How to Insert a Picture in a Microsoft Word Document

A sample image surrounded by test words in Word 2013.

Image Credit: Image courtesy of Microsoft

Microsoft removed the ability to scan images directly into a Word 2013 document, but you can insert images from the local hard drive or images from online sources using Bing Image Search. Although Word can use a wide range of image formats, the JPG and PNG formats give the best trade-off between quality and size. You can insert large images into Word documents and then resize them; keep in mind, however, that large images increase the file size of the document.

Step 1

The Insert tab and the Illustrations group where the Pictures button is located.

Image Credit: Image courtesy of Microsoft

Open a new document in Word 2013 and switch to the Insert tab. All objects that you can insert into a Word document, including images and shapes, are located on the Insert tab.

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Step 2

The Images button in the Illustrations group.

Image Credit: Image courtesy of Microsoft

Click on the spot where you want to place the image and then click the Pictures button in the Illustrations group to display the Insert Picture dialog.

Step 3

The Insert Image dialog, a sample image selected and the Insert button.

Image Credit: Image courtesy of Microsoft

Select the image you want to insert into the Word document. To insert several images, hold Ctrl and select each item. Click Insert.

Step 4

The Online Pictures button and the Insert dialog.

Image Credit: Image courtesy of Microsoft

To insert an image from the Web, select the Insert tab and click the Online Pictures button in the Illustrations group.

Type the search string into the Bing search field and press Enter. Select the image you wish to insert and click Insert to add it to the document.

Step 5

The resize handles and the rotation handle.

Image Credit: Image courtesy of Microsoft

To resize the image, select it -- the Format tab displays near the top of the window -- and then use the resize handles in the corners and on the four sides of the image.

To rotate the image, use the rotation handle at the top of the image. Click and drag the handle to the left or to the right to rotate the picture.

Step 6

The Align Objects button on the Format tab and the align options.

Image Credit: Image courtesy of Microsoft

To justify the picture, select it and then select the Format tab. Click the Align Objects button in the Arrange group and then select the available options to align the image.

Step 7

The Layout Options icon and the available text wrapping styles.

Image Credit: Image courtesy of Microsoft

To change the font wrapping, click the Layout Options icon in the upper right corner of the image and choose any of the available text wrapping styles.

To prevent the image from moving to another location on the page when you type or insert new text, select the Fix position on page radio button.

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