Using captions in word

The “Caption” options in Microsoft Word allow you to label images, diagrams, charts, illustrations and figures so your reader can quickly identify what they mean, as well as enabling use of the “dynamic” list functions offered by Microsoft Word.

As such, using captions can help make sure your written work is clear, professionally presented and easy to follow. None of this is much good unless you know how to use captions, though, so strap in and we’ll run you through the basics.

Adding Captions

Adding a basic caption to an existing image/chart in your document is pleasingly straightforward:

1. Right click on your image and select “Insert Caption…” from the menu.
   
2. In the pop-up window, choose how you want to label the image (e.g., Figure, Table, etc.) and whether you want it to appear above or below the image.

   
3. Add text that describes the image (e.g., “Figure 1: Experimental Apparatus”) and click “OK.”

This will make a caption appear in the chosen position.

If you want to add a caption to something in the document other than an embedded image, position the cursor where you want to caption to appear and either:

1. Go to the “References” tab and select “Insert Caption,” then follow the instructions above.
2. Select the “Caption” option from the Styles menu and type; this creates captions without a “Label,” giving you more control over how they’re presented.

Setting Caption Style

Microsoft Word comes with a default “Caption” style, but you can modify this through the “Styles” menu. If you want to set your own caption style, simply:

1. Click on the arrow in the bottom right of the “Styles” menu on the “Home” tab to open the “Styles” sidebar.
2. Right click on “Caption” and select “Modify…” to open a new window.
3. In the pop up window, select the font/formatting options you require for your captions.

If you want to use different caption styles for different captions or in different parts of your document, you can do this by:

1. Clicking on the “New Style” button on the “Styles” sidebar.
2. Selecting “Caption” under the “Style Based On” option.
3. Choosing a name for your new style (e.g., “Caption 2”) and selecting the font/formatting options required.

Using Captions

As well as labeling your charts and images, using the “Caption” options in Microsoft Word means you can add a dynamic list of charts/figures to your document.

This is quicker than creating a list manually, and you can update dynamic lists at the touch of a button, thereby ensuring they remain accurate even if you amend captions later on. To use this function:

1. Position the cursor where you want the list to appear.
2. Go to the “References” tab and select “Insert Table of Figures”.
3. Choose the caption label type (e.g., Figure, Table, None).

   

4. Click “OK.”

If you’re using more than one caption style, you can even create separate lists for different label types.

A caption is a numbered label, such as “Figure 1”, that you can add to a figure, a table, an equation, or another object.

How do you use captions in Word?

Word

1. Click the picture you want to add a caption to.
2. Click References > Insert Caption.
3. To use the default label (Figure), type your caption in the Caption box.

What is the use of insert caption?

Number, title, and short description are added to pictures, tables, text boxes, drawing objects, and equations inserted in the body text, if needed. The title added to an object is called caption. References > Insert Caption is a function that inserts or modifies captions.

How do you caption a document?

Elements of a Great Caption

1. A Label. For most visuals, this will be Figure or Fig.
2. A Title. This is usually a fragment/phrasal piece.
3. A good, interpretive, informative Caption.
4. A Citation (if appropriate).

How do you figure captions?

Here are some tips on using captions:

1. A figure caption is centered under the figure; a table caption is centered above the table (if a caption is more than one line, make it left justified).
2. A Figure and its caption should appear on the same page.
3. All captions should start with a capitalized word and end with a period.

How do I edit captions in Word?

Editing Caption Style

1. Go to the “Styles” section of the “Home” tab and find “Caption”
2. Right click “Caption” and select “Modify” to open a new window. The “Styles” menu.
3. Pick the font and formatting options required.
4. Click “OK” to apply the new style. Modifying the “Caption” style.

How do I center a caption in Word?

Firstly, you need to display the Advanced Caption Option dialog by clicking Enterprise > Options button. 2. When the Advanced Caption Option dialog popping up, you should customize the caption settings for the table and figure. Select the Center option from the Horizontal drop-down list box.

How do you keep a figure and caption together in Word?

Option 1: Use a Text Box

1. Make sure the figure is in-line (not floating).
2. Make sure the title or caption is not in a text box. That is, it has to be ordinary text.
3. Select both the figure and the title or caption.
4. Insert the Text Box.
5. Note: The Text Box will stay on the same page as the paragraph to which it is anchored.

How do you caption in LaTeX?

It is always good practice to add a caption to any figure or table. Fortunately, this is very simple in LaTeX. All you need to do is use the caption{”text”} command within the float environment.

What is an example of a caption?

An example of a caption is a descriptive title under a photograph. An example of a caption are the words at the bottom of a television or movie screen to translate the dialogue into another language or to provide the dialogue to the hard of hearing.A title or heading, as of a document or article.

Where do you put figure captions?

Figure captions are generally placed below the figures, while table captions must be placed above the tables. This is because we generally read tables from the top down, and therefore want to see the caption at the top. Figures are not always read top down.

Where should captions be placed?

Captions are the “audio” for deaf and hard of hearing people. “Captions” is basically another word for “words,” and they are usually placed at the bottom portion of the screen. Captions enable deaf and hard of hearing people to understand and enjoy the dialogue the same way as hearing people do.

How do I remove captions in Word?

To remove a caption label, follow these steps:

1. Display the References tab of the ribbon.
2. Click the Insert Caption tool, in the Captions group.
3. Using the Label drop-down list, choose the caption label you want to delete.
4. Click on Delete Label.
5. Click on Cancel to dismiss the Caption dialog box.

How do you align a picture caption in Word?

So, if you center your graphics, your captions should show up centered. I have tried this and confirmed that if a picture is left-aligned, selecting Insert | Caption from the right-click menu left-aligns the caption. If the picture is centered, the caption is centered.

How do I move a caption in Word table?

Written Instructions:

1. Right-click the object you wish to caption and select Insert Caption… from the shortcut menu.
2. In the Caption dialog box, select the label that applies to the object you have selected (e.g. “Figure” or “Table”) and select the positioning of the caption (e.g. above or below the object).

How do you caption TikZpicture?

To add a caption to a TikZpicture illustration, we can put it inside a figure environment and use caption before or after the illustration depending on the desired position.

How do you add a caption to a table in LaTeX?

Add the caption macro before or after the tabular environment to place the caption above or below the table. To reference the table in the text, use label . To get the correct reference number, the label has to be placed either right after the caption or into the caption macro. caption {Caption above table.}

How do you put a caption under a picture in LaTeX?

Caption. It is usually beneficial to include caption to your images. To do so, simply use the command caption{‘text’} either below or above your figure (usually below for images and above for tables).

What is the difference between a caption and a sentence?

A sentence is not the same as a line of writing, even though it might take up a complete line. A sentence needs a capital letter to start and a full stop to end.When captions are written as complete sentences, the present tense needs to be used.

What is the caption of a table?

A caption functions like a heading for a table. Most screen readers announce the content of captions. Captions help users to find a table and understand what it’s about and decide if they want to read it. If the user uses “Tables Mode”, captions are the primary mechanism to identify tables.

Are figure captions italicized?

Figure Captions include the figure number (which is italicized), a brief descriptive phrase (which substitutes for a title), and any brief explanation necessary for understanding the figure.

It is a good practice to caption all the tables, images, maps, etc… added to your report. You can refer to these objects precisely in your text using captions. Captions in Microsoft Word are used to generate the list of tables, figures, etc… in the preface of the report. In this post, I will show you how easily you can add Captions in Microsoft Word.

A caption is a numbered label such as “Table 1.1” or “Figure 1.1” that you can add to a figure, table, or any other object. In a caption, the text part (“Table”, “Figure”, etc…) is customizable and followed by an ordered number which is automatically added to it.

When numbering captions, it is recommended to include the chapter number. For example, if you are numbering a table located in Chapter 1 of the report, you should number the table as “Table 1.1”. So, users can easily find the table.

Add Caption to Tables, Figures, and Equations

Usually, tables are captioned above the table, while other objects are captioned below. To add a caption;

1. Select the object to be captioned (table, figure, or equation)
2. Go to the References tab
3. Click “Insert Caption” in the Caption Group
4. Type your object title in the “Caption text box” of the Caption dialog box
5. Select your object type (table, figure, or equation) from the “Label” dropdown box.
6. Select the “Position” of your title (Above or Below the selected item)
7. Change the numbering format (optional)
   1. Click “Numbering” in the caption dialog box
   2. Then click the Include chapter number checkbox to add the chapter number
   3. You can also select up to what heading level is included in the numbering and the separation character between the chapter number and object number.
8. Click Ok.

Watch the following short video that demonstrates the above steps.

Add Captions to custom objects

Default Microsoft Word settings contain “Table”, “Figure”, and “Equation” object types. You can also add captions in Microsoft Word for your own object types. For example, if you have included “Maps” in your report, you can create an object type as “Maps” and have separate numbers for maps. Then you can generate a list of Maps in the preface of your document.

To add captions to a custom object type;

1. Select the object to be captioned
2. Go to the References tab
3. Click “Insert Caption” in the Caption Group
4. Click the “New Label…” button
5. Type your object name in the New Label dialog box and click OK
6. Change the numbering as explained above (optional)
7. Select the placement (above or below the selected item) of the caption from the Position dropdown list.
8. Click OK

Watch the following video that demonstrates the above steps.

Next time when you add a caption, you will see your new object type is available in the Label dropdown list.

Formatting Captions in Microsoft Word

The default caption style of Microsoft Word may not suitable for every document you created. You can find the default caption style in the Styles group of the Home tab.

To format the Captions.

1. Place the cursor inside of a caption
2. Go to the Home tab
3. Expand the Styles group using the dropdown arrow
4. Right-click on the Caption style and click on Modify…
5. Make the necessary modifications in the Modify Style dialog box and click OK

The modification you made using the above steps will apply to all your captions. And also you do not need to apply styles to every individual caption you added in the future.

Watch the following short video that demonstrates the above steps.

Wrapping Up

Captions in Microsoft Word let you organize the tables, figures, and other types of objects in your document. With that, you can generate the List of Tables, List of Figures, and list of other types of objects like Maps, Equations, etc…

You may also be interested in How to Create Professional Reports with Microsoft Word.