Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Office 365. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Nudging a Graphic.
You already know that you can insert graphics within a Word document, and that you can position those graphics using the mouse. Sometimes using the mouse doesn't give the greatest amount of control over the placement of an object. For this reason, you may want to only use the mouse to handle the "rough placement" of a graphic. You can then nudge the graphic into its final location.
To nudge a graphic, simply make sure it is selected, and then use the arrow keys. Pressing an arrow key moves the graphic in the direction indicated. If you want even finer control, hold down the Ctrl key as you press an arrow key. The result is a nudge of a single pixel in the placement of the object. (Thus, if you want to nudge a graphic one pixel to the right, simply hold down the Ctrl key as you press the Right Arrow key.)
If this tip doesn't seem to work on your graphics, there is a good chance that it is because of the way you have wrapping defined for the graphic. If the graphic is inline, you cannot nudge the graphic. Instead, it has to be configured so that text wraps around the graphic, in some way.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (5907) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Office 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Nudging a Graphic.
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2016-07-16 02:20:09
Ms B
Unable to find a solution that worked for me (MAC OS X Yosemite) with a 365 subscription from the Wordtips, found a solution for my left to right nudging problem. Holding down the control and command buttons simultaneously, then using the arrow keys worked for me. Hope this might help someone else.
2016-06-14 16:18:03
Carolyn Judd
Thank you Allen!! I recently got Windows 10 and too many things that were once simple are now complicated. Same Word software yet it doesn't work the same in Windows 10. Thanks again.
2016-01-25 13:04:18
Nick Horn
The nudge works .. sort of. If I use up or down arrows the graphic also move slightly to the right. Any idea as to how I can stop this?
2016-01-04 13:31:26
Peter Kirkpatrick
I don't think you can rotate a graphic round a point other than its centre. (You can get the effect by rotating then moving the graphic.)
To rotate without the mouse, press ALT to display and follow the keyboard shortcuts. It's a bit extensive but my version showed ALT, JP, AY, M (brings up the dialog box), T, then enter the value of the rotation you want. (Note that the letters are displayed as capitals on the ribbon but are not case sensitive for typing.)
2013-04-13 15:13:20
Surendera M. Bhanot
I used to do it. Quite workable.
I want to know - how can we rotate the graphic by keyboard (without mouse) (1) around its centre; and (2) around any point (handle) when graphic is selcted?
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Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Office 365. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: 
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