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: Inserting from the Clip Art Gallery Doesn't Work.

Inserting from the Clip Art Gallery Doesn't Work

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated October 20, 2020)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Microsoft 365

Have you ever tried to place clip art into your document from the Clip Art Gallery, only to have it not be visible? If you have this problem, try this solution:

Display the Word Options dialog box. (In Word 2007 click the Office button and choose Word Options. In Word 2010 and later versions, click the File tab of the ribbon and click Options.)
Click Advanced at the left side of the dialog box.
Scroll through the options until you can see the Show Document Content section. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The Advanced options of the Excel Options dialog box.

Make sure the Show Picture Placeholders check box is cleared.
Make sure the Show Drawings and Text Boxes on Screen check box is selected.
Click on OK.

Now you should be able to place your clip art as desired. These settings are normally cleared and selected (respectively) by default, but another user might have changed them on your system.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (8519) 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: Inserting from the Clip Art Gallery Doesn't Work.

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 6 + 5?

2019-08-13 16:30:36

Sheri Sager

I have Word 2007, but just got a new computer and now my Insert Clip Art button doesn't go any where. I followed the directions above:
Office, Word Options, Advanced, show document content, picture placeholders NOT selected, Show drawings and text boxes on screen. clicked on OK. Nothing different. Still nothing comes up when I select Insert clip Art.

2018-04-27 14:40:31

Gabriel

For those who all updated your office software to 2013 or 2016 versions, you don't need a Clip Art Gallery. Office has built in way to download clipart online. For more info step by step guide here: https://wp.me/p7QQWB-2u8

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