the Windows operating system. You can use it to make an image from anything that is displayed on your screen. This is advantageous because it allows you to obtain the chart at the screen’s full resolution.
If you want your chart in a larger version, all you need to is modify the zoom setting in Excel and then capture your chart with the Snipping Tool.
How to Change a Graph into a Picture with Adobe Acrobat
Other options include generating your chart’s PDF. If you have Adobe Acrobat in your PC, load the PDF file and then have it exported in the form of a JPG file. In this way, you can obtain a high-quality image, similar to your PDF file’s contents.
How to Change a Graph into a Picture with 3rd Party Software
In case you want to learn how to work with 3rdparty graphics software to convert your graph in an image, you can follow these steps.
- Open a graphics software, such as Adobe Photoshop or Paint.
- Open Microsoft Excel and view your chart.
- Right-click on the chart and copy your chart to the Clipboard by choosing Copy.
- Go back to the Graphics software.
- Paste the chart into your software by pressing Ctrl + V.
- Decide on an image format and save the image accordingly.
In case you need to create any graph, you can consider using Image-Charts. It’s a user-friendly tool that automates chart generation with a few clicks.
