10.2.1 Pasting or Embedding Graphs in Other Applications


Video Image.png Video Text Image.png Website blog icon circle.png Blog Image 33x33px.png

Summary

It is possible to insert Origin graphs to other applications(e.g.Microsoft® PowerPoint/Excel/Word), either by object linking or embedding. Both linked and embedded graphs can be later edited with Origin.

The difference is that embedded graph is contained in the destination file while the linked graph is not. A linked graph can be dynamically updated if the source graph is changed.

OLE embedding is not supported by Origin's Master Page feature. When exporting graphs containing master items to MS Office or other documents, you should insert the graph as an image. For more information, see Adding common elements to an MS Word or PowerPoint file.

What you will learn

This tutorial will show you:

  • How to copy and paste the graph to Word as a linked graph.
  • How to copy and paste the graph to Word as a embedded graph
  • How to edit linked/embedded graphs after inserting to Word.

Steps

  1. Launch Origin, open the OffsetY.opj project from <Origin program folder>\Samples\Graphing\. This project contains a graph (Graph 1).
    Tutorial OLE 001.png
  2. With the graph window active, select Edit: Copy Page.

    Another menu option Copy Graph as Picture are also available. You can select it to insert the graph into Word(or other applications) as a picture. Then, you are not allowed to edit it with Origin anymore.

  3. Create a blank page in Microsoft® Word(Here, I am using Word 2010). In the Home tab, select Paste Special... under the Paste option.
    OLE Method1 01.png
  4. In the Paste Special dialog, select the Paste link radio button and then choose Origin Graph Object in the As list. Click OK to close the dialog.
    Tutorial OLE 002.png
    The graph will be inserted to current position a linked object.
  5. Open the Paste Special dialog again similarly as the previous step.
  6. This time, select the Paste radio button then choose Origin Graph Object in the As list. Click OK to close the dialog. The graph will be pasted again, but as an embedded object.
    Tutorial OLE 003.png
  7. Go back to the OffsetY.opj file in Origin, double click on the olive dot plot in Graph 1, bring up the Plot Details dialog, change the symbol color to Violet and click OK to close the dialog.
  8. Now switch to Word file we just created, right-click on the first graph(the linked one), and choose Update Link from the fly-out menu. The color of the dot plot in this graph will be changed to violet.
    Tutorial OLE 004.png
  9. Right-click on the second graph(the embedded one), and choose Graph Object: Edit to reopen the graph in Origin. Note that the graph name is Graph in Document1, indicating that the graph is contained in the destination file.
    Tutorial OLE 005.png
  10. In the Graph in Document1, change the color of olive dot plot to blue similar as previously, and close Origin. Note that the linked graph and the embedded graph looks different now.
    Tutorial OLE 006.png