applied tips : may 2009
microsoft word : flow text around photos
There are lots of ways to make a document look more interesting in Word, but few are as easy to implement or effective as adding a photo or text box and wrapping the body of your document around it.
We've all seen the style in newspapers, websites, magazines, and it's becoming more and more common in documents created from Word, too. Done well, with the right photo or call-out text box, it can really add a level of professionalism to the document and make it more likely to be read. Consider these two examples:
Obviously the left page is going to get more readership than the page on the right, and it only took about an extra minute to make.
Here's how, using Word 2003 and 2007.
Insert the Image
Position your cursor at the very beginning of whichever paragraph is closest to where you want your photo to appear. This is especially important if you want your image to "move" with text as you add and remove content from the document.
If you're going to position the image relative to the page, rather than a paragraph, it doesn't matter where your cursor is so long as it's on the correct page.
Add the image by following the following steps:
- Word 2003 or Earlier: Pull down the Insert menu and choose Picture, then choose where the image will be coming from
- Word 2007: Click the Insert tab on the Ribbon, and choose either Picture or Clip Art from the Illustrations group
After it's inserted, you might want to adjust its size. Select the object and use the corner handles to resize it.
Wrapping Your Text
Once your image (or logo, or diagram, or text box, or anything else) is in the document, we can tell Word to wrap text around it.
Follow these steps:
- Word 2003 or Earlier: Double-click the image and choose Format Picture, then in the Format Picture dialog box click on the Layout tab and choose either Square or Tight (discussed later), then press OK
- Word 2007: Select the image and click the Picture Tools Format tab in the ribbon, then pull down the Text Wrapping menu and choose either Square or Tight (discussed later)
Your text should now be flowing around your image.
Eliminating White Space and Going Tight
Text can flow either as "Square" or "Tight", and the choice is up to you but "Tight" requires that the object be compatible. Here's an example of Square and Tight:
The first image uses Tight text-wrapping, and you can clearly see that the lettering comes to the image almost wrapping around the apple and face. The second image uses Square text-wrapping, and creates the illusion of a square at the boundaries of the image.
Some images, such as a scenic photograph, can only be done using Square. But other images, like the boy shown here or a logo, can enjoy Tight text-wrapping.
As long as there is a solid-color around the edges of the photo, you can enable this feature. Here's how:
- Word 2003 or Earlier: Select the image and find the "Set Transparent Color" icon on the floating Picture Toolbar (if this toolbar is not enabled, activate it from the View menu, then Toolbars, then Picture)
- Word 2007: Select the image and click the Picture Tools Format tab in the ribbon, then pull down the Recolor menu and choose Set Transparent Color
Your pointer will now change to the Set Transparent Color pointer. Carefully click on the solid color that surrounds your image (usually white). Make sure you have Tight selected as the text-wrapping method (discussed earlier) and you're all set. That's it!
If the Set Transparent Color option is unavailable, your image is not compatible. And, if you use the feature and it still doesn't work or makes your image look spotty, your image is not compatible. In either case, you might be able to have a graphic artist fix the image using photo editing software.
Positioning the Image
With your image's text-wrapping property set to either Square or Tight, you can simply click and drag your image to any location on the page.
schedule a class on word
Request an on-site Word class from Applied Office. Sessions are inexpensive and your employees will be shown how to create great-looking documents with minimal fuss. Topics can include mail merge, headers and footers, macros, styles, automatic tables of contents, document layout, and more. Learn more here
upcoming classes in Stockton, CA
Applied Office is offering hands-on classes in June and July in Stockton, CA starting at just $45, or $185 for a full day! Learn more here