Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Microsoft 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: Moving Images Behind Text.

Moving Images Behind Text

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated September 16, 2022)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Microsoft 365

Word allows you to place all sorts of graphic images in your documents. Many times you may want to place the images behind the text. Exactly how you do this depends on the type of images with which you are working.

If you are working with an image you created by using the Shapes tool on the Insert tab of the ribbon, you can follow these steps:

Select the shape.
Make sure the Format tab of the ribbon is displayed.
In the Arrange group, click the down-arrow next to the Send to Back tool (Word 2007 or Word 2010) or the down-arrow next to Send Backward tool (Word 2013 or a later version). Word displays a series of options.
Choose Send Behind Text from the submenu. The image should move behind the text.

If you are using any other kind of image, perhaps one you inserted from a graphics file, then the process is different:

Select the image.
Make sure the Format tab of the ribbon is displayed.
In the Arrange group, click the Text Wrapping tool (Word 2007 or Word 2010) or Wrap Text tool (Word 2013 or a later version). Word displays a list of wrapping methods you can choose.
Choose the Behind Text option.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (7792) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Moving Images Behind Text.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

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What is 2 + 2?

2019-08-21 00:44:50

RumpledStilt

Clicking 4 times didn't work for me. Turns out I could select a shape that is behind text by selecting all (⌘+A) then clicking on the shape. I'm on latest Word, MacOS Mojave.

2019-08-21 00:38:10

RumpledStilt

After sending shape behind text, the shape is no longer selectable. How do we edit the shape after sending behind text?

2018-11-12 15:05:40

Zup

Hey everyone, I have been trying to find a way to select a picture behind a text, but have not been successful. I finally tried clicking multiple times on the text just in front of the graphics and after 4 clicks was able to cycle through to the a picture. Afterwards, you can move or edit the picture. I am using Word 2016 on my mac. I thought I'd help as so many have helped when they post solutions on the web.

Zup

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