How to Download a Chart from Excel

Saving a chart from Excel into an image file is one of those surprisingly essential tasks. Whether you need to pop a graph into a PowerPoint presentation, a Google Doc, an email, or a blog post, pulling it out of the spreadsheet grid is the first step. Fortunately, Excel has several straightforward methods for exporting your charts as high-quality images. This article will walk you through the best ways to get it done, from a quick copy and paste to creating scalable vector files.

The Easiest Method: Copy and Paste as a Picture

For speed and simplicity, nothing beats the classic copy-and-paste. However, there’s a small trick to ensure you’re pasting an image rather than an editable, and sometimes messy, Excel object.

This method is perfect when you need to quickly drop a chart into applications like Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, or an email body.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Select Your Chart: Click anywhere on the chart you want to export. You'll know it's selected when a border appears around it.
2. Copy the Chart: Press Ctrl + C (on Windows) or Cmd + C (on Mac). Alternatively, you can right-click the chart and select "Copy."
3. Paste as a Picture: Go to the application where you want to place the chart (e.g., a Word document). Instead of just pressing Ctrl + V, right-click and look for the "Paste Options." You will usually see several icons. Hover over them to find the one labeled "Picture."

Pasting as a picture embeds a static image of your chart. This prevents any weird formatting issues that can occur when pasting it as a dynamic object linked to the original Excel file. If you paste into an image editor like MS Paint or Adobe Photoshop, it will automatically paste as a flat image, which you can then save in any format you like.

The Best Overall Method: "Save as Picture" for High Quality

For more control over the file format, resolution, and name, the "Save as Picture" feature is your best bet. This is the true "download" method and the one we recommend for most situations, especially for formal reports or high-quality presentations.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Select the Chart: First, click on your chart to select it.
2. Right-Click the Border: This is the most crucial step. Move your cursor to the very edge of the chart until it turns into a four-way arrow. Right-click directly on this border. If you right-click on the chart's inner area, you will get a different menu.
3. Choose "Save as Picture": From the context menu that appears, select "Save as Picture…"

A "Save as Picture" dialog box will pop up, allowing you to choose your file name, location, and, most importantly, the file format.

Which Image Format Should You Choose?

Excel gives you several options under the "Save as type" dropdown. Here’s a quick guide to help you pick the right one:

• PNG (Portable Network Graphics): This is usually the best all-around format. PNGs are great for charts because they handle sharp lines, text, and flat colors perfectly without losing quality. They’re web-friendly and, most importantly, support transparent backgrounds. This is a game-changer if you need to place your chart on a colored slide or document background.
• JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group): JPEGs are best known for photographs. They use "lossy" compression, which means they can achieve smaller file sizes but may introduce slightly fuzzy artifacts around text and sharp lines in your chart. Choose JPEG if file size is your absolute top priority and pristine quality isn't essential. JPEGs do not support transparency.
• SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics): This is the powerhouse format for quality. As a vector format, an SVG can be scaled to any size - from a tiny icon to a billboard - with absolutely no loss of quality. It’s perfect for professional graphic design, high-resolution printing, or embedding in web pages. If you need ultimate crispness and flexibility, choose SVG.
• PDF (Portable Document Format): Saving your chart as a PDF is an excellent option for sharing reports. Like SVGs, PDFs save the chart as a vector object, so it will print beautifully and can be zoomed in on without pixelating. It's a universal format that everyone can open.
• GIF (Graphics Interchange Format): GIF is an older format with a limited color palette (only 256 colors). While it supports transparency and animation, it's generally not recommended for modern, color-rich charts. Stick with PNG or SVG for better results.

The Bulk Export Method: Saving an Entire Dashboard as a PDF

What if you have a dashboard with multiple charts and tables you want to capture together? Exporting them one by one is tedious. A more efficient way is to save the entire sheet or a specific view of it as a single PDF.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Arrange your Dashboard: Position all the charts and data tables on one sheet exactly how you want them to appear in the final document.
2. Set the Print Area (Optional but Recommended): Click and drag to select the group of charts and objects you want to include in the export. Then, go to the Page Layout tab, click Print Area, and select Set Print Area. This tells Excel to ignore everything else on the sheet when you save.
3. Navigate to Export: Go to File > Export.
4. Create PDF/XPS Document: Click the "Create PDF/XPS" button.
5. Adjust Options: Before clicking "Publish," click the Options… button. Here, under "Publish what," you can choose to save the "Active Sheet(s)" or just the "Selection." If you set a print area, the active sheet option will only include that area.
6. Publish: Choose your file name and location, then click "Publish."

This method produces a clean, professional-looking report that’s easy to share and ready for printing.

The Screenshot Method: Quick but Limited

Sometimes, all you need is a quick snapshot of a chart to send in a team chat or a casual email. For this, your computer’s built-in screenshot tools are perfect. It’s the fastest way to get a visual, but it's not ideal for high-quality purposes as the resolution is limited to what’s on your screen.

• On Windows: Use the Snipping Tool or Snip & Sketch. The easiest shortcut is Windows Key + Shift + S. Your screen will dim, and you can drag a box around your chart. The image is automatically copied to your clipboard, ready to paste.
• On Mac: Use the keyboard shortcut Cmd + Shift + 4. Your cursor will turn into a crosshair. Click and drag to select the chart area you want to capture. The screenshot will save to your desktop by default.

Remember, this is a quick-and-dirty method. For anything formal, stick to the "Save as Picture" option to maintain the highest quality.

Advanced Method: Use VBA to Automate Chart Exports

If you find yourself repeatedly exporting the same set of charts every week or month for reports, you can automate the process using a bit of a Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) macro. It may seem intimidating, but it's simpler than it sounds and can save you a ton of time.

This script below will export the currently selected chart as a PNG file to a designated folder on your computer.

How to Use a VBA Macro:

1. Open the VBA Editor by pressing Alt + F11 (or Fn + Option + F11 on some Macs).
2. In the editor, go to Insert > Module to open a new code window.
3. Copy and paste the following code into the module:
4. Important: You must change the FilePath string to the actual folder path where you want the images to save. Make sure the folder already exists.
5. Close the VBA editor.
6. To run the macro, simply select a chart in your Excel sheet, go to the Developer tab, click Macros, select ExportSelectedChartAsPNG, and click Run. (If you don't see the developer tab, enable it via File > Options > Customize Ribbon).

This technique is a lifesaver for anyone responsible for creating recurring reports. You can even expand the script to loop through all charts on a sheet and save them automatically with unique names.

Final Tips for a Perfect Export

• Simplify Your Chart: Before exporting, clean up your chart in Excel. Remove cluttered gridlines, unnecessary labels, or redundant legends to make it easier to read.
• Set the Size: The dimensions (height and width) of the exported image will be determined by the chart's size on your spreadsheet. Resize it in Excel first to get the aspect ratio you want.
• Use Brand Elements: If the chart is for professional use, format it with your company’s brand colors, fonts, and logo directly in Excel before exporting. This ensures a consistent look across all your materials.

Final Thoughts

Knowing how to download a chart from Excel is a fundamental skill that transforms your data from a simple spreadsheet visual into a versatile communication tool. Whether you use the lightning-fast "Save as Picture" command for a crisp PNG or a powerful VBA script to automate your weekly reporting, these methods give you full control over how your data stories are shared.

For those of us who spend a lot of time creating and sharing reports from marketing and sales data, the process of repeatedly exporting charts can become a major time drain. At Graphed, we built a tool that automates this entire reporting loop by connecting directly to your live data sources like Google Analytics, Shopify, and Salesforce. Instead of exporting static images, we help you create live, interactive dashboards you can share with a simple link, ensuring everyone on your team is always looking at the most up-to-date information without you having to lift a finger.