Inserting Graphics in Word Documents

To use a graphic, also called a graphical image, in a Word document, the image must
be stored digitally in a file. Files containing graphics are available from a variety of
sources:

 The web has images available, some of which are free, while others require a
fee. These images may be drawings or photos.
 You can take a picture with a digital camera or smartphone and download it,
which is the process of copying the digital picture from the camera or phone to
your computer.
 With a scanner, you can convert a printed picture, drawing, or diagram to a
digital file.

If you receive a picture from a source other than yourself, do not use the file until you
are certain it does not contain a virus or other malware.

To Insert an Online Image

Microsoft Office applications can access a collection of online, royalty-free images and
animations. The following steps explain how to insert an online image, such as the
rainbow shown below.

1. Position the insertion point where you want to insert the image.
2. Display the Insert tab.
3. Click the Online Pictures button (Insert tab | Illustrations group) to display the
Insert Pictures dialog box.
4. Type the search text in the Search box (Insert Pictures dialog box) to specify the
type of image you want to locate.
5. Click the Search button to display a list of online images that matches the
entered search text.
6. If necessary, scroll through the list of images and then click the desired image to
select it.
7. Click the Insert button to insert the selected image in the document at the
location of the insertion point.
To Insert a Picture from a File
The following steps explain how to insert a picture from a file, such as the one shown
below that was taken with a digital camera of an ocean sunset.

1. Position the insertion point where you want to insert the picture.
2. Display the Insert tab.
3. Click the From File button (Insert tab | Illustrations group) to display the Insert
Picture dialog box.
4. Navigate to the location of the picture on your media (Insert Picture dialog box)
and then select the file of the picture to be inserted.
5. Click the Insert button (Insert Picture dialog box) to insert the picture at the
location of the insertion point in the document.

To Insert a Shape
Word has a variety of predefined shapes, which are a type of drawing object, that you
can insert in documents. A drawing object is a graphic that you create using Word.
Examples of shape drawing objects include lines, rectangles, circles, triangles, arrows,
mathematical operators, flowcharting symbols, stars, banners, and callouts. The
following steps explain how to insert a shape, such as the 32-point star shown below.
 1. Display the Insert tab.
2. Click the ‘Draw a Shape’ button (Insert tab | Illustrations group) to display the
Draw a Shape gallery.
3. Click the desired shape in the Draw a Shape gallery, which removes the gallery
and changes the pointer to the shape of a crosshair in the document window. (If
you are using a touch screen, skip Step 4 because the shape is inserted in the
document window automatically.)
4. Position the pointer (a crosshair) in the document window at the approximate
location for the upper-left corner of the desired shape and then drag the pointer
to define the boundaries of the shape.
5. If desired, change the wrapping style of the shape from floating to inline by
clicking the Layout Options button attached to the graphic to display the Layout
Options gallery and then clicking ‘In Line with Text’ in the Layout Options gallery.

To Insert a Screenshot
You can insert a screenshot of any program running on your computer that has not
been minimized. A screenshot is a duplicate image of the contents of your screen. The
following steps explain how to insert a screenshot of a Word Help window.

1. In a separate window, display the contents you wish to capture in a screenshot.

2. Switch to the Word document that will contain the screenshot and then position
the insertion point where you want to insert the screenshot.
3. Display the Insert tab.
4. Click the ‘Take a Screenshot’ button (Insert tab | Illustrations group) to display
the Screenshot gallery.
5. Click the desired available window in the Take a Screenshot gallery to insert the
selected screenshot in the Word document at the location of the insertion point.