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Export a Flowchart to Word or PowerPoint

Options

This page covers three ways to get your flowchart from Excel to another document:

  • Embed an editable Excel file in the other document.
  • Copy and paste into another document.
  • Export the flowchart as an image, and then insert the file image into the document.

Option 1 - Embed the Flowchart

When you embed an Excel file in Word or PowerPoint it appears as a resizable image, but you can double-click to edit it. To embed the flowchart, follow these steps:

  1. Save and close the Excel file containing the flowchart. The sheet containing the flowchart needs to be the active sheet, and the flowchart should be scrolled into view.
  2. In Word or PowerPoint:
  • Select the location for the flowchart to be placed.
  • On the Insert tab, click Object. (Use the Insert menu in Word 2003 and older versions.)
  • Select "Create from file" and use browse button to locate the Excel file.
  • When you click OK, the Excel file will be embedded in the document.
  1. Click and drag the edge of the embedded object frame to resize as needed.

Should You "Link to File"?

Recommended answer: No.

If you link to file:

  • You cannot scroll or resize the visible worksheet range. This is a significant problem if you need to adjust the viewable portion of the embedded flowchart.
  • Despite the linking implication, changes to the original Excel file are not automatically updated in the Word document. You must right-click on the embedded object and select Update Link from the pop-up menu to force a refresh.

Adjusting the View

In the flowchart view needs to be adjusted:

  • Double-click the embedded Excel file to activate it.
  • Scroll the flowchart into view as desired.
  • While still active, click and drag the edge border to resize the visible worksheet range.

Editing Embedded Flowcharts

If you double-click the embedded object, you have full access to all of Excel's tools - including the FlowBreeze features.

Option 2 - Copy and Paste into an Office Document

 

  1. Click Select Shapes >  Select All from the FlowBreeze toolbar.
  2. Use the normal Copy function. (In Excel 2010 and later, do not use the Copy Picture tool. It will not give us the Paste Special option we need in the next step.)
  3. In the target file, click Paste Special and select the "Picture (Enhanced Metafile)" option. Metafiles are a special type of image that render the text clearly when resized.

 

Option 3 - Export Flowchart as Image

The last option is to use the Export as Picture tool, and then to insert the image file into the target document. But if you need to resize the image in the target document, Option 2 provides a better image format for rendering legible text.