WD2000: How to Rotate a Clip Art Picture or Windows Metafile

When you insert a graphic into Microsoft Word, you may not be able to use the Free Rotate button on the Drawing toolbar. This article shows you how to use a Microsoft Word command called Disassemble Picture to make use of the Free Rotate drawing tool.

To use the Free Rotate button on the Drawing toolbar, follow these steps:

1. Click the Drawing button on the Standard toolbar to turn on the Drawing toolbar.
2. On the Tools menu, click Customize, and then click the Commands tab.
3. Under Categories, click Drawing.
4. Under Commands, click Disassemble Picture. Drag it to the Drawing toolbar, and then click Close.
5. On the Insert menu, point to Picture, and click Clip Art or From File. Select a picture file and then click Insert.
6. Click once on the graphic to select it, and then click the Disassemble Picture button on the Drawing toolbar.
7. On the Drawing toolbar, click the Select Objects button and then select all of the objects in the picture.
8. On the Drawing toolbar, click Draw, and then click Group.

You now can use the Free Rotate button on the Drawing toolbar.

The Disassemble Picture command is designed to break metafile pictures into individual drawing objects. If the selected graphic is a bitmap image, not a metafile, it will be placed in a text box on the drawing layer.