Discover how you can create a progress bar with icons in your worksheet.

Step 1 : Import one icon

1. Go to the menu Insert
2. Then, Icon

Select one of the icons and click on Insert

Step 2 : Crop the icon.

Select the icon and go to the menu Graphics Format > Crop

Now, you can crop your icon.

Step 3 : Zoom on your icon

To crop your icon with the best precision, zoom to the maximum you can (400%)

Then reduce the border to adjust the size of the icon. Click on the button Crop to toggle off the crop mode.

Step 4 : Align to the grid

This step in not really compulsory but it's a way to align the icon to the grid

Select the icon and select the option Align > Snap to grid. Like that, your icon is perfectly located in a cell.

Important, once the icon is adjusted to a cell, toggle off this option.

Step 5 : Duplicate the icon

• To duplicate the icon, there is the pretty handsome shortcut Ctrl + D
• Move the second icon close to the first one.

And here is the magic ! When you press Ctrl + D again, the position of the third icon is exactly after the second icon. So not only Ctrl + D duplicate the icon but also repro the offset of the shape 😲😎😍

Press Ctrl + D, 8 more times and you have your progress bar

Step 6 : Group the icons

Go to the menu Home > Find & Select > Select Objects

1. Drag & Drop to select all your icons.
2. Toggle off the option Select Objects
3. Go to the menu Graphics Format > Group > Group

Step 7: Change the color

This step is not a basic one. It's important to have a color for the shape and another color for its outline in order to have a nice split between the shape and the outside.

Step 8 : Add a rectangle and group again

The next steps are not explain in the video and everything is done in Excel 😉

1. Go to the menu Insert > Shape
2. Add a rectangle
3. Use the tool Bring Forward or Send Backward to put the progress bar above the rectangle

1. Adjust the size of the rectangle with the icon bar
2. Change the color of the rectangle to white
3. Group the rectangle with the icon bar

Step 9 : Convert to image

1. Copy the group of shapes
2. Go to the Paste Special Menu
3. Select Picture (gif)

This step is very important because one important option is reachable only with the picture menu.

Step 10 : Replace the color with transparency

Go to the menu Picture Format > Color > Set transparent Color

Select the color to replace the transparency

Step 11: Conditional formatting

In B1, write a value between 0 and 100 and in A1 write this simple formula

=B1

Stay in A1 and go to the menu Home > Conditional Formatting > Data Bars

Select one of the options (here Solid Fill blue)

Step 12 : Customize the conditional formatting options

1. Stay in the cell with the conditional formatting
2. Go to the menu Home > Conditional Formatting > Manage Rules
3. Edit the rule
4. Change minimum and maximum to Number
5. Min value = 0
6. Max value = 100
7. Check Show bar only

The job is done 👍

Put the image of the progress bar with icons over the conditional formatting and adjust the size of A1

Tutorial Video

In the following video, you will see all the steps except the technique to convert a color with transparency. In the video, I have used SnagIt.

Related Articles

• Conditional Formatting – Color scale
• Add progress bar in your cells
• In Excel, How to Add Icons in your cells?
• Highlight Top / Bottom values with the conditional formatting