Add images to Microsoft Word documents

Sometimes importing images into a carefully laid out Word document moves all the text around, destroying your hard work. This is because Word defaults to using the wrapping option called ‘In line with text’.

To change this, right-click on the image and select Format Picture. Click on the Layout tab and then select ‘In front of text’. The picture will cover the text in the document, but it can be moved around freely. The size can be adjusted with the circles on the edges.

It is possible to tell Word 2007 to make this the default layout when an image is inserted.
Left-click on the Microsoft Office Button at the top left-hand corner of the Word window. Left-click on Word Options and then on Advanced.

Scroll down to the section heading ‘Cut, copy, and paste’. Click on the down arrow in the option ‘Insert/paste pictures as’ and then select ‘In front of text’. Click on OK to save the changes.

The same option can be found in Word 2003 by selecting Options in the Tools menu and then selecting the Edit tab.
Jeff Manning