# How to add a background image to only specific range of cells in excel (ok)

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### How to insert a printable background image in Excel?

Author: Xiaoyang Last Modified: 2020-06-04

When we insert a background with clicking **Background** button under **Page Layout** tab in Excel, the background is not printable, and you cannot view the background in print preview. Is it possible to print a background image in Excel? Yes, there is a special method to insert a printable background image in Excel.

[**Insert a printable background image in Excel with drawing a shape (8 steps)**](https://www.extendoffice.com/documents/excel/1056-excel-print-background.html#a1)

[**Insert a printable background image in Excel with Kutools for Excel (3 steps)**](https://www.extendoffice.com/documents/excel/1056-excel-print-background.html#a3)

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![arrow blue right bubble](https://cdn.extendoffice.com/images/stories/doc-word/arrow_blue_right_bubble.png) **Insert a printable background image in Excel with drawing a shape**

To finish this job, please do with the following steps one by one:

**1**. Click the **Insert** > **Shapes**, and select a rectangles shape, see the following screenshot:

![doc-insert-printable-image1](https://cdn.extendoffice.com/images/stories/doc-excel/insert-printable-image/doc-insert-printable-image1-1.png)

**2**. Draw a shape as large as you need in active worksheet.

**3**. The **Drawing Tools** is active now, please click the **Shape Fill** button and fill the shape with white.

![doc-insert-printable-image1](https://cdn.extendoffice.com/images/stories/doc-excel/insert-printable-image/doc-insert-printable-image2-2.png)

**4**. Click the **Shape Outline** button, and replace the outline color with white as well as following screenshot shown.

![doc-insert-printable-image1](https://cdn.extendoffice.com/images/stories/doc-excel/insert-printable-image/doc-insert-printable-image3-3.png)

**5**. Then right click the shape, and select the **Format Shape** item from the context menu.

![doc-insert-printable-image1](https://cdn.extendoffice.com/images/stories/doc-excel/insert-printable-image/doc-insert-printable-image4-4.png)

**6**. In the **Format Picture** dialog box in Excel 2010 or **Format Picture** pane in Excel 2013, please do the following operations:

| ![doc-insert-printable-image1](https://cdn.extendoffice.com/images/stories/doc-excel/insert-printable-image/doc-insert-printable-image5-5.png) | <p> <strong>In Excel 2010:</strong><br> (1.) Click <strong>Fill</strong> option from the left pane;<br><br> (2.) Select the <strong>Picture or texture fill</strong> option;<br><br> (3.) Click the <strong>File</strong> button to specify a image to fill this shape;<br><br> (4.) Check the <strong>Tile picture as texture</strong> option;<br><br> (5.) Change the <strong>Transparency</strong> to 75% as you need to<br> make the background image like watermark.</p>                                                |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| ![doc-insert-printable-image1](https://cdn.extendoffice.com/images/stories/doc-excel/insert-printable-image/doc-insert-printable-image6-6.png) | <p><strong>In Excel 2013 and later versions:</strong><br>(1.) Click <strong>Fill & Line</strong> button;<br><br>(2.) Under the <strong>Fill</strong> section:<br><br>   Select the <strong>Picture or texture fill</strong> option;<br><br>    Click the <strong>File</strong> button to specify a image to fill this shape;<br><br>   Check the <strong>Tile picture as texture</strong> option;<br><br>   Change the <strong>Transparency</strong> to 75% as you need to make<br> the background image like watermark.</p> |

**7**. In the same dialog, then do the following operations:

| ![doc-insert-printable-image1](https://cdn.extendoffice.com/images/stories/doc-excel/insert-printable-image/doc-insert-printable-image7-7.png) | <p><strong>In Excel 2010:</strong><br>(1.) Click <strong>Properties</strong> option at left bar;<br><br>(2.) Select the <strong>Move and size with cells</strong> option in <strong>Object</strong><br> <strong>positioning</strong> section;<br><br>(3.) Check the <strong>Print Object</strong> option.<br><br></p>     |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| ![doc-insert-printable-image1](https://cdn.extendoffice.com/images/stories/doc-excel/insert-printable-image/doc-insert-printable-image8-8.png) | <p><strong>In Excel 2013 and later versions:</strong><br>(1.) Click <strong>Size & Properties</strong> button;<br><br>(2.) Under the <strong>Properties</strong> section:<br><br>    Select the <strong>Move and size with cells</strong> option;<br><br>     Check the <strong>Print Object</strong> option.<br><br></p> |

**8**. Click **Close** button. Then the shape filled with pictures looks like a background image. What's more, it can be printed out when you print the active worksheet. See the following screenshot:

![doc-insert-printable-image6](https://cdn.extendoffice.com/images/stories/doc-excel/insert-printable-image/doc-insert-printable-image9-9.png)

**Note**: After inserting this background picture, you will not be allowed enter any text within the picture range.

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![arrow blue right bubble](https://cdn.extendoffice.com/images/stories/doc-word/arrow_blue_right_bubble.png) **Insert a printable background image in Excel with Kutools for Excel**

The above method has its own limit that you can’t enter any text after inserting the background image, but, if you have **Kutools for Excel**, with its **Insert Watermark** feature, you can quickly insert the image or text watermark which can be printable as well as you need.

After installing **Kutools for Excel**, please do as follows:

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**1**. Go to the worksheet which you want to insert the printable background image, and click **Kutools** > **Insert** > **Insert Watermark**, see screenshot:

![](https://cdn.extendoffice.com/images/stories/doc-excel/insert-printable-image/doc-insert-printable-image15-1.png)

**2**. In the **Insert Watermark** dialog box, select **Picture Watermark** option, and click **Select Picture** button to select a picture that you want to insert as printable background, and then, specify the image scale or formatting as you need, see screenshot:

![](https://cdn.extendoffice.com/images/stories/doc-excel/insert-printable-image/doc-insert-printable-image16-1.png)

**3**. Then click **Apply** or **Ok**, and the selected image has been inserted into the worksheet background, when you print it, the background image will be printed as well. See screenshot:

![doc-insert-printable-image17](https://cdn.extendoffice.com/images/stories/doc-excel/insert-printable-image/doc-insert-printable-image17-17.png)

**Notes:**

1\. After inserting the watermark background, you can also type the text into the worksheet.

2\. With this feature, you can also insert the text watermark as you need.

[**Download and free trial Kutools for Excel Now !**](https://www.extendoffice.com/download/kutools-for-excel.html)
