Excel Tips: How to insert a Shape in a Sheet and use it as background?

Problem: How to insert a shape in an Excel Sheet and use the shape as background for few cells ?

Solution: To use a shape as a background for a range of cells in Excel, you can follow these steps:

1. Insert the Shape:

   • Go to the Insert tab.
   • Click on Shapes and select the desired shape.
   • Draw the shape over the area where you want to place it.

2. Position and Resize the Shape:

   • Adjust the shape to cover the cell range.
   • Right-click the shape and select Size and Properties. You can adjust the size and position more precisely here.

3. Send the Shape to Back:

   • Right-click the shape.
   • Select Send to Back > Send to Back again to place the shape behind the cells.

4. Make the Shape Transparent (Optional):

   • Right-click the shape.
   • Select Format Shape.
   • In the Format Shape pane, choose Fill.
   • Adjust the Transparency slider to make the shape partially or fully transparent.

5. Enter Text in Cells:

   • Click on each cell within the range and enter your desired text. The text will be displayed over the shape.

6. Ensure the Shape Remains in Position:

   • To ensure the shape does not move or resize with the cells, right-click the shape.
   • Select Size and Properties.
   • Under the Properties tab, choose Don't move or size with cells.

Following these steps, you will have a shape as a background for the specified cell range, and you can enter and view text in those cells with the shape visible in the background.