Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 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: Wrapping Text Around a Graphic.

Wrapping Text Around a Graphic

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated March 16, 2024)

After you have inserted a picture in your document, you can control how surrounding text flows around it. You can either turn wrapping off or you can cause Word to flow text around the image. To control text wrapping for a graphic, follow these steps

Insert your graphic as you normally would.
Right-click your mouse on the graphic. Word displays a Context menu.
Hover the mouse pointer over the Text Wrapping option (Word 2007) or the Wrap Text option (Word 2010 and later versions). Word shows you several different ways you can have text wrap around the graphic.
Select a method of text wrapping from those presented

Once you have selected a wrapping method, you can modify the wrapping points using the techniques described in other WordTips. (Modifying the wrapping points allows you to get text very close to your image, including on top of it, if desired.)

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (11840) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Wrapping Text Around a Graphic.

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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