Editing Wrap Points

When you insert a picture in Word, it defines a series of "wrap points" around the picture. By default there are four wrap points that surround the perimeter of the picture, forming a rectangle. When you wrap text around the picture, the wrap points define how close the text can come to the picture. (If the image you insert in the document actually has a transparent background, there may be many more than four wrap points around it.)

If you want, you can create custom wrapping of text by editing the wrap points so they more closely reflect exactly what you want. Simply follow these steps:

1. Insert your picture as you normally would, and make sure it is selected.
2. Make sure the Format tab of the ribbon is displayed. (This tab is visible only if the picture is selected.)
3. Click on the Text Wrapping tool in the Arrange group. Word displays a list of wrapping options.
4. Choose Edit Wrap Points option. Word displays the wrap points around the picture. They are small black boxes. Each of the wrap points is connected with a small dashed red line.
5. Move existing wrap points by clicking and dragging them to a new position.
6. Add new wrap points by holding down the Ctrl key as you click on the dashed red line at the position where you want a wrap point. You can then drag the new wrap point to the desired position.
7. Remove an existing wrap point by holding down the Ctrl key as you click on the wrap point.
8. When done adjusting wrap points, click anywhere outside the picture. The wrap points disappear, and your text follows the texture you defined when you edited the points.

You should note that you will only be able to edit the wrap points of an image if you've set the wrapping for the image to the Tight or Through settings. If set to some other type of wrapping, the Edit Wrap Points option will be "grayed out."

Finally, remember that when you work on an image in this way (by adjusting its properties) that image is typically in the foreground, meaning that it is layered in front of text. This isn't a big deal if your image is rectangular and the wrap points reflect that—there will be no conflict between the image and the text that wraps around the image. If, however, you adjust the wrap points so they are toward the center of the image, then the reflowed text will occupy the same space as the image. This can cause visual problems, but you might be able to alleviate those problems if you simply move the image behind the text. This should cause the text to "overlay" the image, and it may give you the effect you seek.

How you change other wrapping and layering settings has been covered extensively in other issues of WordTips. If you would like to learn a bit more about wrap points and adjusting them, you may like this page on Microsoft's support site:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/office/22f1940e-3abb-43fd-a4fb-0900a39b7cf5

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (6065) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Word in Microsoft 365, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Editing Wrap Points.