This article is for people with visual or cognitive impairments who use a screen reader program such as Microsoft’s Narrator, JAWS, or NVDA with the Microsoft 365 products. This article is part of the Microsoft 365 screen reader support content set where you can find more accessibility information on our apps. For general help, visit Microsoft Support home or Fixes or workarounds for recent office issues.
Use Word with your keyboard and a screen reader to insert a picture or image from your computer or an online source. We’ve tested it with Narrator, JAWS, and NVDA, but it might work with other screen readers as long as they follow common accessibility standards and techniques. You’ll also learn how to add alt texts to the pictures to make them more accessible.
Need instructions on how to insert pictures to a Word document, but not using a screen reader? See Insert pictures.
Notes:
-
New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.
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To learn more about screen readers, go to How screen readers work with Microsoft 365.
In this topic
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Insert an image or picture from your computer
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Insert an image from an online source
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Place a picture in line with text
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Add alt text to an image
Insert an image or picture from your computer
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In your Word document, place the insertion point where you want to insert an image.
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Press Alt+N, P, D. The Insert Picture dialog box opens. The focus is on the File name text field.
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Use the Tab key and the arrow keys to navigate to the location of the picture on your computer. When you hear the name of the picture, followed by «Selected,» press Enter. The original picture is embedded into your document.
Tip: If your picture has a large file size, it can make your document too large. To reduce the size of your document, you can link to the picture instead of embedding it. In the Insert Picture dialog box, press the Tab key until you hear with Narrator and NVDA: «Insert, split button.» With JAWS, you hear: «Leaving menus, Insert button.» Press the Down arrow key until you hear «Link to file,» and then press Enter.
Insert an image from an online source
If you don’t have the perfect picture on your computer, you can search for and insert a picture from a web location straight from Word.
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In your Word document, place the insertion point where you want to insert an image.
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Press Alt+N, P, O. The Bing image search dialog box opens. The focus is on the search text field.
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Type your search words to describe the picture you’re looking for, and then press Enter. The search results are listed, and the focus is on the first matching image.
Tip: To browse for more images from your OneDrive, press the Tab key until you hear «OneDrive,» and press Enter.
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Use the arrow keys to browse the search results. Your screen reader describes each image as you move through the search results.
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To select an image, press Spacebar.
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To insert the selected image, press the Tab key until you hear «Insert,» and press Enter. Word downloads and inserts the image into your document.
Place a picture in line with text
To be read correctly by a screen reader, the picture has to be in line with the text. By default, Word inserts a picture in line with text, but you can check it to make sure that the screen readers can read the pictures.
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In your Word document, move the focus to the picture you want. When the focus is on the picture, you hear the file name or number of the picture, followed by «Image.»
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Press Shift+Right arrow key once to select the picture. Then press Shift+F10. The context menu opens.
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Press the Up arrow key until you hear «Wrap text,» and then press the Right arrow key once. You hear: «In line with text.» Press Enter. If you don’t hear «In line with text,» press the Up arrow key until you reach the In line with text button, and press Enter.
Add alt text to an image
Add alt text to the images to make your document accessible to all audiences. For more information on alt text, refer to Everything you need to know to write effective alt text.
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In your Word document, move the focus to the picture that you want to add alt text to. When the focus is on the image, you hear the page you’re on, the file name or the number of the image, followed by «Image.» Press Shift+Right arrow key once to select the image.
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Press Shift+F10 to open the context menu.
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Press the Up arrow key until you hear «Edit alt text,» and press Enter.
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The Alt Text pane opens, and the focus is on the alt text field. Type alt text for the image.
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When you’re ready, press Esc to return to the body of the document.
See also
Use a screen reader to insert a hyperlink in Word
Use a screen reader to align text and paragraphs in Word
Keyboard shortcuts in Word
Basic tasks using a screen reader with Word
Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365
Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Word
What’s new in Microsoft 365: Release notes for Current Channel
Use Word for Mac with your keyboard and VoiceOver, the built-in MacOS screen reader, to insert a picture or image into a document. You’ll also learn how to add alt texts to the pictures to make them more accessible.
Need instructions on how to insert pictures to a Word document, but not using a screen reader? See Insert pictures.
Notes:
-
New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.
-
This topic assumes that you are using the built-in macOS screen reader, VoiceOver. To learn more about using VoiceOver, go to VoiceOver Getting Started Guide.
In this topic
-
Insert an image or picture from your computer
-
Insert an image from an online source
-
Place a picture in line with text
-
Add alt text to an image
Insert an image or picture from your computer
-
In your Word document, place the insertion point where you want to insert an image.
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Press F6 until you hear the currently selected tab on the ribbon, for example, «Home, selected, tab.» Press Control+Option+Right or Left arrow key until you hear «Insert tab,» and press Control+Option+Spacebar.
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Press the Tab key until you hear «Pictures, menu button,» and press Control+Option+Spacebar.
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Press Control+Option+Right arrow key until you hear «Picture from file,» and then press Control+Option+Spacebar.
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A dialog box opens with the focus on a recent images folder. To access the images in this folder, press Control+Option+Right arrow key. To browse to another location, use the Tab key, Shift+Tab, and the arrow keys.
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When on the correct location, use the Up or Down arrow key to browse the files or subfolders. To open a subfolder, press the Right arrow key.
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When you’ve located the correct image file, press Return. The picture is inserted into the document.
Insert an image from an online source
If you don’t have the perfect picture on your computer, you can search for and insert a picture from a web location straight from Word for Mac.
-
In your Word document, place the insertion point where you want to insert an image.
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Press F6 until you hear the currently selected tab on the ribbon, for example, «Home, selected, tab.» Press Control+Option+Right or Left arrow key until you hear «Insert tab,» and press Control+Option+Spacebar.
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Press the Tab key until you hear «Pictures, menu button,» and press Control+Option+Spacebar.
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Press Control+Option+Right arrow key until you hear «Online pictures,» and then press Control+Option+Spacebar.
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The Bing image search pane opens. The focus is on the search text field. Type your search words to describe the picture you’re looking for, and then press Return. The search results are listed, and the focus is on the first matching image.
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Press Control+Option+Right or Left arrow key to browse the search results. VoiceOver describes each image as you move through the search results.
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To select an image, press Control+Option+Spacebar.
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To insert the selected image, press the Tab key until you hear «Insert,» and press Control+Option+Spacebar. Word downloads and inserts the image into your document.
Place a picture in line with text
To be read correctly by a screen reader, the picture has to be in line with the text.
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In your Word document, move the cursor before the picture you want, press and hold Shift, and then press the Right arrow key once to select the picture. You hear: «Grouped object, you’re currently on a grouped object.»
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Press F6 until you hear: «Picture format.»
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Press the Tab key until you hear «Position button,» and then press Control+Option+Spacebar.
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Press Control+Option+Left arrow key until you hear «In line with text,» and press Control+Option+Spacebar.
Add alt text to an image
Add alt text to the images to make your document accessible to all audiences. For more information on alt text, refer to Everything you need to know to write effective alt text.
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In your Word document, select the picture that you want to add alt text to. To select a picture in Word, place the cursor before the image, hold down Shift, and then press the Right arrow key. You hear: «Grouped object, you’re currently on a grouped object.»
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Press Control+Option+Shift+M. The context menu opens. Press Control+Option+Right arrow key until you hear «Edit alt text,» and press Control+Option+Spacebar.
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The Alt Text pane opens, and the focus in on the alt text field. Type alt text for the image.
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When you’re ready, press Shift+Tab until you hear «Close alt text button,» and press Control+Option+Spacebar. The Alt Text pane closes, and the focus moves back to your document.
See also
Use a screen reader to insert a hyperlink in Word
Use a screen reader to align text and paragraphs in Word
Keyboard shortcuts in Word
Basic tasks using a screen reader with Word
Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365
Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Word
What’s new in Microsoft 365: Release notes for Current Channel
Use Word for iOS with VoiceOver, the built-in iOS screen reader, to insert a picture or image into a document. You’ll also learn how to add alt texts to the pictures to make them more accessible.
Notes:
-
New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.
-
This topic assumes that you are using the built-in iOS screen reader, VoiceOver. To learn more about using VoiceOver, visit Apple accessibility.
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We recommend you read and edit documents in Print Layout View. VoiceOver might not work reliably in other view modes.
In this topic
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Insert an image or picture from your phone
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Insert a picture from the camera
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Place a picture in line with text
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Add alt text to an image
Insert an image or picture from your phone
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While editing your Word document, place the insertion point where you want to insert an image.
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Tap near the top of the screen with four fingers, swipe right until you hear «Show ribbon,» and double-tap the screen. You hear the currently selected tab, for example, «Home tab.»
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Double-tap the screen, swipe right or left until you hear “Insert tab,” and double-tap the screen. You hear: “Insert tab.”
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Swipe right until you hear “Insert pictures button,” and double-tap the screen. The Photos app opens.
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Swipe right until you hear the image location you want, and then double-tap the screen to select.
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To browse the images, swipe right or left. As you move, VoiceOver announces the images by the image types and dates.
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When on the picture you want to insert into the document, double-tap the screen. The picture is inserted and the focus returns to your document with the image selected.
Insert a picture from the camera
You can open the device camera straight from Word for iOS, take a photo, and then insert the photo into the document.
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While editing your Word document, place the insertion point where you want to insert a picture.
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Tap near the top of the screen with four fingers, swipe right until you hear «Show ribbon,» and double-tap the screen. You hear the currently selected tab, for example, «Home tab.»
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Double-tap the screen, swipe right or left until you hear “Insert tab,” and double-tap the screen. You hear: “Insert tab.”
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Swipe right until you hear “Insert pictures button,” and double-tap the screen. The Photos app opens.
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Swipe right until you hear “Insert picture from camera, button,” and then double-tap the screen. The Camera app opens.
Note: If you hear «Word would like to access the camera,» swipe right until you hear «OK, button,» and double-tap the screen.
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Swipe right until you hear «Take picture, button,» point the camera in the right direction, and double-tap the screen.
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Swipe right or left until you hear «Use photo, button,» and then double-tap the screen to insert the photo. The focus returns to your document.
Place a picture in line with text
To be read correctly by a screen reader, the picture has to be in line with the text.
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While editing your Word document, slide one finger around the document body until you hear the image you want. When the image is in focus, VoiceOver announces the image file name, followed by «Image,» and the image layout. Double-tap the screen. You hear: «Selected.»
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Tap near the bottom of the screen with four fingers, swipe left until you hear «Show ribbon,» and double-tap the screen. You hear: «Picture tab.»
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Swipe right until you hear «Wrap text button,» and double-tap the screen. Swipe left until you hear «In line with text,» and double-tap the screen.
Add alt text to an image
Add alt text to the images to make your document accessible to all audiences. For more information on alt text, refer to Everything you need to know to write effective alt text.
-
While editing your Word document, to select a picture, slide one finger around the document body until you hear the image you want to add alt text to. When the image is in focus, VoiceOver announces the image file name, followed by «Image,» and the image layout. Double-tap the screen. You hear: «Selected.»
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Tap near the bottom of the screen with four fingers, swipe left until you hear «Show ribbon,» and double-tap the screen. You hear: «Picture tab.»
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Swipe right until you hear «Alt text button,» and double-tap the screen.
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To add alt text, swipe right until you hear «Description, text field,» double-tap the screen, and then use the on-screen keyboard to type alt text for the image.
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When you’re ready, tap near the top of the screen with four fingers, swipe right until you hear «Done button,» and double-tap the screen. The focus moves back to the document body.
See also
Use a screen reader to insert and change text in Word
Use a screen reader to set line spacing and indenting in Word
Basic tasks using a screen reader with Word
Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365
Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Word
What’s new in Microsoft 365: Release notes for Current Channel
Use Word for Android with TalkBack, the built-in Android screen reader, to insert a picture or image into a document. You’ll also learn how to add alt texts to the pictures to make them more accessible.
Notes:
-
New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.
-
This topic assumes that you are using the built-in Android screen reader, TalkBack. To learn more about using TalkBack, go to Android accessibility.
In this topic
-
Insert an image or picture from your phone
-
Insert a picture from the camera
-
Place a picture in line with text
-
Add alt text to an image
Insert an image or picture from your phone
-
While editing your Word document, place the insertion point where you want to insert an image.
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Swipe left until you hear «More options button,» and double-tap the screen. You hear the currently selected tab, for example, «Home tab.» Double-tap the screen, swipe right or left until you hear “Insert tab,” and double-tap the screen.
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Swipe right until you hear “Pictures menu,” and double-tap the screen. The Pictures menu opens.
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Swipe right until you hear “Photos button,” and double-tap the screen. The default gallery app opens.
Note: If you’re signed in and using your organization’s phone and account, you might have to switch to your personal account or select a gallery app before you can insert an image into a document.
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Do one of the following:
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To navigate through the pictures in the currently selected image storage location, swipe right until you hear the image you want.
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To navigate to another storage location, for example, Downloads or Images, swipe left until you hear «Show roots button,» and then double-tap the screen. Swipe right until you hear the location you want, and then double-tap the screen. Swipe left or right until you hear the image you want.
TalkBack announces the images by their filenames, sizes, and dates.
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When on the image you want to insert, double-tap the screen. The image preview opens.
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Swipe right until you hear «Done,» and then double-tap the screen. The image is inserted and the focus returns to your document with the image selected.
Insert a picture from the camera
You can open the device camera straight from Word for Android, take a photo, and then insert the photo into the document.
-
While editing your Word document, place the insertion point where you want to insert a picture.
-
Swipe left until you hear «More options button,» and double-tap the screen. You hear the currently selected tab, for example, «Home tab.» Double-tap the screen, swipe right or left until you hear “Insert tab,” and double-tap the screen.
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Swipe right until you hear “Pictures menu,” and then double-tap the screen. The Pictures menu opens.
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Swipe right until you hear “Camera button,” and then double-tap the screen. The Camera app opens.
Note: If you hear «Allow Word to take pictures and record video, Allow button,» double-tap the screen.
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To take a picture, swipe right until you hear «Capture,» point the camera to the right direction, and then double-tap the screen.
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The image is captured, and the editing view opens. Swipe right until you hear «Confirm,» and double-tap the screen.
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The image preview opens. Swipe right until you hear «Done,» and then double-tap the screen. The image is inserted and the focus returns to your document with the image selected.
Place a picture in line with text
To be read correctly by a screen reader, the picture has to be in line with the text.
-
While editing your Word document, slide one finger around the document body until you hear the image you want. When the focus is on the image, you hear the file name or number of the image, followed by «Image.» Double-tap and hold the screen with one finger. You hear: «Cut button.»
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Swipe down-then-left. Then slide one finger near the lower-right corner of the screen until you hear «Not checked, More options switch,» and double-tap the screen. The focus moves to the Picture tab on the ribbon.
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Swipe right until you hear «Wrap text menu,» and double-tap the screen.
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Swipe right until you hear «In line with text,» and double-tap the screen.
Add alt text to an image
Add alt text to the images to make your document accessible to all audiences. For more information on alt text, refer to Everything you need to know to write effective alt text.
-
While editing your Word document, slide one finger around the document body until you hear the image you want to add alt text to. When the focus is on the image, you hear: «Selected, Image.» Double-tap the screen.
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Slide one finger near the lower-right corner of the screen until you hear «Not checked, More options switch,» and double-tap the screen.
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The focus moves to the Picture tab on the ribbon. Swipe right until you hear «Alt text menu,» and double-tap the screen.
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Swipe right until you hear «Edit box, for, describe this object for someone who is blind,» and double-tap the screen. Use the on-screen keyboard to type alt text for the image. To close the on-screen keyboard, swipe down-then-left.
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To move the focus back to the document body, swipe down-then-left.
See also
Use a screen reader to insert and change text in Word
Use a screen reader to set line spacing and indenting in Word
Basic tasks using a screen reader with Word
Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365
Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Word
What’s new in Microsoft 365: Release notes for Current Channel
Use Word for the web with your keyboard and a screen reader to insert a picture or image into a document. We have tested it with Narrator in Microsoft Edge and JAWS and NVDA in Chrome, but it might work with other screen readers and web browsers as long as they follow common accessibility standards and techniques. You’ll also learn how to add alt texts to the pictures to make them more accessible.
Need instructions on how to insert pictures to a Word document, but not using a screen reader? See Insert pictures.
Notes:
-
If you use Narrator with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, you have to turn off scan mode in order to edit documents, spreadsheets, or presentations with Microsoft 365 for the web. For more information, refer to Turn off virtual or browse mode in screen readers in Windows 10 Fall Creators Update.
-
New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.
-
To learn more about screen readers, go to How screen readers work with Microsoft 365.
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When you use Word for the web with a screen reader, switch to the full screen mode. Press F11 to toggle the full screen mode on and off.
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When you use Word for the web, we recommend that you use Microsoft Edge as your web browser. Because Word for the web runs in your web browser, the keyboard shortcuts are different from those in the desktop program. For example, you’ll use Ctrl+F6 instead of F6 for jumping in and out of the commands. Also, common shortcuts like F1 (Help) and Ctrl+O (Open) apply to the web browser – not Word for the web.
In this topic
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Insert a picture from your computer
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Insert a picture from the web
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Place a picture in line with text
-
Add alt text to an image
Insert a picture from your computer
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In your Word document, place the insertion point where you want to insert the picture.
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Press Alt+Windows logo key+N, P, P. The Windows Open dialog box opens. The focus is on the File name text field.
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Use the Tab key and the arrow keys to navigate to the location of the picture on your computer. When you hear the name of the picture, followed by «Selected,» press Enter. The original picture is embedded into your document.
Insert a picture from the web
If you don’t have the perfect picture on your computer, you can search for and insert a picture from a web location straight from Word for the web.
Note: When using photos, images, or clip art, you’re responsible for respecting copyright. For images, the license filter in Bing can help.
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In your Word document, place the insertion point where you want to insert the image.
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Press Alt+Windows logo key+N, P, F.
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The Bing image search dialog box opens. The focus is on the search text field. Type your search words to describe the picture you’re looking for, and then press Enter. The search results are listed, and the focus is on the first matching image.
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Use the arrow keys to browse the search results. Your screen reader describes each image as you move through the search results.
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To select an image, press Spacebar.
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To insert the selected image, press the Tab key until you hear «Insert,» and press Enter. Word downloads and inserts the image into your document.
Place a picture in line with text
To be read correctly by a screen reader, the picture has to be in line with the text.
-
In your Word document, move the focus to the picture you want. When the picture is in focus and selected, you hear: «Image.»
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Press Shift+F10. The context menu opens.
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Press the Up arrow key until you hear «Wrap text,» and then press the Right arrow key once. You hear: «In line with text.» Press Enter. If you don’t hear «In line with text,» press the Up arrow key until you reach the In line with text button, and press Enter.
Add alt text to an image
Add alt text to the images to make your document accessible to all audiences. For more information on alt text, refer to Everything you need to know to write effective alt text.
-
In your Word document, move the focus to the image that you want to add alt text to. When the image is in focus and selected, you hear: «Image.»
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Press Alt+Windows logo key+J, P, E. The Format Picture pane opens, and the focus moves to the Alternative Text section.
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Press the Tab key until you hear «Description,» and then type alt text for the image.
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To return the focus to document body, press Esc.
See also
Use a screen reader to insert and change text in Word
Use a screen reader to check spelling and grammar in Word
Keyboard shortcuts in Word
Basic tasks using a screen reader with Word
Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Word
What’s new in Microsoft 365: Release notes for Current Channel
Technical support for customers with disabilities
Microsoft wants to provide the best possible experience for all our customers. If you have a disability or questions related to accessibility, please contact the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk for technical assistance. The Disability Answer Desk support team is trained in using many popular assistive technologies and can offer assistance in English, Spanish, French, and American Sign Language. Please go to the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk site to find out the contact details for your region.
If you are a government, commercial, or enterprise user, please contact the enterprise Disability Answer Desk.
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Step-by-step guide to inserting pictures in Word
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Whether you’re working on a hefty research project or a friendly holiday greeting card, adding images to your Word document can really add value to your project. Whether you want to insert a picture from your computer or find one online, it’s easy to add photos in Word. This wikiHow teaches you how to insert an image into a Microsoft Word document using Windows, a Mac, and the free web version of Word.
Things You Should Know
- Use the Insert tab on Windows, Mac, and the web app to add a picture.
- Select Pictures > This Device to use an image on your computer.
- Click the image to resize and reformat it.
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1
Click the place in your document where you want to insert the picture. Word’s insertion cursor, a vertical blinking bar, will appear at this point. When you insert the image, its bottom-left corner will be at this point.
- This method works for all modern versions of Word beginning with Word 2016. You can also use it as a guide for earlier versions of Windows, although there will be fewer tools and features.
- Changing the background is done through a different method, using the Design tab.
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2
Click the Insert tab. It’s near the top of Word between «Home» and «Draw» (or «Home» and «Design» in some versions).
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3
Click the Pictures tool. It’s in the «Illustrations» section of the toolbar running along the top of Word. Some location options will appear. If you’re using Word 2019 or later, a menu will expand. If you’re using Word 2016 or earlier, your file browser will appear.
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4
Select the type of image you want to insert. You can choose an image on your computer, a stock image from Microsoft, or an image from the internet.
- Word 2019 or later:
- Click This Device if the picture is on your computer.
- Click Stock Images to select a free stock image from Microsoft’s collection.
- Click Online Pictures to use Bing’s image search to find photos on the web.
- If the photo is on your OneDrive, select Online Pictures and click OneDrive at the bottom-left corner.
- Word 2016:
- If the picture is on your computer, simply navigate to it in the file browser.
- If you want to search for a photo online or insert one from Facebook, Flickr, or your OneDrive, close the file browser and click the Online Pictures icon next to the «Pictures» in the toolbar. You can then select an image from Bing image search, Flickr, or Facebook.
- If the picture is on your OneDrive, click Online Pictures instead of Pictures and click Browse next to «OneDrive.»
- Word 2019 or later:
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5
Select the image you want to insert. When you find the picture, click it once to select it.
- If you’re selecting from stock images or online images, you can click multiple pictures to add more than one.
- If you’re choosing files from your computer and want to add more than one picture, hold the Ctrl button down as you click each image.
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6
Click Insert. It’ll be near the bottom-right corner of the window no matter where you’ve selected your image(s). You’re done! Continue to the next steps for formatting information, or print the document when you’re ready.
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7
Resize the picture. If you want to change the picture’s size, click it once to select it, and then drag any of the corner circles in or out.[1]
- You can also specify the size if you want. Double-click the picture to open the Picture Format tab at the top, and then set your desired measurements next to «Height» and «Width.»
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8
Use the curved arrow at the top of the picture to rotate it. It’s above the dot at the top-center part of the picture. To rotate, place the mouse cursor over the curved arrow, and then click and drag the cursor left or right until you’re satisfied.
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9
Double-click the picture to access more editing tools. This opens the «Picture Format» (2019 and later) or «Format» (2016) tab at the top of Word. On this tab, you can:
- In the «Arrange» panel in the top-right area, click Wrap Text to choose how to situate the picture in blocks of text. You can also set alignment preferences here. Wrapping the text is a good way to get your document formatted exactly the way you want.
- To crop the picture, click the Crop tool in the «Size» panel at the top-right corner.
- The «Adjust» panel near the top-left corner has additional tools for background removal, color effects, and corrections.
- To add a border or effect around the picture, select one of the «Picture Styles» at the center of the Format bar, or choose any of the other options in the section to have more control over the style.
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1
Click the place in your document where you’d like to insert a picture. This places the cursor at that location.
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2
Click the Insert tab. It’s at the top of Word between the «Home» and «Design» or «Home» and «Draw» tabs.
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3
Click the Pictures icon. It’s on the toolbar that runs along the top of Word. Look for an icon of a green mountain with a yellow sun between «Tables» and «Shapes.»
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4
Click Photo Browser or Picture from File. If you want to browse images in your Mac’s Photos app, use Photo Browser. To select an image file using Finder, choose Picture from File.
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5
Insert the picture into the document. If you’re using the Photo Browser option, simply drag the photo into your document. If you’re using Picture from File, select the image and click Insert.
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6
Resize the picture. If you want to increase or reduce the picture’s size, click the image to select it, and then do one of the following:
- To maintain the picture’s proportions so it doesn’t stretch or warp, hold down the Shift key as you drag any of the sizing handles (the circles) inward or outward.[2]
- To keep the image’s center in place as you resize, hold down the Option key as you drag the handles.
- You can also specify a size. Double-click the Picture to open the Picture Format tab, then enter your desired measurements next to «Height» and «Width.»
- To maintain the picture’s proportions so it doesn’t stretch or warp, hold down the Shift key as you drag any of the sizing handles (the circles) inward or outward.[2]
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7
Drag the curved arrow at the top of the picture to rotate it. It’s above the dot at the top-center edge of the picture. Just place the mouse cursor over the curved arrow, and then click and drag it left or right until it’s correct.
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8
Double-click the picture to access more editing tools. This opens the «Picture Format» tab at the top of Word, which has a bunch of editing features, including the ability to remove the background and add styles.
- Click Corrections near the top-left corner to correct lighting and color problems.
- Click Artistic Effects to play around with filters, and Transparency to make the picture more see-through.
- To crop the picture, click the Crop tool next to the height and width controls.
- Click Wrap Text to choose how to situate the picture in blocks of text, and use Align and Position to ensure correct placement.
- Click Quick Styles to choose pre-styled borders, shadows, and other options.
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1
Click the place in your document where you’d like to insert a picture. This places the cursor at that location.
- If it’s your first time using Office Online on the web, go to https://www.office.com, sign in with your Microsoft account, and select Word to get started.
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2
Click Insert. This opens the Insert tab.
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3
Click Pictures. This opens a drop down options menu.
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4
Select a picture type. There are four options to choose from:
- This Device — choose a picture on your computer
- OneDrive — choose an image from your OneDrive
- Stock Images — insert a stock image or sticker
- Bing Pictures — search Bing for an image
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5
Select an image. If you choose the This Device option, you’ll be prompted to select an image from your computer. Click it to select it.
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Click Open. This is in the bottom right corner of the image selection window. This will confirm your selected image and insert it into the document.
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7
Resize the picture. If you want to change the picture’s size, click it once to select it, and then drag any of the corner circles in or out.
- You can also specify the size if you want. Double-click the picture to open the Picture tab at the top, and then set your desired measurements next to «Height» and «Width.»
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8
Use the curved arrow at the top of the picture to rotate it. It’s above the dot at the top-center part of the picture. To rotate, place the mouse cursor over the curved arrow, and then click and drag the cursor left or right until you’re satisfied.
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9
Double-click the picture to access more editing tools. This opens the «Picture» tab at the top of the Word web app. On this tab, you can:
- In the «Arrange» panel in the top-right area, click Wrap Text to choose how to situate the picture in blocks of text. You can also set alignment preferences here.
- To crop the picture, click the Crop tool in the «Image Size» panel at the top-right corner.
- To add a border or effect around the picture, select one of the «Picture Styles» at the center of the bar, or choose any of the other options in the section to have more control over the style.
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Question
How do I take screenshots?
On a Mac, shift command 3 to screenshot the whole screen. If you want to take a screenshot of a certain area on the screen, press shift command 4. On a Windows PC, press control and print screen at the same time, then you can paste the image into Paint or Microsoft Word.
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Question
When I insert several photos on an age in a Word document, the photos often won’t stay in place. How do I stop the photos from bumping each other around?
You can right-click the image, hold the cursor over the «Wrap Text» menu option, and select an option from the list that is NOT «In Line with Text» (usually selected by default), such as «Tight» or «Behind/In Front of Text.» Then you should be able to move the image freely around the page.
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Question
How do I format images in a Word document?
Try double-tapping the photo. A photo format menu should come up on the right side.
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Adding photos to your Word document increases its size.
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Other photo modification features available in newer versions of Microsoft Word include the ability to add borders, cutout styles, shadows, beveled edges, glows, and drop shadows.
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When you crop a picture, the actual cropped part of the picture is hidden, not removed; unless you check the «Delete Cropped Areas of Pictures» box in the «Compression Settings» dialog box. Any compressed pictures with their cropped areas deleted cannot be restored to their original appearance.
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About This Article
Article SummaryX
1. Click the place you want to insert the image.
2. Click the Insert tab.
3. Click Pictures.
4. Choose a location.
5. Select the image and click Insert.
6. Double-click the picture to open editing and format tools.
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Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 650,440 times.
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While Word’s image placement might seem impenetrable and cryptic, there are in fact rules. But in order to use images in Word without pulling your hair out, you need to know how to use some advanced options that aren’t as obvious or easy to use as they should be.
Why Is Word So Bad with Images?
If you ask Microsoft, they’ll say it’s because people don’t understand how Word works with images. And that is the problem, but it’s Microsoft’s own fault. The tools for moving images are unintuitive and hard to find, so folks typically never get past their first disastrous fumblings. They write off Word as being “bad with pictures.” Word actually has excellent image management tools. Much like formatting properly in Word, if you learn the magic formulas, you can place images in Word with no frustration or angst. Sounds like a fantasy? Read on.
Setting Up
Before we start dropping images into Word, there are three crucial settings we must preconfigure.
1. We must make anchor points visible. They are crucial to position images properly but are often hidden by default. To reveal anchor icons, navigate to “Word Preferences -> View,” and in the top part of the window, check the box next to “Object anchors.” If it’s already checked, leave it that way.
2. Change the default text wrapping of images. By default, Word places images in line with text, meaning they are treated like an (enormous) single character. Sometimes, this is what you want, but it’s often to blame for the most vexing image placement conundrums. Navigate to “Word Preferences -> Edit,” and change the drop-down next to “Insert/paste pictures as” to “Square.”
The text will now flow around the image on all sides as you see in most magazines or textbooks. Since that’s typically the layout we’re shooting for, this change alone is a major improvement.
3. Turn on non-printing characters. Most importantly, you need to see the “backward P” paragraph symbol (¶). Like anchors, these symbols are hidden by default, but they’re essential when working with layouts in Word.
Here’s a tip: if the blue dots on spaces annoy you, they can be disabled in Word’s Preferences under “View.”
Image Anchors
When placing your image, take note of the black cursor responding to your mouse: the image will appear as close to that cursor as your formatting options and document layout allows.
Once you drop the image into the document, you’ll see an anchor appear near it. Depending on exactly where you dragged your image in your document, the anchor location and image placement will be slightly different.
This anchor indicates the paragraph that the image is associated with. If the image is set to move with the text, it will move whenever its anchored paragraph is moved. Use this as a guide to help you understand how your formatting changes will affect your image placement.
Formatting Images Correctly
Most of the time, when we drop an image into a document, it doesn’t go where we hoped it would. That’s where the formatting pane comes into play.
1. Select the image in your document by single-clicking it. You’ll see a black border and resize handles appear around the image when it is selected.
2. Navigate to the Layout tab of the ribbon, and click on the “Position” drop-down.
3. Choose “More Layout Options …” at the bottom of the menu.
This will expose the Advanced Formatting window, which is the tool we will use for fixing image placement problems.
We can see here that the selected image is set to “Absolute position to the right of column.” This means that the top left corner of the image is placed the specified images’ width away from the column the image is anchored to. In this case, the column is the same as the margin, representing the edge of the text. Even in a document without multiple columns, this setting works: technically, typical Word documents are “one column” layouts.
By adjusting these measurements, we can control the image’s placement. In this case, I want to align a renegade image with the body of my text, as the arrow indicates.
When I open the Advanced Layout pane, I see a negative horizontal measurement.
Change that to a 0, and the image will snap into place, exactly on the edge of the column of text.
There are also additional options at the bottom of the Advanced Formatting pane.
If you’re having trouble with images overlapping each other and blocking things, untick “Allow overlap.” Be warned, though, this may cause a massive reshuffle of your document as Word clears any overlaps already in the document. When placing multiple images near each other, it’s best to turn this setting off preemptively. For isolated images, it doesn’t do any harm.
“Move object with text” allows the anchor to move with the paragraph it’s attached to. This setting depends on your needs: if you want the image to stay stuck to the text, leave it checked. But if you want the image to stay where it is even if you do some editing, uncheck the box.
You’ll often want to use the “Lock anchor” option in conjunction with the above setting. Lock Anchor holds the anchor point in its current position. This prevents the image from moving with text or, indeed, at all. The anchor is placed relative to the page it’s on, rather than the text, and stays there until moved.
The text wrapping tab deals with the interaction between the text and the image rather than the image’s positioning. If you want to see what those options do, it’s best to experiment in a Word document.
Conclusion
The best set of options depends on your use case. For most images, the best settings are square text wrapping and move with text. This way the picture “sticks” to the relevant text and looks good in the layout. Absolute positioning is also an option for things like cover images, which should always stay exactly where you want them to be.
Alexander Fox
Alexander Fox is a tech and science writer based in Philadelphia, PA with one cat, three Macs and more USB cables than he could ever use.
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This tutorial shows 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.
Quick Links:
- How to Insert an Image
- How to Resize an Image
- How to Align an Image with the Text
- How to Add a Border to an Image
Do you want to insert shapes instead of images? Please see “How to Insert and Modify Shapes in Microsoft Word (PC & Mac).”
This tutorial is also available as a YouTube video showing all the steps in real time.
Watch more than 200 other writing-related software tutorials on my YouTube channel.
The images below are from Word for Microsoft 365. These steps also apply to Word 2021, Word 2019, Word 2016, and Word 2013. However, the stock image options will be limited in those older versions of the software.
- Place your cursor where you want to insert the image. (This is an approximate placement. You can change the alignment with the text after inserting the images, as shown in the section below.)
- Select the Insert tab in the ribbon.
- Select the Pictures button in the Illustrations group.
- Select the location of the image from the Insert Picture From menu:
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- 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 the device.
- (For “This Device” option only) Locate the image in the Insert Picture dialog box.
- Select the Insert button.
Your image should now appear in your Word document.
How to Resize an Image in Microsoft Word
- Select the image. A border with resizing handles will appear when the image is selected.
- Select one of the resizing handles and then drag the image to a new size.
Pro Tip: Choose a corner handle to maintain the image’s current shape.
Optional Steps: How to Rotate an Image in Microsoft Word
- Select the image.
- Select the rotation handle at the top of the border.
- Rotate the image to the left or right.
How to Align an Image with the Text in Microsoft Word
- Select the image.
- Select the Layout Options button.
- Select an option from the layout menu:
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- In Line with Text
- Square
- Tight
- Through
- Top and Bottom
- Behind Text
- 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.
Pro Tip: If you select an option other than In Line with Text, you can select and “grab” the image, and then move it almost anywhere in the document.
How to Add a Border to an Image in Microsoft Word
- Select the image.
- Select the Picture Format tab in the ribbon. (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.
How to Add a Built-In Border or Edge Effect to an Image
- Select the bottom menu arrow in the Picture Styles group.
- Select a frame or other edge effect from the Picture Styles menu.
Your new border or edge effect should appear immediately.
How to Add a Manual Border to an Image
- Select Picture Border in the Picture Styles group.
- Select a color from the drop-down menu.
- Reselect Picture Border, select Weight, and then choose a line thickness.
- Reselect Picture Border, select Dashes, and then choose a line style.
Your new manual border should appear immediately.
Documents with a lot of images can negatively affect Word’s performance. If you notice Word reacting slowing, please see “How to Make Microsoft Word Faster by Hiding Images.”
Related Resources
How to Write Figure Captions for Graphs, Charts, Photos, Drawings, and Maps
How to Insert Figure Captions and Table Titles in Microsoft Word
How to Change the Style of Table Titles and Figure Captions in Microsoft Word
How to Update Table and Figure Numbers in Microsoft Word
How to Save Tables and Figures as Images in Microsoft Word (PC & Mac)
Updated February 20, 2023
How to Insert and Crop Pictures in Word
- Click in your document where you want to insert your picture.
- Click the Insert tab.
- Click Pictures button.
- Navigate to the picture you want to insert and select it.
- Click Insert button.
Contents
- 1 How do I place multiple pictures in Word?
- 2 How do I insert a picture in Word without moving the text?
- 3 How do you make a picture visible on word?
- 4 How do I insert a photo into a Word document without it being embedded?
- 5 How do I insert a picture in Word without resizing?
- 6 How do I make a picture 4 by 6 in Word?
- 7 Why can’t I see images on Word?
- 8 Why is Word not showing pictures?
- 9 Why are my pictures not showing up on Microsoft Word 365?
- 10 How do I copy and paste a picture into a Word document?
- 11 What is the size of 4R picture in Microsoft Word?
- 12 How do I insert a JPEG into a Word document?
- 13 Where is options in Word?
- 14 What is compatibility mode in Word?
- 15 How do I fix pictures not displaying?
- 16 How do I insert a picture in Word 2010?
- 17 How do I insert a picture placeholder in Word?
- 18 Where Footnotes appear in a document?
- 19 How do I copy and paste a picture in Word 2016?
- 20 What is MS Office button?
How do I place multiple pictures 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.
How do I insert a picture in Word without moving the text?
To insert an image into Word without moving any text is to set the image’s default wrapping to no wrapping before entering it into the document.
- Click the location in your document where you want to insert a picture.
- On the Insert tab, click Pictures.
- Select the option you want to use for inserting pictures.
How do you make a picture visible on word?
Click the Microsoft Office Button, and then click Word Options. Click Advanced. Under Show document content, click to select the Show drawings and text boxes on screen check box. Click OK.
How do I insert a photo into a Word document without it being embedded?
Luckily, there’s a simple workaround. In the Insert Picture dialog box, click the down arrow next to the Insert button, and then click either “Link to File” or “Insert and Link”.
How do I insert a picture in Word without resizing?
CTRL+Arrow key(s). and have the ability to move it around. text-area from the drawing options and then insert a picture into it. EXACTLY its original size.
How do I make a picture 4 by 6 in Word?
Click the picture you want to resize. Go to the Picture Format tab, and then click “Position” > “More Layout Options.” Click the “Size” tab, and then in the “Scale” section, make sure the “Lock Aspect Ratio” checkbox is clear. Now enter percentages for Height and Width.
Why can’t I see images on Word?
To show the images: Click on the top left round button, and then on “Word Options” at the bottom of the popup box. In the dialog that appears click on “Advanced” on the left. Scroll down, and then under “Show document content” uncheck “Show picture placeholders”. Click OK.
Why is Word not showing pictures?
Assuming that you are using a recent version of Office, in Word, go to File>Options>Advanced>Show document content and uncheck the box for “Show picture placeholders”.
Why are my pictures not showing up on Microsoft Word 365?
Go to File > Options > Advanced > Show document content>check the box of Show background colors and images in Print Layout view and check the box of Show drawings and text boxes on screen and uncheck the box of Show picture placeholders. 2. Run Word in the safe mode to have a check.
How do I copy and paste a picture into a Word document?
Right click image and choose copy/copy image. Open your document and right click the place where you want to add the image. Select Paste Options in menu and click it. After that image will be there.
What is the size of 4R picture in Microsoft Word?
The 4R (4″ x 6″) is most common and standard print, and it’s the easiest to find frames for.
How do I insert a JPEG into a Word document?
How to Insert a JPG in Microsoft Word
- Click the cursor at the location in your Word document at which you’d like to insert the JPG.
- Click the “Insert” tab at the top of the Word Ribbon.
- Navigate to the JPG.
- Click the arrow next to “Insert” and choose “Link to File” if you’d like to insert a link to the image.
Where is options in Word?
To see general options for working with Word, click File > Options > General.
What is compatibility mode in Word?
When you’re using a version of Word that’s newer than the version used to create your document, you typically see Compatibility Mode in the title bar. Compatibility Mode temporarily disables new or enhanced Word features so that the document can still be edited by people using the earlier version of Word.
How do I fix pictures not displaying?
What can I do if images are not loading in Chrome?
- Try Opera.
- Clear cache and cookies.
- Browse incognito.
- Disable installed extensions in Google Chrome.
- Enable JavaScript.
- Turn off hardware acceleration.
- Update Google Chrome.
How do I insert a picture in Word 2010?
To insert a picture from a file:
- Place your insertion point where you want the image to appear.
- Select the Insert tab.
- Click the Picture command in the Illustrations group. The Insert Picture dialog box appears.
- Select the desired image file, then click Insert to add it to your document. Selecting an image file.
How do I insert a picture placeholder in Word?
To turn on picture placeholders, follow these steps:
- Display the Word Options dialog box.
- Click Advanced at the left side of the dialog box.
- Scroll down to the Show Document Content section.
- Click to turn on the Show Picture Placeholders check box.
- Click on OK.
Where Footnotes appear in a document?
Footnotes appear at the bottom of the page and endnotes come at the end of the document. A number or symbol on the footnote or endnote matches up with a reference mark in the document.
How do I copy and paste a picture in Word 2016?
Replies (6)
- Open the Word 2016 application and then choose Blank document.
- Click on File and then select Options.
- Choose Advanced.
- Under the Cut, Copy, and Paste section, set the value of Pasting from other programs to Keep Source Formatting (Default).
What is MS Office button?
The OFFICE BUTTON allows you to open, save, and print documents, and perform other document output functions (e.g., fax and email). The OFFICE BUTTON is also where you go to change Word’s options and preferences, by clicking the new Options button (e.g., Word Options, Excel Options, PowerPoint Options).