Use graphics and drawing objects in a report

Choose a graphic’s anchor according to what it should follow. A cell-anchored object follows its cell when rows are inserted; a page-anchored object stays in a fixed position. Neither choice turns a picture or arrow into a live calculation.

Prepare a small report

Use Apache OpenOffice Calc 4.1 desktop with English menus. This documentary exercise has not been executed natively. Work in a disposable ODS file and use a harmless image you own or are authorized to use, such as a locally created test logo. Do not download an unknown image or reuse a copyrighted logo just to complete the exercise.

Enter A1=Weekly deliveries. In A3:B6 create headings Day and Orders, then Monday 12, Tuesday 16 and Wednesday 14. In A8 enter Total and B8 with =SUM(B4:B6). The expected total is 42.

Leave blank columns beside the data for annotations. Keep the original report saved before inserting objects, so you can compare layout changes without reconstructing the sheet.

Insert an image as part of the file

Choose Insert > Picture > From File and select the authorized test image. In the insertion dialog leave Link off so the picture is embedded. A linked picture is a separate external file dependency; it is not needed for this self-contained practice report.

Select the image and use its context menu’s Position and Size controls to choose an appropriate report size. Keep its proportions rather than stretching a square logo into a wide rectangle. Position it beside the title without obscuring the table. An image covering a value does not remove that value from calculations, which is another reason to keep the layout clear.

Set the logo’s anchor to the page through its context menu. The guide describes page anchoring as maintaining its position when cells are added or deleted. This is useful for a fixed decorative element, not a marker intended to follow a specific data row.

Add an annotation tied to content

Show the Drawing toolbar through View > Toolbars > Drawing. Use a simple arrow or rectangle to mark the total area beside row 8. If using a text object, give it a descriptive caption such as “42 orders, three days”; do not rely on color alone to explain its meaning.

Select the annotation and use Anchor > To Cell. Verify its anchor belongs to the intended total-row cell, rather than a nearby blank row. The graphic can be positioned beside the table while remaining anchored to that cell.

Do not treat the caption as a formula. Change Tuesday’s orders from 16 to 20. B8 should become 46, but a typed “42 orders” caption remains text until you edit it. Update or remove the caption so it does not contradict the live table. Restore Tuesday to 16 for the anchoring test, and if you retained the caption, restore it to “42 orders, three days” as well.

Test the difference between anchors

Insert two complete rows above the total row. The total and its cell anchor should move down two rows, from row 8 to row 10, while the page-anchored logo stays in its original position. Confirm the annotation still identifies the total and the formula still returns 42.

Undo the insertion and verify the original positions return. This reversible test is more informative than selecting an anchor label without observing its consequences. Anchoring movement and resizing behavior are distinct; do not assume an object will scale with row height simply because it is anchored to a cell.

Keep the final layout readable

If an object hides cells, move or resize it rather than deleting the covered data. The guide distinguishes stacking commands such as Bring Forward/Send Backward from To Background, which puts a graphic behind cells. For this exercise, unobscured placement is easier to maintain than complex overlapping objects.

Save, close and reopen the ODS workbook, then check the picture remains available without its original image file being open. Use print preview to verify the title, table, total and annotations fit the intended page; on-screen placement alone does not prove a good printed report. For printing details, see Repeat headings and check PDF output.

Official reference

Apache OpenOffice 4.1 Calc Guide, Chapter 5, inserting pictures, drawing objects, arranging graphics and Anchoring Graphics. Recovered guide retrieved 19 October 2026; exact layout and print behavior remain native-verification tasks.