How to Insert PDF in Excel? 5 Easy Ways
(Note: This guide on how to insert PDF in Excel is suitable for all Excel versions including Office 365)
Sometimes, you need to insert a PDF in Excel as it might be necessary to include different file types in the spreadsheet. This article will discuss how to insert PDF files in Excel spreadsheet.
A PDF (Portable Document Format) is a versatile file format that helps individuals and business users share information that can be viewed in the same format without any change, no matter what program or device is used to open and view it. It’s an easy and reliable way to present and exchange documents regardless of the software, hardware, or operating systems used to open and view the documents. The PDF format is now an open standard maintained by ISO (International Standards Organization) and is available for free with tools like Adobe Acrobat Reader Software.
In this article, you’ll learn:
- Insert PDF as an Object
- Insert PDF in Excel as an Image
- Insert PDF in Excel as a Hyperlink
- Convert a PDF to Excel and Insert it as an Excel File
- Insert PDF in Excel Using Hyperlink Function
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How to Insert PDF in Excel?
Insert PDF as an Object
A PDF inserted into the Excel document as an object can be opened, viewed, resized, and even edited. Embedded objects are documents or other files that you can insert into Excel. Instead of having separate files, sometimes it’s easier to keep certain important files embedded in an Excel document. Let’s look at the steps to insert PDF into Excel.
Open a new Excel document and click on Insert. Then, browse for the Text menu and click on it. It opens a group Text. In that, choose Object and click on it.
It opens a dialog box, prompting you to create a new document or create one from a file. In this example, I have chosen to create one from a file. When you click on this option, you need to choose one by browsing through the files saved on your device. Once you choose a PDF to be inserted into the Excel document, you have two options: insert it as a link to the file or display it in the Excel document as an icon.
This method inserts a PDF into an Excel document so you can edit it later. You can try to create a new PDF document by choosing the Create New option.
Insert PDF in Excel as an Image
To insert a PDF in Excel as an image requires an intermediate step. Convert the PDF document to an image file using any conversion tool and save it to your device. Then follow these simple steps.
Go to Insert -> Illustrations -> Pictures. It allows you to insert pictures from devices, Stock Images, or Online Pictures.
When you choose the file you want to insert, it gets embedded in the spreadsheet, as seen below.
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Insert PDF in Excel as a Hyperlink
You can insert PDF in Excel through the hyperlink feature. This is one of the easiest ways to insert a PDF document into an Excel spreadsheet through Excel itself. Microsoft Excel has two ways to include a hyperlink of the PDF document into an Excel file.
The first method is to insert a picture and then insert a link to it. The linked PDF file should open up when you click on the picture. The steps to do this are as follows:
Step 1: Click on any cell in the Excel spreadsheet.
Step 2: Click on Insert -> Illustrations – >Pictures -> Insert Pictures From -> This Device.
Step 3: Choose any image saved on your device and click Insert. The image is inserted in the cell you selected.
Step 4: Right-click on the inserted image and select Link.
Step 5: Choose the PDF file that you wish to link.
Step 6: Save the file.
Step 7: Click on the image and see the hyperlinked PDF opening.
One important point to note here is that you must save both the PDF file and the Excel document in the same location.
There’s another method to insert a PDF in Excel through hyperlinks. Let’s look at that step. It embeds the PDF link into the Excel document without inserting any images. Click on Insert -> Link -> Insert Link. Choose the PDF file that you wish to insert into the Excel file. Click OK. Save the Excel document. Now, move the mouse to another cell and then click on the link again. The linked PDF file should open.
The above screenshot shows the steps to insert a PDF in Excel as a direct hyperlink in the spreadsheet.
Convert a PDF to Excel and Insert it as an Excel File
You can convert the PDF file into an Excel file and then open it in an Excel spreadsheet. You can use many free tools to convert a PDF into an Excel document. There are tools that you can download or use online to convert a PDF to Excel. You can make use of the below listed tools to convert a PDF document to Excel.
Insert PDF in Excel Using Hyperlink Function
The in-built Excel function to insert any file is the hyperlink function. The syntax of the function is =hyperlink(link_location,[friendly-name]). You can insert the PDF file in any cell in the spreadsheet. The parameter link_location takes the cell address where the PDF file is inserted. The parameter friendly_name is the name that appears as a hyperlink.
In the above screenshot, the PDF is inserted in cell B3. In cell B5, give the formula =hyperlink(B3,” click”). Save the file, click on the hyperlink, and open the PDF file.
Also Read:
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do you insert a signature in Excel?
Digital signatures are included to add authenticity to the documents. It is possible to include it in Excel in the signature line. The signature line specifies the individual who must sign. A digital signature requires a digital ID, such as one from a certified Microsoft partner.
The steps to include a signature are: Click Insert -> Text -> Signature Line.
Select the Microsoft Office Signature Line option and fill in the appropriate details in the Signature Setup dialog box.
How do you adjust the inserted PDF file within the cell?
When you insert a PDF in Excel, a PDF file won’t change its position if it’s placed above the cells. It will stay there if you want to insert the PDF icon into a cell. Try to change the cell where the PDF is placed to hide or filter the cell- the icon won’t move.
If the inserted PDF icon is bigger than the cell, you can make it smaller or resize the cell. To change the size of the icon, right-click on it, then on Format Object. In the Properties tab, check the option “Move and size with cells.” Click OK, and you will see that the PDF icon will also be hidden the next time you hide the cell.
How do you insert multiple PDF files in Excel?
The process must be repeated multiple times to include multiple PDF files in Excel. You can use the HYPERLINK function to include multiple PDF files in a spreadsheet. You can embed a PDF file and then rename it or edit it.
Final Thoughts
Most users might not know there are ways to insert PDF in Excel. Excel offers various tools and features to include other kinds of documents to work with. Hope you have learned a useful feature of Excel in this article.
If you need more high-quality Excel guides, please check out our free Excel resource center. Simon Sez IT has been teaching Excel for ten years. For a low monthly fee, you can get access to 130+ IT training courses. Click here for advanced Excel courses with in-depth training modules.
Simon Calder
Chris “Simon” Calder was working as a Project Manager in IT for one of Los Angeles’ most prestigious cultural institutions, LACMA.He taught himself to use Microsoft Project from a giant textbook and hated every moment of it. Online learning was in its infancy then, but he spotted an opportunity and made an online MS Project course - the rest, as they say, is history!
