Graphics for the word

In this chapter, we will discuss how to use graphics in Word 2010. You can add beauty to your Microsoft Word documents by inserting a variety of graphics. This chapter will teach you two ways of adding graphics.

Adding Picture in Document

The following steps will help you add an existing picture in your word document. It is assumed that you already have a picture available on your machine before you add this picture in your Word document.

Step 1 − Click on your document where you want to add a picture.

Step 2 − Click the Insert tab and then click the Picture option available in illustrations group, which will display the Insert Picture dialog box.

Step 3 − You can select a required picture using the Insert Picture dialog box. When you will click the Insert button, selected picture will be inserted in your document. You can play with your inserted picture in different ways, like you can apply quick styles to your picture, you can resize it, or you can change its color too. To try it, just -lick your inserted image and Word will give you numerous options available under the Format tab to format your inserted graphics.

You can try yourself to insert other available graphics like Clipart, Different Shapes, Charts and SmartArt or Screenshots.

Adding WordArt in Document

WordArt provides a way to add fancy words in your Word document. You can document your text in a variety of ways. The following steps will help you add WordArt in your document.

Step 1 − Click in your document where you want to add WordArt.

Step 2 − Click the Insert tab and then click the WordArt option available in the Text group; this will display a gallery of WordArt.

Step 3 − You can select any of the WordArt style from the displayed gallery by clicking on it. Now you can modify the inserted text as per your requirement and you can make it further beautiful by using different options available. To try it, just double-click your inserted WordArt and Word will give you numerous options available from the Format tab to format your image. Most frequently used options are Shape Styles and WordArt Styles.

You can try yourself to apply different options on the inserted WordArt by changing its shape styles, colors, WordArt Styles, etc.

Call them “doodles,” “sketchnotes,” or “visual notetaking.” Whatever the name, simple hand drawings have become more popular than ever. They’re as welcome in the classroom as they are in the boardroom.

Why? Maybe it’s because they’re quick to create. You don’t have to be an artist to draw stick figures. Yet they communicate everything from how viruses replicate to how a manufacturing supply chain works. They’re a good and unique way to enhance your Word documents.

Hand drawings also allow you to express your personality and stand out from your competition. And because you’re creating your own drawings, you don’t have to worry about using copyrighted materials.

Freeform Word drawings also help you better understand and assimilate the concepts you’re trying to convey. That’s because you’re forced to simplify the concepts and come up with visual metaphors for them.

You may be wondering «How do I draw on Microsoft Word?» While Word might not be the first drawing tool that comes to mind, there are drawing tools in Word that you can learn to use.

This article shows you, step-by-step, how to draw in Word so that you, too, can harness the power of simplified drawings in your projects. As you’ll see, you don’t have to be a professional artist or to use expensive tools and software because you can draw right within Word.

Let’s get started!

(Note: In the examples below, I’m using Microsoft Word for Mac version 16. If you’re using a different version, then the interface may be different.)

How to Draw in Word: Freehand With the Shapes Freeform Tool

There are several ways for you to draw by hand on your Word document. These include the Freeform and Scribble tools in the Shape tab. Both these two tools are very similar because they let you draw in Word using your mouse or trackpad. 

1. Use the Freeform or Scribble Tool

You can draw objects and handwritten lines with either one. One difference is that the Freeform tool lets you draw perfectly straight lines, while the Scribble tool draws exactly what you draw. 

To draw with Freeform, click on the Insert tab.

Click Shapes > Freeform.

To draw, click, hold, and drag the cursor on the page. Word stops drawing when you either bring the cursor back to your point of origin or double-click on the page. In this example, I’ll draw a check mark. 

To draw perfectly straight lines with the Freeform tool, click on your starting point. Then, release the mouse, move the cursor to the end of the line, click there, and repeat until you finish your drawing. Double-click at your end-point. Using this technique, my check mark looks like this:

Notice that the lines are perfectly straight, even though my hands were unsteady. That’s because the Freeform tool draws straight lines between two consecutive points where you click on your mouse.

Don’t worry that the text runs straight through the drawing. We can fix this with text wrap because Word treats the drawing as an image. 

2. Format the Text Wrapping Around Your Drawing

Click on the Shape Format tab. Then click Arrange > Wrap Text. Select one of the text wrapping options. In this case, let’s select Square.

Now the text wraps around the drawing.

Microsoft Word also lets you wrap text around an irregularly shaped drawing. Go to Shape Format > Arrange > Wrap Text > Edit Wrap Boundary.

Click and drag the boundary points to change the boundary.

By doing this, you’ve got more granular control over how text wraps around your drawing.

3. Refine Your Drawing

Refine the drawing you’ve made. Click on your drawing to select it. Under the Shape Format tab, click Edit Shape > Edit Points. 

Click and drag any of the points to change the drawing as you wish.

You can also use the Shape Format tab to edit other aspects of your drawing. Change its color, weight, and in the case of closed shapes, add a filling color.

To change the look of your drawing, from the Shape Format tab, expand the Theme Styles and Presets selection. Choose one of the styles you want to use.

You’ll have more choices by going to Shape Outline. From there, select a color.

To change the weight or thickness of your drawing, go to Shape Format > Shape Outline > Weight.

You can also apply special effects to your drawing. On the Shape Format tab, go to Shape Effects, then choose the effect you want to apply. 

Here’s the check mark now, after I added a shadow.

How to Draw in Word: Using the Scribble Tool

The Scribble tool is like the Freeform tool. The only difference I’ve seen is that the Scribble tool doesn’t draw straight lines between clicks. To draw, you’ve got to click, hold, and drag the mouse. If you release the mouse button, Word will stop drawing.

To draw using the Scribble tool, click Insert > Shapes > Scribble.

Click, hold, and drag the mouse to draw the shape. If you bring the cursor back to your point of origin, Word closes and fills the shape. In this case, let’s draw a cloud.

Now the drawing can be edited by using the tools in the Shape Format ribbon. 

1. Change the Fill Color of Your Drawing

For example, to change the fill color, click on the drawing then on the Shape Fill button. Choose the color you wish to use.

2. Change the Outline Color of Your Drawing in Word

To change the shape’s outline color, click on the drawing, click Shape Outline, then choose the outline color or style you desire.

For this example, I selected No Outline.

3. Fill Your Drawing with a Picture

You could even fill the drawing with an image. Go to Shape Fill > Picture. 

Find the image in your computer. Select the image file, then click Insert.

The resulting shape is pretty neat!

Follow the steps described earlier to change the text wrapping around your drawing, as well as its other attributes.

How to Draw With Microsoft Word Pen Tools

Either Freeform or Scribble are adequate tools for creating simple Word drawings that have only a single element, such as a single line or shape. 

But what if you want to draw something slightly more complicated, such as a stick figure? It’s made up of a circle for the head and several lines for the arms, body, and legs.

1. Draw With the Microsoft Word Pen

In this case, it would be better to use Word’s Draw tools. To access them, click on the Draw tab.

As you can see, the Draw tab gives you some ink types:

• Pen
• Pencil
• Highlighter

Each ink type gives your drawing a different look. To select an ink, click the Draw button on the ribbon, and select either a Pen, Pencil, or Highlighter. 

Click, hold, and drag to draw with your mouse. Notice that even when you release the mouse, Word stays in drawing mode. This means you can keep adding elements to your drawing. When you’re done, click the Draw button again.

To change the color and thickness of any tool, click on the drop-down menu, and make your selections. A total of 16 standard colors are available, and you can access many more by clicking on More Colors…. 

Plus, for the pen ink, there are eight special effects: 

• Rainbow
• Galaxy
• Lava
• Ocean
• Rose Gold
• Gold
• Silver
• Bronze

If your drawing has several parts, you’ll have to group them so that Word will treat them as one object. Click, press, and hold the Shift key as you click all the elements of your drawing. When you’re done, click Shape Format > Arrange > Group > Group.

Now you can treat the drawing as a single object. (Note: Once drawing elements are grouped, they can’t be ungrouped anymore.)

Click on the drawing, Shape Format. Then use the tools in the Shape Format tab. (Note that not all the features on the Shape Format ribbon can be applied to your drawing.) From here, we’ll change the text wrap setting of the drawing.

Go to the Shape Format tab. Click Wrap Text. then select a wrap setting.

I chose the Top and Bottom text wrap.

2. Erase Your Drawing

The Draw tab provides an Eraser tool so you can erase mistakes. First, format the tool by clicking on the drop-down arrow. You’ve got three choices:

1. Stroke Eraser. Erases an entire stroke when you click on it.
2. Small Eraser.  Erases a small area when you click, hold, and drag your mouse.
3. Medium Eraser. Erases a larger area when you click, hold, and drag your mouse.

If you selected the Stroke Eraser, click on any line to delete it. If you selected either the Small or Medium Eraser, click, hold, and drag your mouse over any areas you want to delete.

3. Draw With the Trackpad

Draw in Microsoft Word without a mouse by using the Draw with Trackpad tool.

First, choose the ink type you want to use. Then click the toggle to switch on Draw with Trackpad. 

A window appears on top of your document. Use two fingers on your trackpad to move it anywhere on your document. 

Pressing the Command key, move one finger on your trackpad to where you wish to draw. Pause, then draw with your finger. You don’t have to press down on the trackpad to draw.

How to Draw … Without Drawing!

So far, you’ve learned how to create your own images in Word by hand-drawing with either the mouse or the trackpad.

But what if you really can’t draw? Not even stick figures?

You can still “draw” by using the pre-made lines and shapes in Word. If you think about it, most objects can be broken down into shapes and lines. By putting these together, you can create your very own sketches — without drawing by hand.

Read on to see what I mean.

1. Draw With Lines in Microsoft Word

The simplest images are made up of lines. In this example, we’ll make a trellis, which is a grid like what you’d use to play Tic-Tac-Toe.

Go to Insert > Shapes > Line. This tool makes a simple straight line with a starting point and an endpoint.

Click on the page. That’s the starting point of your line. Drag your mouse to where you want the line to end, then click again.

Go to the Shape Format tab and use the buttons to edit the line. For this example, I changed the color and the weight of the line. I also added a shadow.

When you’re happy with how the line looks, copy and paste it as many times as needed to create your image. Click on the line, then go to Edit > Copy, then Edit > Paste. Or, use the shortcuts Command + C to copy and Command + V to paste.

Click, hold, and drag the lines into place. It may be helpful to display gridlines. To do so, click on the View tab, then check the box for Gridlines. This will help you to properly align the different elements of your drawing.

To change the angle of a line, click on the line, then go to Shape Format > Arrange > Rotate. Choose from one of the available rotation options or set your own. You can also click on one end of the line, hold, and drag it in place.

If you want the elements to line up precisely, select the lines, then go to Shape Format > Arrange > Align. Select an alignment option. 

In this example, I’ll use Distribute Horizontally for the vertical lines, and Distribute Vertically for the horizontal lines.

These same steps apply to block arrows and other shapes, too.

2. Draw on Microsoft Word Using Shapes and Block Arrows

Now we’re ready to make more complicated pictures!

Let’s draw a bicycle by combining circles and triangles. Go to Insert > Shapes > Oval. Hold the Shift key as you click, hold, and drag your mouse to make a perfect circle. (But, if you want to draw an oval, then don’t use the Shift key.)

With the shape selected, go to Shape Format, and use the buttons on that tab to edit the shape you made. 

To make the bicycle wheels, I’ll remove the Shape Fill and change the outline of the circle.

Next, copy and paste the circle. And then follow the same steps to add the triangles.

Use the triangle’s turning handle to change its orientation. Click on the turning handle, hold, and drag the mouse to the desired angle.

Add and edit more lines and shapes to make the image look just like a bicycle. The bike below is made up of circles, triangles, lines, an oval, and a half-circle (for the handlebar).

Remember, you can make your drawing as simple or as detailed as you like. It’s all up to you!

Find Professional Graphics for Your Microsoft Word Project

Now you know how to draw on a picture in Word. But perhaps you don’t have time to create your own Word drawings from scratch. And you still would rather not use stock photos. 

What to do?

You can use premium graphic images from Envato Elements. 

An Elements subscription brings thousands of creative tools at your fingertips. This includes print templates for Word, graphics, fonts, photos, and a lot more. And you get unlimited downloads for one flat monthly subscription. 

Another great source of premium graphics is GraphicRiver. As with Elements, this marketplace gives you access to thousands of Word templates and other creative tools. These are also professionally designed for maximum impact. The difference is, at GraphicRiver, you pay for each use of every item.

Use each premium graphic on its own in your Word document. Or better yet, incorporate them with your own or other graphics to create something original.

Learn More About Working In Word

As you can see, Microsoft Word has many robust features. Some of them are little-known functionalities such as the various drawing tools in Word that I showed you in this article. It pays to learn how to use Microsoft Word so you can maximize its potential. Not only will you be able to realize the vision you’ve got for your Word documents, but you’ll also optimize your workflow.

If you aim to produce the most visually compelling materials using Word, then you may find these articles helpful:

You Can Draw in Microsoft Word

Even though Microsoft Word wasn’t built for graphic design, it’s got some tools to help you draw right inside your Word document.

You can make anything from simple line and stick drawings, to more detailed freehand drawings and line illustrations. Use the Freeform, Scribble, or Draw tools to draw by hand. Or combine lines and shapes to create original Word drawings without drawing from scratch.

You can also find hand-drawn graphics and Word templates in Envato Elements and GraphicRiver. If you want unlimited downloads of premium graphics and other design components, then Elements is the place for you. For one-off projects, GraphicRiver is the place to go to access top-quality templates for Microsoft Word and graphics on a pay-per-use basis.

You’ve just learned how to draw on Microsoft Word. Now, it you’re turn to create your best Word drawings.

  
A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words
Nothing beats a screen shot when you are trying to convey information about using the computer. With just a couple of easy shortcuts, you can add screen shots to your documents.

  
Absolutely Positioning a Graphic
Want a graphic to appear at a precise place on the page? It’s easy to gain control by following the steps in this tip.

  
Adding a Background to Your Document
Document backgrounds come in handy if you plan on converting the document to a Web page. Here’s how you can add a background of your choice to your document.

  
Adjusting Shadow Settings
Insert a graphic into a document and Word allows you to add a shadow behind the graphic. You can also adjust the properties of the shadow, as described in this tip.

  
Anchoring Objects by Default
When you position objects (such as text boxes or graphics) on a page, one of the things you can do is to anchor the object so it won’t move as freely. Want the object to be anchored by default? You’d be out of luck, as described in this tip.

  
Automatically Formatting Graphics and AutoShapes
Want to change the graphics formatting defaults in Word? You can customize some of these defaults, saving yourself some time.

  
Best Quality for High Resolution Graphics
You want your documents to look as good as they can. If those documents include graphics, then you also need to make sure that they look as good as they can. Here are some ideas on how to get the best quality you can.

  
Can’t Select and Edit Graphics Elements
Adding graphics to your documents can make them livelier and easier to understand. What if you can’t select and edit the graphics, though? Here’s something to check that may make editing the graphics easier.

  
Cannot View Graphics in a Document
Got a problem where you can’t view any of the graphics you insert in your document? The solution could be simple, or you could be seeing a symptom of a more complex problem. This tip explains some of the things you can check out.

  
Capturing a Screen
Windows provides a way of «capturing» the image on the screen into the clipboard. You can then paste the image from the clipboard into your document.

  
Changing Compression Print Resolution
The resolution at which Word compresses graphics in a document may be bothersome. If it is, your options are very limited, and you will probably get better results by looking toward a solution other than Word.

  
Changing Defaults for Text Boxes and Callouts
Do you find yourself frequently creating text boxes and callouts? This tip describes how to change the default settings and how you can easily create text boxes that exactly meet your common requirements.

  
Changing the Size of a Drawing Object
Documents are often made up of more than just text. If you have drawing objects in your document, you will doubtless need to change their sizes from time to time. Here’s how to easily make the changes you need.

  
Changing the Size of a Graphic
Word allows you to add more than text to your documents; you can also add graphics. Once added, you can modify the size of those graphics by using the techniques in this tip.

  
Choosing an Insert Method for Pictures
The way that you choose to add pictures to your document can have an effect on the file size of those documents. It is best not to paste pictures, but to insert them instead.

  
Clip Art Sizing Difficulties
A discussion of problems a reader was having resizing clip art in Word.

  
Converting Tables to Charts
Put numeric information in a table and you can then convert that information to a graphical chart using Microsoft Graph Chart. Here’s how to create the chart object.

  
Counting All Graphics
Need to know how many graphics a document contains? Getting at the true number may take a little more work than it first appears.

  
Creating a Drawing Object
Word documents can contain more than just words. They can also contain drawing objects such as lines and simple shapes. Word provides an easy way to add such objects to a document.

  
Creating Oval Pictures
A couple of ways to create oval shaped pictures in a Word document.

  
Creating Usable Figure Captions
Many people add both images and figure captions within text boxes so they can be easily positioned within a document. Doing so, however, has drawbacks as the figure captions are not as easily accessible for cross referencing or for inclusion in a Table of Figures. This tip describes how you can rectify this situation so that the captions are again usable.

  
Cropping Graphics
Need your hide some of the outside edges of a graphic? You can instruct Word to crop (or hide) those outside edges by following the steps in this tip.

  
Default Picture Location
When you insert pictures into a document, the first folder that Word opens up is normally the My Pictures folder. You can change the starting folder by making a change on the Files tab of the Options dialog box.

  
Default Picture Settings
Place enough pictures, and sooner or later you start wondering if there is a way to set up some default settings for those pictures. The short answer is that you can’t, but there are things you can do to make the picture-formatting process much easier.

  
Determining Picture Size in a Macro
When processing a document using a macro, you may need for your macro to figure out the sizes of the images in your document. This information can be accessed by using the techniques described in this tip.

  
Disappearing Graphics Groups
Grouping graphics together can be a great way to manage them easier. Doing the grouping, however, could have unintended consequences. Word handles grouped graphics differently than the individual graphics that make up the group. This tip explains how that can affect your document.

  
Displaying Thumbnails and Full-Size Images
Sometimes images can be just too big to display in a document. Instead you may want to display a smaller, thumbnail-size version of the graphic that people can click on in order to see the full-size version. Word doesn’t have a built-in function to do this, but you can devise your own display method using the hyperlink capabilities of the program.

  
Dragging and Dropping Pictures in a Document
Do you like to add pictures to your document just by dragging and dropping? What are you to do if it appears the capability just stops one day? Here’s an idea for a fix you can check.

  
Easily Changing Links in Documents
You may have a lot of linked images in a document, and then one day need to change the links if the location of the images changes. Here’s how you can make the necessary changes quickly.

  
Editing Wrap Points
If you have a graphic that has text wrapping around it, you might want a way to modify the wrapping path used by Word. You can easily do that by modifying the points that define the wrapping path. This tip shows how easy it is to monkey with the wrap points around an image.

  
Extracting INCLUDEPICTURE File Names
If you use the INCLUDEPICTURE field to add images to your document, you may love the macro in this tip. It allows you to pull all the filenames used in the field, resulting in a handy image file list.

  
Extracting Pictures from a Document
Word allows you to easily insert pictures into your documents. Getting the pictures back out of your documents can be another story, however. Here’s a description of what happens to your pictures once they are inserted and what your options are for getting them out.

  
Faster Picture Displaying
If you have a document with many graphics, you know that Word can sometimes be slow in displaying all those graphics. This tip examines why this occurs and discusses some things you can try to speed up the display of those pictures.

  
Filling A Drawing Object
Creating a drawing object can be just the first step in putting together your masterpiece drawing. This tip explains how you can fill the object with a color of your choosing.

  
Flipping a Drawing Object
Place a drawing object in your document, and it doesn’t have to stay that way. You can flip a drawing object in either of two directions, as discussed in this tip.

  
Freezing Cell Size when Inserting Pictures
Insert a picture into a table cell, and you may quickly find that the table is no longer the size you expected. Here’s how to make sure that the cells in your table don’t resize themselves when you insert an image.

  
Graphics and Line Height
If the inline graphics in your document appear «chopped off,» it could be directly related to the formatting within the paragraph containing the graphic. This tip explains why this chopping happens and how you can adjust formatting so that the entire graphic shows up.

  
Grouping Drawing Objects
Drawing objects are easily added to a document. You can group these objects so they are easier to manage by following the steps in this tip.

  
Hanging Indents in Wrapped Text
If you use hanging indents for some of your paragraphs, you may wonder why they don’t look right when they wrap on the right side of a text box or graphic. Here’s the reason and what you can do to correct the formatting.

  
Hiding Graphics
Do you need a printout where graphics can be turned on and off? This tip provides some concrete ways you can get just want you need in such a printout.

  
Horizontal Alignment Errors for Graphics
Discussion of alignment differences for graphics in Word 97 and Word 2000.

  
Inserting from the Clip Art Gallery Doesn’t Work
Ever insert a picture and it won’t display in your document? It could be due to some of the display settings in Word. Here’s how to check them out.

  
Inserting Multiple Graphics in a Document
Word allows you to easily place graphics in a document. Placing one or two graphics is easy, but placing many graphics in a single document can easily become tedious. Here are some ways that you can insert a large number of graphics into a document quickly and easily.

  
Keeping a Picture Title with the Picture
Pictures and their titles go together like peanut butter and jelly. (Wow, did I just say that?) Seriously, pictures and titles belong together, and keeping them on the same page can be a challenge at times. Here are some things to check.

  
Keeping Callouts Positioned
Using graphics to add callouts to your graphics is a common occurrence in Word. Here’s how to stop all those graphics from moving to places other than where you originally place them.

  
Merging Graphics from Access
An Access database can store all types of data, including graphic images. Merging most data from Access into Word is relatively easy, except when it comes to graphics. This tip explains why this is the case and ways you can work around the problem.

  
Merging Graphics into Word Documents
Ever want to expand the mail merge feature to include graphics? Merging graphics into your document is easy but requires some know-how. This tip explains how Word handles the process.

  
Missing Left Border
Ever wonder why a border around a graphic doesn’t print the way it looks on the screen? There are several ways to add and edit borders. Here’s where to look to find the problem, along with other useful information about printing.

  
Moving Captions with Pictures
Put a caption with a picture and you’d probably like the two elements to behave like they belong together. If you are tired of your captions getting separated from their pictures, here are some ideas you can use.

  
Moving Drawing Objects
When you need to move a drawing object around your document, you use the mouse after you select the object. This tip shows how you can make the move.

  
Moving Object Anchors
When you insert an object into your document, it is anchored to a paragraph. If you want to change the paragraph to which the object is anchored, you can do so by using the technique in this tip.

  
Nudging a Graphic
If you need to move a graphic just a little bit in one direction or another, you can do so by using the techniques in this tip. (Hint: Using the keyboard to nudge a graphic is easiest.)

  
Only Inline Figures Can be Seen and Printed
Insert a graphic into a document and you expect to be able to see it. What do you do if it isn’t displayed, however? Here are some things to check out.

  
Permanent Watermarks in a Document
Need to add a graphic watermark to a document? It’s not that hard to do, but making the watermark permanent can be a bit more vexing.

  
Placing Many Graphics in a Document
Word documents can contain more than just text. You can even create documents that contain almost no text at all. This would be the case if you have a document in which you want to insert a large number of graphics. This tip explains how you can easily do the insertion and make the graphics printable.

  
Positioning Graphics Evenly
If you have some graphics inserted in your document, you may want to adjust the horizontal space between those graphics. Here’s the easiest way to make that adjustment.

  
Problems Pasting Large Pictures
If you insert a large picture in your document and your text jumps all around and the picture seems to disappear, don’t worry. The information in this tip will help you get matters back to normal in record time.

  
Resize Graphics Outside of Word
Need your graphics to be larger or smaller than they first appear when you insert them in a document? Your best bet may be to resize them using a program other than Word. Here’s why.

  
Rotating a Drawing Object
You can add all sorts of drawing objects to a document. Once placed, you can then rotate them to your heart’s content. This tip explains a couple of ways you can perform the rotation.

  
Rotating Fractions in a Text Box
Rotating graphics in Word is not always straight-forward, but it can be done. The tools on the Drawing toolbar allow you to modify the graphics in your document to your needs.

  
Rotating Graphics Around a Different Center Point
You use the rotation handle in Word 2002 and Word 2003 to, well, rotate graphics around a center point. But if you hold down the Ctrl key while you use the handle, you can rotate the graphic around a center point that is even lower in the graphic.

  
Scaling Graphics in a Macro
If you need to make sure that the graphics in a document are all scaled similarly, you’ll love the macros presented in this tip. Use them to scale individual graphics or all the graphics.

  
Searching and Replacing Graphics
Got a bunch of graphics in a document that need replacing? (Perhaps you need to replace an old logo with a new one.) Word doesn’t provide a direct way to do it, but there are ways to get what you want.

  
Searching for Floating Graphics
Graphics can be added to a document so that they are either inline with the text or floating over the text. You can use Word’s Find and Replace tool to locate the inline graphics, but not the floating ones. This tip provides ways you can find the latter type of graphics.

  
Selecting a Graphic Behind a Text Box
How to select a graphic that is obscured by a text box can be perplexing. Here’s an overview of the different ways you can select just the graphic and nothing else.

  
Selecting a Graphic that is Behind Text
Position a graphic so that it is «behind» your text, and it may seem like you can no longer select the graphic. Here’s how you can get to that graphic, even if it is obscured by your text.

  
Selecting Drawing Objects
Word allows you to create all sorts of drawings using a wide assortment of tools. When you need to take an action upon those drawing objects, you need to know how to select them. Here’s how.

  
Stopping Text from Jumping Around
Do you struggle with getting your graphics and surrounding text to appear just the way you want it? Here are some techniques you can use to make the task a bit easier.

  
Turning On Picture Placeholders
Displaying graphics in a document requires a great deal more computer processing than displaying simple text. A document that has «too many» graphics in it scrolls very slowly. If switching from Print layout to Draft view does not speed up scrolling to a satisfactory point you can also tell Word to display the graphics as simple empty box placeholders.

  
Understanding Fill Effects
Want to fill a drawing shape with more than just a color? Word allows you to use all sorts of fills, as described in this tip.

  
Understanding Graphic Linking
Word provides a couple of different ways that graphics can be linked to your document. How you control the method used depends on the choices you make in the Insert Picture dialog box.

  
Understanding Grayscale Images
Word allows you to easily add images to your documents. For documents intended for monochrome printers, grayscale images are the most common type of graphic you can use. This tip explains exactly what a grayscale image is.

  
Understanding Object Anchors
Do you have documents that contain objects? Understanding how Word handles objects and the way they are anchored can make a big difference in the final look of your document. This tip explores object anchors and why they are important.

  
Understanding Page Border Art
Add some artwork around the border of your printed page, and you may not know where that artwork comes from. You may also want to add your own graphics to be used as page borders. Because Word uses a proprietary format for this type of graphic, adding your own artwork may not be possible.

  
Understanding the Drawing Canvas
Need to keep your drawing shapes together in one place? The drawing canvas may be exactly what you are looking for.

  
Unwanted Graph Paper Effect
When you open a document or start to use Word, do you see a background that looks like graph paper? It could be because of any number of reasons, as described in this tip.

  
Using Callouts
If you want to put comments in your document, you can use Word’s built-in comment feature. Another way is to use callout graphics (which function like text boxes) to add your comments.

  
Using MPF Graphic Files
There are all sorts of file formats used to store graphics. You might think that one of those formats is the MPF format, described in this tip.

  
Using the Drawing Grid
One of the lesser-known drawing tools provided in Word is the drawing grid. You can easily turn this feature on and use it to help you create drawing objects that are uniformly sized and placed.

  
Vertical Alignment of an Inline Graphic
Word allows you to insert graphics in two ways: either inline or floating. If you use inline graphics, you may want to adjust the vertical position of the graphic in relation to the text to the left or right of the graphic. Here’s how to do it.

  
Vertical Lines in Word
Lines can help to organize the data on a page or make certain points clearer. Word provides several different ways you can add vertical lines to your page layout.

  
Working With OLE Graphics
An explanation of the way Word imports graphics.

  
Wrapping Text Around a Graphic
Place a graphic in your document, and you may want to make sure that your document text «wraps» around the edges of the graphic. There are several wrapping methods you can instruct Word to use; here’s how to do it.

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Introduction

SmartArt allows you to communicate information with graphics instead of just using text. There are a variety of styles to choose from, which you can use to illustrate many different types of ideas.

Watch the video below to learn more about working with SmartArt.

To insert a SmartArt graphic:

1. Place the insertion point in the document where you want the SmartArt graphic to appear.
2. From the Insert tab, select the SmartArt command in the Illustrations group.

   

3. A dialog box will appear. Select a category on the left, choose the desired SmartArt graphic, then click OK.

   

4. The SmartArt graphic will appear in your document.

   

To add text to a SmartArt graphic:

1. Select the SmartArt graphic. The text pane should appear on the left side. If it doesn’t appear, you can click the small arrow on the left edge of the graphic.. If it doesn’t appear, click the small arrow on the left of the SmartArt to toggle it on and off.

   

2. Enter text next to each bullet in the text pane. The text will appear in the corresponding shape. It will be resized automatically to fit inside the shape.

   

You can also add text by clicking the desired shape and then typing. This works well if you only need to add text to a few shapes. However, for more complex SmartArt graphics, working in the text pane is often faster and easier.

To reorder, add, and delete shapes:

It’s easy to add new shapes, change their order, and even delete shapes from your SmartArt graphic. You can do all of this in the text pane, and it’s a lot like creating an outline with a multilevel list. For more information on multilevel lists, you may want to review our Lists lesson.

• To demote a shape, select the desired bullet, then press the Tab key. The bullet will move to the right, and the shape will move down one level.

  

• To promote a shape, select the desired bullet, then press the Backspace key (or Shift+Tab). The bullet will move to the left, and the shape will move up one level.

  

• To add a new shape, place the insertion point after the desired bullet, then press Enter. A new bullet will appear in the text pane, and a new shape will appear in the graphic.

  

• To remove a shape, keep pressing Backspace until the bullet is deleted. The shape will then be removed. In our example, we’ll delete all of the shapes without text.

  

Organizing SmartArt from the Design tab

If you’d prefer not to use the text pane to organize your SmartArt, you can use the commands on the Design tab in the Create Graphic group. Just select the shape you want to modify, then choose the desired command.

• Promote and Demote: Use these commands to move a shape up or down between levels.

  

• Move Up and Move Down: Use these commands to change the order of shapes on the same level.

  

• Add Shape: Use this command to add a new shape to your graphic. You can also click the drop-down arrow for more exact placement options.

  

In our example, we’ve been organizing a graphic with a hierarchical layout. Not all SmartArt graphics use this type of layout, so remember that these commands may work differently (or not at all) depending on the layout of your graphic.

Customizing SmartArt

After inserting SmartArt, there are several things you might want to change about its appearance. Whenever you select a SmartArt graphic, the Design and Format tabs will appear on the right side of the Ribbon. From there, it’s easy to edit the style and layout of a SmartArt graphic.

• There are several SmartArt styles, which allow you to quickly modify the look and feel of your SmartArt. To change the style, select the desired style from the SmartArt styles group.

  

• You have a variety of color schemes to use with SmartArt. To change the colors, click the Change Colors command and choose the desired option from the drop-down menu.

  

• You can also customize each shape independently. Just select any shape in the graphic, then choose the desired option from the Format tab.

  

To change the SmartArt layout:

If you don’t like the way your information is organized within a SmartArt graphic, you can always change its layout to better fit your content.

1. From the Design tab, click the More drop-down arrow in the Layouts group.

   

2. Choose the desired layout, or click More Layouts to see even more options.

   

3. The selected layout will appear.

   

If the new layout is too different from the original, some of your text may not appear. Before deciding on a new layout, check carefully to make sure no important information will be lost.

Challenge!

1. Open a blank document.
2. Insert a Basic Cycle SmartArt graphic from the Cycle category.
3. Insert the following text in clockwise order: Condensation, Evaporation, Infiltration, Precipitation, Collection.
4. Delete the shape containing the word Infiltration.
5. Select the shape containing Evaporation, and click the Move Down command twice to move the shape between Collection and Condensation.
6. Change the SmartArt Layout to Block Cycle.
7. Change the colors of the SmartArt to a range of your choice.
8. Change the SmartArt Style to Intense Effect.
9. When you’re finished, your SmartArt should look like this:

   

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