Move pictures on word

By default, you can’t freely move pictures (by drag-and-drop) to any position in a Microsoft Word document without also placing them somewhere in the text. But with a small change, you can drag images anywhere. Here’s how.

Make a Picture Freely Move in a Word Document

Using the method below, you can move a picture anywhere you want in your Word document—outside of the normal flow of text. You can even place the picture on top of an existing block of text if you want.

We’ll use a blank document to do this. Start by opening Microsoft Word on your Windows or Mac computer. On Word’s first screen, select “Blank Document” to create a new document.

In Word’s editing window that opens, click the “Insert” tab at the top.

In the “Insert” tab under the “Illustrations” section, click Pictures > This Device. This lets you add a picture from your computer.

Use the “File Explorer” window that opens to navigate to the folder containing your picture. Double-click the picture to add it to your Word document.

Back on Word’s editing screen, right-click the image that you just added and select Wrap Text > In Front of Text from the menu.

Your picture is now freely movable. Drag and drop it anywhere you want in your document.

Make All Future Pictures Freely Move in a Word Document

If you’d like to make all of your future pictures freely move in your Word documents, you can modify an option in Word’s settings menu. To do so, first, open Microsoft Word on your Windows or Mac computer.

On Word’s main screen in the lower-left corner, click “Options.”

Note: If you’re on Word’s document editing screen instead, click “File” at the top to see the “Options” option.

In the “Word Options” window, select “Advanced” in the sidebar on the left.

Scroll down the right pane to the “Cut, Copy, and Paste” section. In this section, find the “Insert/Paste Pictures As” option and click the drop-down menu next to it.

Select “In Front of Text” in the drop-down menu.

Click “OK” at the bottom of the “Word Options” window to close the window.

And that’s it. From now on, Word will allow you to freely move pictures on top of text in your documents.

If you ever need to remove many images from your Word document, it’s easy to remove all of them at once. This handy tip can save you a lot of time in the future. Good luck!

RELATED: How to Quickly Remove All Images from a Word Document

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Learn how to freely move your pictures without restrictions

by Milan Stanojevic

Milan has been enthusiastic about technology ever since his childhood days, and this led him to take interest in all PC-related technologies. He’s a PC enthusiast and he… read more

Updated on February 13, 2023

Reviewed by
Vlad Turiceanu

Passionate about technology, Windows, and everything that has a power button, he spent most of his time developing new skills and learning more about the tech world. Coming… read more

Microsoft Word is the most popular word processor in the world, and it is heavily used by both home and office users.

Word has a wide array of features, and in today’s article, we’re going to show you how to move a picture in Word and how to wrap text around it.

How can I move pictures in Word?

1. Wrap text around it

1. Open Word, create a new document, and add a picture to it.
2. Now select the picture that you added.
3. Go to the Layout tab and choose Wrap Text.
   
4. Select any option from the menu except In Line with Text.
   
5. The text will now wrap around the image.
6. To move the image, simply click the image and drag it to the desired position.

You can also experiment with different layout options in order to find suitable text wrapping for your needs.

2. Move an image to an exact position

1. Go to Layout > Wrap Text > More Layout Options. Alternatively, you can select the image, and go to Layout Options > See more.
   
2. Now you’ll be able to set the exact position relative to column, page, characters, and other elements.
   

For more precision, you can also use the advanced layout options. To do that, follow the steps above.

This option is useful if you’re planning to print a document, and you need to ensure that your images are positioned perfectly for printing.

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• Fix: Microsoft Office not opening [Word, Excel, PowerPoint]
• Word Autosave Location: Where Is It And How to Access It

3. Freely move a picture using arrow keys

1. Open Microsoft Word.

2. Upload the image you want to add to it, then select it.

3. Go to Layout options.

4. Select any option from the With Text Wrapping section.

5. The text will now wrap around your image and you can move it freely.

An easy method to move a picture in Word is to change the Layout Option right from the image itself. You can also move your image pixel by pixel by using the arrow keys.

Wrapping text around an image in Word and moving the image is pretty simple, and you just need to use the Wrap Text feature in Word. Thus, you will be able to freely move a picture in Word.

After doing that, you should be able to move the image freely simply by dragging it to the desired position.

If you found this guide useful, let us know in the comments below.

Double-click the picture to add it to your Word document. Back on Word’s editing screen, right-click the image that you just added and select Wrap Text > In Front of Text from the menu. Your picture is now freely movable. Drag and drop it anywhere you want in your document.

Why can’t I freely move pictures in Word?

Please tell me the ways to move image’s in every situation…. 2. Choose a wrapping option OTHER THAN In-line with Text. If you choose In-Line with Text you won’t be able to freely position the picture object.

How do you move an object freely in Word?

First, confirm that the object is not set to In Line with Text: With the object selected click the Arrange button on the Shape Format contextual tab. From the Wrap Text choices select the method you prefer. You then should be able to freely drag the object to any location.

How do I move a picture in Word 2013?

In your Word 2013 document, select the picture you would like to move. Choose Picture Tools Format→Position button to open a menu of positions. Choose the position that shows the picture in the upper-right corner of the document. Drag the picture downward so that its top aligns with the top of the first body paragraph.

How do you move a picture on word without snapping it?

Turn off the snap-to options

1. Click a chart, picture, or object in the document.
2. On the right end of the ribbon, select Format > Align > Grid Settings.
3. To turn off the Snap objects to grid when the gridlines are not displayed or Snap objects to other objects settings, clear the respective box.

How do you move pictures on Microsoft Word 2007?

How to Move a Picture in Word 2007

1. Launch Microsoft Word 2007 and open a document that contains a picture.
2. Click the picture that you would like to move to select it.
3. Hold down your left mouse button and drag the picture to a new location in the document.

How do I drag an image?

Instructions

1. Step 1: Begin the drag operation. Use the ImageList_BeginDrag function to begin a drag operation.
2. Step 2: Move the image. The ImageList_DragMove function moves the image to a new location.
3. Step 3: End the drag operation.

How do I place pictures side by side in Word?

Click and drag the first image to where you want it on the page. Release the mouse button. Click and drag the second image next to the first, where you want it to align. As the sides come close to each other, Word will automatically snap the second image into place next to the first.

Where is layout options in Word?

The layout options and compatibility options in Word 2007 and later versions are found near the bottom of the Word Options dialog box > Advanced category. This illustration shows the options found in Word 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word for Microsoft 365.

How do you move floating pictures?

Firstly, right click on the picture and move cursor over “Wrap Text” option on the contextual menu. Next choose any style other than “In line with text”. Then you will be able to drag the picture to wherever you like.

How do I insert a picture in Word 2007 without moving text?

You can add a picture in the top left corner of a document and have the text flow around it.

1. Select a picture.
2. Go to Picture Format or Format > Position, and under Format with Text Wrapping, select Top Left. Tip: You can drag the image around the document and align it any way you like.

How do I move pictures in Windows 10?

To move a file or folder from one window to another, drag it there while holding down the right mouse button. Select the Traveler file. Moving the mouse drags the file along with it, and Windows explains that you’re moving the file. (Be sure to hold down the right mouse button the entire time.)

How do I insert an image into drag and drop?

To add an image to your item:

1. From the left panel in the Drag and Drop editor, click Images.
2. Double-click on an image style to add it to the first page of your item.
3. When the image type is added to your item, the image selector window will display.

How do you drag photos on a laptop?

Press “Ctrl-A” to select all of the files in a folder or on the desktop; press “Ctrl” and then click each object with the left button on the touchpad to select specific files. Hold down the left button and drag the files to the target destination, such as another folder in Windows Explorer.

How do I layout a picture in Word?

Open Layout Options

1. Select a picture.
2. Select the Layout Options icon.
3. Choose the layout options you want: To bring your picture in front of the text and set it so it stays at a certain spot on the page, select In Front of Text (under With Text Wrapping), and then select Fix position on page.

How can I put two pictures side by side?

How to arrange two photos or screenshots side by side

1. Step 1: Open Quick Picture Tools in your browser.
2. Step 2: Click the Add button in the first of the four boxes, the one in the top left.
3. Step 3: Repeat the process, this time clicking the Add button in the top right box.

How do I do side by side in Word?

View and compare documents side by side

1. Open both of the files that you want to compare.
2. On the View tab, in the Window group, click View Side by Side. Notes: To scroll both documents at the same time, click Synchronous Scrolling. in the Window group on the View tab.

How do you stop pictures moving in Word 2016?

Click on the Picture Position tab. Under both the Horizontal and Vertical selections, select Absolute Position, and pick “Page” from the drop-down menu at the right. Also, click on the checkbox that says “Lock anchor.” Now, your pictures won’t move around the page.

More than ever, pictures are critical to the effectiveness of your communication materials. With the image formatting and layout tools in Microsoft Word, it’s possible to add and manipulate pictures in your document—even if you’re a beginner.

Starting with a Microsoft Word template makes it even easier. With a well-designed Word template, the positioning and formatting of pictures have already been done for you. All you’ve got to do is to drag your pictures into the image placeholders. 

Even if you’re using a template for Word, it’s good to know how to format pictures so you can make your document look exactly the way you want it to.

In this article, you’re going to see, step-by-step, how to work with pictures in Microsoft Word.

(Note: The screenshots below show Microsoft Word for Mac. The screens and steps may be slightly different if you’re using a different version of Word.)

How to Insert a Picture in Word

To add a picture to a Word document, click Insert > Pictures. From here, you’ve got three options:

1. Photo Browser

If you choose this option, you’ll be able to select an image from the existing photo sets on your computer. On a Mac, that includes photos in iPhoto and Photo Booth. When you find the picture you want to use, click on it, then drag it into the document.

2. Picture From File

This option lets you insert an image from another location on your computer. Find the image file, select it, then click Insert.

3. Online Pictures

Insert pictures in Word from the web by selecting Online Pictures…. This opens a Bing image search right inside your document. Type a keyword or phrase in the search bar.

By default, the Creative Commons only filter is checked. Keep this selected to make sure you don’t violate any copyright laws. Click on the filter icon to filter the image results by other parameters. 

Select an image by clicking on it, then click Insert. You can select several images before clicking the Insert button. 

Microsoft Word automatically includes the image attribution and license details as a caption.

Note: While you can import many image formats into Word, the ones that work best are JPG and PNG.

How to Format Pictures in Word

After importing pictures into Word, you can apply different formatting settings to each Microsoft Word picture and control its appearance. Below are some of the most basic image formatting you can apply in Word:

1. Resize an Image

Resize a picture in two ways:

Resizing Method 1

Click on the picture. Press and hold the Shift key, then click and drag one of the sizing handles either towards or away from the center. 

Holding the Shift key ensures that the proportion of the picture is retained. Otherwise, it would become distorted and your entire document will look amateurish. 

Resizing Method 2

This method allows you to resize the picture to a specific length or width. Click on the picture, then click on the Picture Format tab. Type the length or width you wish the image to have.

By default, the original proportion of the image is retained even when you change either the length or width of the image. Keep this checked to avoid distorting the image.

2. Rotate or Flip Images

To rotate an image, do so either manually or by a specific amount.

Manual Image Rotation

To rotate an image manually, click on the image to select it. Click on the rotation handle and drag it in the direction you want. 

Flip or Rotate an Image By a Specific Amount

Rotate a picture by a specific amount. Click on the picture, then go to Picture Format > Rotate. From here, you’ve got the option to:

• Rotate Right 90°
• Rotate Left 90°
• Flip Vertical
• Flip Horizontal
• Select More Rotation Options

To rotate a picture to an exact angle, choose Select More Rotation Options.

Type in the amount you wish to rotate the object, then click OK.

How to Crop Photos in Word

If you’re wondering how to crop a picture in Microsoft Word, it’s not difficult. Follow the steps below to not only crop an image, but also to dress it up by cropping it to a shape or adding decorative borders:

1. Basic Image Cropping

To crop a picture, select the picture, then go to Picture Format > Crop > Crop. 

Black cropping handles appear on the sides of the picture. From here:

• Crop one side. Drag one side handle inward.
• Crop two adjacent sides at the same time. Drag one corner inward.

Click outside the image to apply the crop.

2. Crop Image to a Shape

To crop the picture to a specific shape, select the picture. Go to Picture Format > Crop > Crop to Shape. Select a shape from the selection that appears.

Click away from the picture to apply the new shape.

3. Frames and Borders

Borders are an easy way to dress up a picture in Microsoft Word. To add a border, select the picture, go to Picture Format. Click on the Picture Border button on the ribbon to reveal the border options.

From here, choose the color, weight, and dash style you wish to use for the border. 

To add a frame, click on the picture, then go to Picture Format. Click on the Picture Quick Styles button on the ribbon. Select the border you want to use.

How to Use Image Editing Tools

There are many Word image editing tools. Learn how to format pictures in Word by removing the background or adjusting the brightness. Here’s how:

1. Remove Background

Microsoft Word allows you to remove the background from your pictures. This feature works best if the color of the background is distinct from the colors on the main subject of the picture.

To remove the background, select the image. Go to Picture Format > Remove Background.

Use the tools provided to select which parts of the image you wish to keep and which parts you want to remove.

The parts that’ll be removed are colored pink.

When you’re happy with the selection, click Keep Changes.

2. Sharpness and Brightness Corrections 

Improve the sharpness and brightness of your pictures in Microsoft Word. To adjust these, select the picture. Go to Picture Format > Corrections. Select the sharpness and brightness/contrast settings you wish to use.

To more finely control these settings, go to Picture Format > Corrections > Picture Corrections Options. The Format Picture sidebar appears. It allows you to provide specific settings for sharpness, brightness, and contrast.

3. Picture Color

Microsoft Word also allows you to control the color saturation and tone of your picture. And you can recolor the entire picture for special effects. Select the picture, go to Picture Format > Color. Select any of the options that appear.

From here choose:

• More Variations. Recolors the image with a different color from the options provided.
• Set Transparent Color. Makes certain colors transparent so that the color of the background shows through.
• Picture Color Options. Opens the Format Picture sidebar, where you can fine-tune the settings for color saturation, tone, and recolor.

How to Use Layout Options 

Microsoft Word’s layout options for images lets you control how photos are displayed alongside text.

By default, a picture is set to be «In line with text.» This means the picture is treated as an object that moves with the text. This means whatever formatting is applied to the text applies to the picture as well, which may not be how you want it to appear. When a picture is in line with text, you won’t be able to drag and drop it to a different part of the document.

To set up a picture’s layout options, select the image, then go to Picture Format > Position. Select one of the pre-configured layout options to position your picture on the page.

Gain more control by going to Picture Format > Wrap Text.

Select one of the text wrapping options:

• Square — wraps text around the picture in a square shape

• Tight — wraps text following the shape of the picture

• Through — shows text through all the “open” parts of the picture (may only be visible with certain picture shapes)

• Top and Bottom — wraps text only above and below the picture

These text wrapping options allow you to overlay pictures in Word or merge them together into a collage-type layout.

You’ve got other options:

• Behind text. Overlays the text in front of the picture
• In Front of Text. Places text behind the picture, covering it
• Edit Wrap Boundary. Lets you fine-tune how text wraps around the picture, which is especially useful if it’s irregularly shaped
• Move with text. Keeps the picture anchored to the text
• Fix position on page. Keeps the picture on the same position relative to the page, even if the text moves
• More Layout Options …. Gives you precise control over the picture layout

How to Move Pictures in Word and Arrange them on the Page

You may be wondering how to move a picture in Microsoft Word. The easiest way to move a picture is by clicking and dragging it. If this doesn’t work, the picture is probably set to be inline with text. Follow the instructions above to select a different text wrapping option.

To move multiple images, hold the shift key down as you click on each picture. Then, drag and drop them into place.

You can also move images using precise measurements. Select the image, go to Picture Format > Position > More Layout Options …. Specify the horizontal and vertical position of the picture relative to an element of the page.

Get Creative With Pictures in Word

Use the skills you learned above to add pictures in your Word documents and display them exactly the way you envision. As you’ve seen, it’s easy to control the appearance and placement of images on the page. By following the steps above, you can produce professional-looking documents all by yourself. However, we’ve only scratched the surface of the many ways you can work with pictures in Word!

Of course, if you prefer to have these design choices made for you, you’ve got the option to start with a Microsoft Word template. If you make a lot of Word documents, then you’ll like the cost-effectiveness of Envato Elements. You get unlimited downloads of templates as well as fonts, stock photos, and more for one low subscription price. On the other hand, GraphicRiver may be a better option if you only need the one-off template.

This gives you the ultimate convenience because professionally-designed Word templates have image placeholders. All you’ve got to do is to drag and drop your own pictures into the placeholders. The picture formatting steps in this article will help you fine-tune the image settings as you wish.

Now you, too, can get more creative—and effective—with pictures in Microsoft Word. But first, get your head start by downloading your favorite MS Word Template from Envato Elements or GraphicRiver.

Зачастую, изображения в Microsoft Word должны не просто быть на странице документа, а присутствовать в строго обозначенном месте. Следовательно, картинку необходимо переместить, и для этого, в большинстве случаев, достаточно просто потянуть ее левой кнопкой мышки в необходимом направлении.

Урок: Изменение изображений в Ворд

В большинстве не значит, что всегда… Если в документе есть текст, около которого и расположен рисунок, такое «грубое» перемещение может нарушить форматирование. Для того, чтобы правильно переместить изображение в Word, следует подобрать правильные параметры разметки.

Урок: Как в Ворде форматировать текст

Если вы не знаете, как добавить картинку в документ Microsoft Word, воспользуйтесь нашей инструкцией.

Урок: Как в Ворде вставить изображение

Изображение, добавленное в документ, находится в специальной рамке, обозначающей его границы. В левом верхнем углу находится якорь — место привязки объекта, в правом верхнем — кнопка, с помощью которой и можно изменить параметры разметки.

Урок: Как в Word поставить якорь

Нажав на этот значок, вы можете выбрать подходящий параметр разметки.

Это же можно сделать и во вкладке «Формат», которая открывается после вставки рисунка в документ. Просто выберите там параметр «Обтекание текстом».

Примечание: «Обтекание текстом» — это и есть основной параметр, с помощью которого можно грамотно вписать картинку в документ с текстом. Если ваша задача — не просто переместить изображение на пустой странице, а красиво и правильно расположить его в документе, где есть текст, обязательно прочтите нашу статью.

Урок: Как сделать обтекание картинки текстом в Ворде

Кроме того, если стандартные параметры разметки вас не устраивают, в меню кнопки «Обтекание текстом» можно выбрать пункт «Дополнительные параметры разметки» и выполнить там необходимые настройки.

Параметры «Перемещать с текстом» и «Зафиксировать положение на странице» говорят сами за себя. При выборе первого картинка будет перемещаться вместе с текстовым содержимым документа, которое, конечно же, может изменяться и дополняться. Во втором — изображение будет находиться в конкретном месте документа, чтобы не происходило с текстом и любыми другими объектами, содержащимися в документе.

Выбрав параметры «За текстом» или «Перед текстом», вы сможете свободно перемещать картинку по документу, не оказывая влияния на текст и его положение. В первом случае текст будет находиться поверх изображения, во втором — за ним. Если это необходимо, вы всегда можете изменить прозрачность рисунка.

Урок: Как изменить прозрачность картинки в Word

Если вам нужно переместить изображение в строго вертикальном или горизонтальном направлении, зажмите клавишу «SHIFT» и потяните его мышкой в нужном направлении.

Для перемещения картинки небольшими шагами кликните по ней мышкой, зажмите клавишу «CTRL» и перемещайте объект с помощью стрелок на клавиатуре.

При необходимости повернуть изображение, воспользуйтесь нашей инструкцией.

Урок: Как в Ворде повернуть рисунок

Вот и все, теперь вы знаете, как перемещать картинки в Microsoft Word. Продолжайте осваивать возможности этой программы, а мы сделаем все возможное для того, чтобы облегчить для вас этот процесс.

Last Update: Jan 03, 2023

This is a question our experts keep getting from time to time. Now, we have got the complete detailed explanation and answer for everyone, who is interested!

Asked by: Chyna Smitham

Score: 4.8/5
(17 votes)

Double-click the picture to add it to your Word document. Back on Word’s editing screen, right-click the image that you just added and select Wrap Text > In Front of Text from the menu. Your picture is now freely movable. Drag and drop it anywhere you want in your document.

How do you move an object freely in Word?

First, confirm that the object is not set to In Line with Text: With the object selected click the Arrange button on the Shape Format contextual tab. From the Wrap Text choices select the method you prefer. You then should be able to freely drag the object to any location.

How do you move a picture in Word that is locked?

How Do I Lock a Photo in a Word Document So It Doesn’t Move?

How do I resize and move a picture in Word?

Click on the picture. Press and hold the Shift key, then click and drag one of the sizing handles either towards or away from the center. Holding the Shift key ensures that the proportion of the picture is retained.

Why can’t I move pictures in Word?

You must set the layout to something other than ‘in-line‘ before you can drag it around. You can only move them around if their layout property is set to something other than in-line, otherwise you can cut and paste to a new position, just like a font character.

37 related questions found

Use layout options to achieve the look you want

Updated on January 22, 2021

What to Know

• Click and drag the image. To protect the text flow, select the image and go to Layout Options > Front of Text, Square, or Move With Text.
• Precision-move an image: Press Ctrl and use the arrow keys. Group images: press Ctrl, click each image, right-click, and select Group.
• Overlap images: Select an image and go to Layout Options > See more. Choose Allow overlap and select OK. Repeat as needed.

This article explains how to reposition an image after you insert it into a Microsoft Word document. For example, you may want to overlap photos or set a specific text-wrapping pattern. Instructions cover Word for Microsoft 365, Word Online, Word 2019, Word 2016, and Word 2013.

Use Layout Options in Word to Position Images

Positioning an image in Word usually requires only clicking it and dragging it where you want. That doesn’t always work, however, because the text flow around the image may change in a way that doesn’t look right for the document. If that happens, use the Layout Options to reposition the image.

1. Select the image.

2. Select Layout Options.

3. Choose one of the text wrapping options. For example, if you want your picture to stay in a certain spot on the page in front of the text, select Front of Text and Fix position on page. If you want to wrap text around the image but have it move up and down on the page as needed, select Square and Move with text.

Move an Image or Group of Images Precisely

To move an image a small amount to align it with another element in the document, select the image. Then, press and hold the Ctrl key while you press one of the arrow keys to move the picture in the direction you want it to go.

To move several images in this manner at once, first group the images. To do that, press and hold Ctrl while you click each image, then right-click and choose Group.

If you can’t group the images, the images may be set to move inline with text. Go to the Layout Options and change the layout to any of the options in the With Text Wrapping section.

Overlap Images in Word

It’s not immediately apparent how to overlay photos in Word. Here’s how to do it:

1. Select an image.

2. Select Layout Options > See more.

3. Select the Allow overlap check box.

4. Select OK.

5. Repeat this process for each picture you want to overlap.

Thanks for letting us know!

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