Paste Excel chart as pictures in PowerPoint (Paste Special) / Export Slides within a Presentation as files

PowerPoint object model does not include a Paste Special method to import Excel charts as pictures. However we can create one of our own using the CopyPicture method available in Excel. Thanks to the late Brian Reilly, PowerPoint MVP for pointing this out to me.

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Sub XlChartPasteSpecial()
   Dim xlApp As Object
   Dim xlWrkBook As Object
   Dim lCurrSlide As Long

    Set xlApp = CreateObject("Excel.Application")
   ' Open the Excel workbook
    Set xlWrkBook = xlApp.Workbooks.Open("C:\BOOK1.XLS")
   ' Copy picture of the 1st chart object onto the clipboard
    xlWrkBook.Worksheets(1).ChartObjects(1).CopyPicture
   ' Get the slide number
    lCurrSlide = ActiveWindow.Selection.SlideRange.SlideNumber
   ' Paste the picture onto the PowerPoint slide.
    ActivePresentation.Slides(lCurrSlide).Shapes.Paste
   ' Close the open workbook without saving changes
    xlWrkBook.Close (False)
    xlApp.Quit

    Set xlApp = Nothing
    Set xlWrkBook = Nothing
End Sub

Export Slides within a Presentation as files

It is known the the Export method can be used to export slides as graphics. However it is little known that the Export method can also be used to export a slide as a presentation. Given below is the code to export each slide as a separate presentation. Add/Modify stuff as required. Be sure to add some error handling.

You might notice the code block A and may be interested to understand it's relevance within the export routine. When the slide is exported as a presentation, PowerPoint by default embeds the true type fonts used in that slide. This will cause an increase in file size as much as 12 MB for a single presentation if Unicode fonts are present. Hence in Block A I reopen the export file and save it again with the embed font property set to FALSE. It may be removed if you want to retain the embedded font state.

Note: If the slide has Unicode fonts, it could take a while in exporting the slide. It would be prudent to warn the user of the delay before exporting the slide.

Option Explicit
Sub ExportSlidesAsPresentations()
    Dim oPres As Presentation
    Dim oExportedPres As Presentation
    Dim oSld As Slide
    Dim sSlideOutputFolder As String
    Dim sFilename As String
    sSlideOutputFolder = "D:\Temp\"
    Set oPres = ActivePresentation
    For Each oSld In oPres.Slides
        sFilename = (sSlideOutputFolder) & "Slide" & _
                Format(oSld.SlideIndex, "000") & ".ppt"
        oSld.Export sFilename, "PPT"
'----- Block A -----
        Set oExportedPres = Presentations.Open(sFilename, _
                False, False, False)
        Call oExportedPres.SaveAs(sFilename, _
                ppSaveAsPresentation, False)
        oExportedPres.Close
        Set oExportedPres = Nothing
'----- End of Block A -----
    Next oSld
    Set oPres = Nothing
End Sub

For PowerPoint 2007 and 2010 use the PublishSlides object to achieve the same result. The 1st argument is expected to be an URL but you can simply specify a local path and it will split the presentation into slides.

'Control individual slides export
Dim oSld As Slide
For Each oSld In ActivePresentation.Slides
Call oSld.PublishSlides("c:\temp\", True, True)
Next
'Export all the slides in the presentation
Call ActivePresentation.PublishSlides("c:\temp\", True, True)