Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. 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: Positioning Graphics Evenly.

Positioning Graphics Evenly

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated February 28, 2023)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021


2

Sometimes you may need to position graphics evenly within a document. For instance, you may have four small graphics that will appear next to each other. You may want to make sure that the graphics are an equal distance from each other. To do this easily, follow these steps:

  1. Using the mouse, roughly position the graphics where you want them to appear. You should make sure that the left-most graphic is where you want it, as is the right-most graphic.
  2. Select all four graphics.
  3. Display the Format tab of the ribbon.
  4. Click the Align tool in the Arrange group.
  5. Choose Distribute Horizontally from the resulting submenu. Word positions the two inside graphics so that all four graphics are an equal distance from each other.

There is one caveat to keep in mind: Not all graphic objects can be aligned in this manner. The reason for this is not entirely clear; one would think that it would be relatively easy to adjust the distribution of graphic elements regardless of their type. But if the objects are not "alignable," the Distribute Horizontally option is grayed out. And, to make matters more circular, the only way to discover if an object is alignable is to try it and see if the option is grayed out.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (11815) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Positioning Graphics Evenly.

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. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Offering Options in a Macro

When creating macros, you often need to offer a series of choices to a user. This tip demonstrates how easy it is to ...

Discover More

Setting Cell Width and Height Using the Keyboard

Hate to take your hands off the keyboard? Here are a couple of ways you can reject the mouse and still adjust the height ...

Discover More

Executing a Macro After Printing is Done

You can modify Excel's BeforePrint event handler to change how the printing process occurs. Unfortunately, though, Excel ...

Discover More

The First and Last Word on Word! Bestselling For Dummies author Dan Gookin puts his usual fun and friendly candor back to work to show you how to navigate Word 2013. Spend more time working and less time trying to figure it all out! Check out Word 2013 For Dummies today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Capturing a Screen

Windows provides a way of "capturing" the image on the screen into the clipboard. You can then paste the image from the ...

Discover More

Best Quality for High Resolution Graphics

You want your documents to look as good as they can. If those documents include graphics, then you also need to make sure ...

Discover More

Understanding WordArt

One of the small graphical features provided with Word is the ability to apply artistic treatment to words or phrases. ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 0 + 7?

2023-02-28 13:11:11

Janet

OR use a four-cell, single row table. Place the graphics in individual cells formatted to be inline with text. Use paragraph and cell format options to align the figures properly.


2021-03-22 11:34:19

Emi Stuemke

I think I finally figured out why the "distribute" options are grayed out sometimes. You have to select your images and choose "align to page" or "align to margin" first. If you can't distribute them, they're aligned to other objects rather than to page elements.


This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.

Videos
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.