Wrap text around a picture in Word

  1. Select the picture.

  2. Select Layout Options.
    Layout image button on a selected picture

  3. Select the layout you want.

    Tip

    In Line with Text puts the picture in a paragraph, just as if it were text. The picture will change position as text is added or removed. The other choices let you move the picture around on the page, with text flowing around it.

For more info on text wrap options and wrap points, see Text wrapping options.

Position a picture in the upper-left corner of a document

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

Text wrapped to the right and below an image

  1. Select a picture.

  2. Go to Picture Format or Format > Position, and under Format with Text Wrapping, select Top Left.
    The Position button on the ribbon

    Tip

    You can drag the image around the document and align it any way you like. Make custom changes to word wrapping by selecting Format > Wrap Text > More Layout Options.

Position a picture in the center of a document

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

Text wrapped around all sides of an image

  1. Select a picture.

  2. Go to Picture Format or Format > Wrap Text > Square.
    The Wrap Text options on the ribbon

  3. Select Position > More Layout Options.

  4. On the Position tab, select Alignment, and change the drop-down field to Centered.

  5. Next to relative to, choose Page, and select OK.

    Note

    You can drag the image around the document and align it any way you like. Make custom changes to word wrapping by clicking Format > Wrap Text > More Layout Options.

Use wrap points to adjust text flow around a shape

You can add an image in your document and make the text flow around it in a way that follows the shape of the image.

Tip

For best results, use a picture with a transparent, white, or solid colored background.

Text wrapped around a diamond-shaped image

  1. Select a picture and drag it to the middle of the page, or wherever you want it.

  2. Go to Picture Format or Format > Wrap Text > Tight.
    The Tight wrap text option on the ribbon

  3. On the Format tab, select Remove Background.

    The Remove Background icon on the ribbon

    Note

    You cannot remove the background from vector images.

  4. Select anywhere outside the image to see how the text has wrapped around the image.

Fine-tune text wrapping

If there's too much space between the text and your image, you can set the wrap points manually.

  1. Select the picture, and go to Picture Format or Format and select Wrap Text > Edit Wrap Points.

    The Edit Wrap Points option for Wrap Text on the ribbon

  2. Drag the black wrap points closer or farther away from your picture until you're happy with its appearance. Drag the red line to create additional wrap points.

For more info on text wrap options and wrap points, see Layout options.

Position a picture in line with text

Pictures inserted in line are tied to the place within the text where they were inserted and are treated like any text character—"in line with text." They automatically move with the surrounding text.

  1. Select a picture.
  2. Go to Picture Format or Format and select Wrap Text > In Line with Text.

Ensure that a picture stays put

You can make sure that your picture stays in place as text is added or deleted.

  1. Select a picture.
  2. Go to Picture Format or Format and select Wrap Text > Fix Position on Page.