This tutorial shows how to insert and modify images in Microsoft Word.
[Typewriter sounds]
Hello, my name is Erin.
I’m a technical writer and editor who shares step-by-step software tutorials and writing tips for the real world
on this channel and on my blog at erinwrightwriting.com.
Today’s tutorial shows the basics of how to insert images in Microsoft Word.
We will also look at how to resize images, align images with the text, and add a border.
Please note that Word does offer several advanced image features, which we will cover in separate tutorials.
I’ll be using Word for Microsoft 365.
These steps also apply to Word 2019, Word 2016, and Word 2013.
However, the stock image option shown in the first section will only be fully available in Word for Microsoft 365.
To begin inserting an image, place your cursor where you want to insert the image.
It’s important to remember that this is an approximate placement.
In just a few minutes we’ll be looking at how to align the image with the text.
Next, select the Insert tab in the ribbon.
And then select the Pictures button in the Illustrations group.
Now, select the location of the image from the Insert Picture From menu.
This Device lets you choose an image stored on your computer or network server.
Stock Images lets you choose stock images, icons, cutout people, stickers, and illustrations.
The full stock image library is only available to users signed into Word for Microsoft 365.
Online Pictures lets you search for images through Bing, Microsoft’s search engine.
This option also provides a link to OneDrive.
For this tutorial, we will insert an image stored on my laptop, so I’m going to choose This Device.
Next, locate the image in the Insert Picture dialog box.
Followed by the Insert button.
Your image should now appear in your Word document.
As you can see, it’s very large, so now we’ll resize it.
To begin resizing an image, first select it to display a border with resizing handles.
Next, select one of the resizing handles and then drag the image to a new size.
If you want to maintain the image’s aspect ratio, which is its shape, be sure to choose a corner handle.
If you choose a side handle, the shape will be changed,
and your image will likely have a stretched or smushed appearance.
If you want to rotate the image, select the rotation handle at the top of the border,
and then turn the image to the left or right.
Now we’ll look at how to align an image with the surrounding text.
To begin, select the image.
And then select the Layout Options button near the image border.
Now, select an option from the layout menu.
We have in line with text,
square,
tight,
through,
top and bottom,
behind text,
and in front of text.
The visual effectiveness of each option will depend on the size of your image and the density of your text.
So, you may need to experiment with several options to find the one most suited to your content.
Today I’m going to choose square.
Note that if you have chosen any of the options other than in line with text,
you can grab the image and move it around your screen as necessary.
To add a border, begin by selecting the image.
Then, select the Picture Format tab.
You may notice that this tab only appears when an image is selected.
From here, you can add a built-in border or edge effect or manually create a border.
To use a built-in border or edge effect, select the drop-down menu arrow in the Picture Styles group.
And then, select a frame or other edge effect from the menu.
Your new border or edge effect should appear immediately.
To manually create a border, select Picture Border in the Picture Styles group.
From here you can select a color from the drop-down menu.
Now, reopen the Picture Border menu and select Weight to choose a line thickness.
If you want anything other than a solid line, you can reopen the Picture Border menu again,
and select Dashes to choose a different line style.
As always, remember to save your file to save your changes.
I have created many other videos about Microsoft Word, including “How to Create External Hyperlinks in Microsoft Word”
and “How to Create Bulleted Lists in Microsoft Word.”
Please see the complete list in the playlist titled “How to Use Microsoft Word,” which is linked in the description box below.
The companion blog post for this video showing all the steps we just performed appears on
erinwrightwriting.com, which is also linked below.
Feel free to leave me a comment if there’s a specific topic related to Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat, or Google Docs
that you would like me to talk about in the future.
And please subscribe to my channel so you don’t miss future tutorials.
And give this video a thumbs-up if you found it helpful.
Thank you so much for watching!
[Typewriter sounds]