I missed that nuance, yes working fine in E2000, will have to clean my glasses next time I read instructions.

Option Explicit

‘these two constants need to be personalized
‘ensure that your default printer is set to the largest paper size possible (e.g. A2)
Const sIrfanExe As String = “C:Program FilesIrfanViewi_view32.exe”
Const sImageDirectory As String = “z:”

Dim Rng As Range
Dim dMagnifier As Double

Sub CallCopyRangeToPicture()

dMagnifier = InputBox(“Enter magnification factor”, “GIF Magnification”, 1)

If Selection.Cells.Count 1 And Selection.Areas.Count = 1 Then
Set Rng = Selection
ElseIf ActiveSheet.PageSetup.PrintArea “” Then
Set Rng = Range(ActiveSheet.PageSetup.PrintArea)
Else
Exit Sub
End If

CopyRangeToPicture Rng, dMagnifier
End Sub

Sub CopyRangeToPicture(Rng, dMagnifier)
Dim Pct As Picture
Dim wksTemp As Worksheet
Dim wkbTemp As Workbook
Dim sFName As String
Dim sCommand As String

Application.ScreenUpdating = False

sFName = sImageDirectory & ActiveSheet.Name

Set wkbTemp = Workbooks.Add
Set wksTemp = ActiveSheet
wksTemp.PageSetup.PaperSize = Rng.Parent.PageSetup.PaperSize
wksTemp.PageSetup.Orientation = Rng.Parent.PageSetup.Orientation

Rng.Copy
Set Pct = wksTemp.Pictures.Add(Left:=1, Top:=1, Width:=Rng.Width, Height:=Rng.Height)
Application.CutCopyMode = False

With Pct
.Formula = Rng.Address(True, True, , True)
.Name = “magnifier”
.Height = Pct.Height * dMagnifier
.Width = Pct.Width * dMagnifier
.ShapeRange.Line.Visible = msoFalse
.ShapeRange.Fill.Visible = msoTrue
.ShapeRange.Fill.Solid
.ShapeRange.Fill.ForeColor.SchemeColor = 9
.ShapeRange.Fill.Transparency = 0#
.CopyPicture Appearance:=xlPrinter, Format:=xlPicture
End With
wkbTemp.Close False

If Dir(sFName & “.gif”) “” Then Kill sFName & “.gif”

‘use IrfanView Command line syntax
sCommand = sIrfanExe & ” /clippaste /convert=” & sFName & “.gif”
Application.StatusBar = “Calling IrfanView to save the file ” & sFName & “.gif”
Shell sCommand, vbNormalFocus

Application.StatusBar = False
End Sub

To create a linked picture:
Select the range you need, then click the camera tool, then click anywhere on your spreadsheet to place the linked picture.

I just get paste special…, and then paste link in a submenu (picture is not listed as an option for the link format). So I assume the paste picture link is available only in Excel 2003 or greater. Am I correct?

I looked at the visual modelling example posted by dermot and the concept works in Excel 2000. Now I would like to see if a paste link can be done in a picture box pre-created so as to get the same effect.

I can copy, then select a pre-existing picture box, but the shift+rmouse key does not give the paste special…, just paste.

If I select just paste, and interesting thing happens, I get a new picture box with the selected cells, which I can magnify & move around. But it’s not a link! Changing the underlying cells has no effect and it’s of questionable use. Any suggestions on an alternative approach?

Yes, it really works.

It worked almost immediately. I sussed out what you have done, especially what you have for the day portion of the date. It is really very clever as your solution determines either 1st or 11th or 31, 2nd or 12th or 22nd, 3rd or 13th or 23rd, 4th or 14th, or 24th and so on.

I have tried to sort it for a long time and gave up.

Once again thank you with my best wishes from London UK

=DATE(“20?&RIGHT(A1,2),MID(RIGHT(A1,4),1,2),DAY(LEFT(A1,1+LEN(A1)-5)))