Concept
1. What a linked picture is
A picture of a range that updates live when the range changes. You can place, resize and layer it anywhere, independent of the dashboard's column widths. Perfect for:
- a formatted table from CALC (different column widths than DASH's grid),
- putting the same KPI block on two sheets,
- switching between views.
2. Create one
- Copy → Paste Special → Linked Picture: select the range → Ctrl + C → go to DASH → Home → Paste ▾ → Linked Picture (under Other Paste Options).
- Camera tool: File → Options → Quick Access Toolbar → All Commands → Camera → Add. Select a range → click Camera → click on the dashboard.
Click the picture: the formula bar shows =CALC!$B$30:$H$40. Edit it to point elsewhere.
3. Switch views with a named range
Make three formatted blocks in CALC: Top products (B30:H40), Top salespeople (B42:H52), Region summary (B54:H64). Option buttons (Lesson 2) write 1/2/3 to inp_View.
Name Manager → New:
pic_View = CHOOSE(inp_View, CALC!$B$30:$H$40, CALC!$B$42:$H$52, CALC!$B$54:$H$64)
Select the linked picture → formula bar → =pic_View. Clicking an option button now swaps the picture between the three tables — like tabs inside the dashboard.
(INDEX also works: =INDEX((CALC!$B$30:$H$40, CALC!$B$42:$H$52, CALC!$B$54:$H$64), , , inp_View).)
4. Sizing tips
- Make the source block exactly the size you want to show; hide gridlines in the source (View) or the picture shows them — or set the source cell fill to white.
- Format the source, not the picture (the picture copies fonts, fills, borders, conditional formats, sparklines).
- Lock aspect ratio when resizing to avoid stretched text.
- Picture Format → No outline for a clean look.
5. Watch out
- Many linked pictures slow down scrolling and recalculation — use a few, not dozens.
- Sources must stay where they are; inserting rows above a source shifts the reference correctly, but deleting the source gives #REF!.
- Linked pictures don't work in Excel for the web for editing (they display as static images in some cases) — test where your viewers open the file.
- Charts inside the source range are not captured reliably — link charts directly instead.
6. Alternatives
- For switching charts, use one chart driven by CHOOSE ranges (Lesson 2 option buttons) instead of pictures.
- In Microsoft 365, many layouts possible with linked pictures can be built with dynamic arrays on DASH directly.
Common mistakes
Gridlines showing inside the picture. Formatting the picture instead of the source. Dozens of pictures slowing the file. Pictures of charts.