Working with Graphics in Microsoft Word Adding graphics to word documents can help make even the most basic worksheets more engaging for students. In this document, you will learn how to insert graphics, set their alignment, and resize or crop graphics. Inserting Pictures into Word 1. From the main toolbar, select ““Insert”” 2. Then select ““Picture”” 3. Then select where the graphic is. Usually I am inserting a picture that is stored as a file on my computer. However you can also choose to insert clip art, word art, auto shapes, charts, etc.

Aligning a Graphic Sometimes a graphic doesn’’t need a line of its own. I find it saves space to have the text of the document wrap around a graphic. Here is how to set the text 1. Right-click on the graphic you have inserted into the document 2. Select the ““Show Picture Toolbar”” option 3. A small toolbar should pop-up. You will want to select the Text Wrapping Button. It is highlighted in the image to the right.

4. Now you have a range of text wrapping options, including x x x x x x x

In Line With Text, Square, Tight, Behind Text, In Front of Text, Top and Bottom, Through, or Edit Wrap Points.

My personal favorite is ““Tight.””

Resize a Picture or Shape You can resize an individual shapes and pictures, and crop (crop: To trim vertical or horizontal edges of an object. Pictures are often cropped to focus attention on a particular area.) a picture. 1.

Position the mouse pointer over one of the sizing handles (sizing handle: One of the small circles or squares that appears at the corners and sides of a selected object. You drag these handles to change the size of the object.). 2. Drag the sizing handle until the object is the shape and size you want. To increase or decrease the size in one or more directions, drag the mouse away from or toward the center, while doing one of the following: x x x

To keep the center of an object in the same place, hold down CTRL while dragging the mouse. To maintain the object's proportions, drag one of the corner sizing handles. To maintain the proportions while keeping the center in the same place, hold down CTRL while dragging one of the corner sizing handles.

Crop a picture You can crop (crop: To trim vertical or horizontal edges of an object. Pictures are often cropped to focus attention on a particular area.) any picture except an animated GIF (animated GIF: A file that contains a series of Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) images that are displayed in rapid sequence by some Web browsers to produce an animated effect.) picture by using the Crop command. To crop an animated GIF, trim the picture in an animated GIF editing program, and then insert the picture again. 1. Select the picture you want to crop. Right click the picture again if you can see the picture toolbar. 2. On the Picture toolbar (toolbar: A bar with buttons and options that you use to carry out commands. To display a toolbar, press ALT and then SHIFT+F10.), click Crop

. (See below)

3. Position the cropping tool over a cropping handle and then do one of the following: x To crop one side, drag the center handle on that side inward. x To crop equally on two sides at once, hold down CTRL as you drag the center handle on either side inward. x To crop equally on all four sides at once, hold down CTRL as you drag a corner handle inward. 4. On the Picture toolbar, click Crop

to turn off the Crop command.

Borders, shading, and graphic fills can add interest and emphasis to various parts of your document. You can add borders to pages, text, tables (table: One or more rows of cells commonly used to display numbers and other items for quick reference and analysis. Items in a table are organized into rows and columns.) and table cells (cell: A box formed by the intersection of a row and column in a worksheet or a table, in which you enter information.), graphic objects, and pictures. You can apply colored or textured fills to your graphic objects.

Page Borders: You can add a border to any or all sides of each page in a document, to pages in a section (section: A portion of a document in which you set certain page formatting options. You create a new section when you want to change such properties as line numbering, number of columns, or headers and footers.), to the first page only, or to all pages except the first. You can add page borders in many line styles and colors, as well as a variety of graphical borders. Add a border to a picture, table, or text 1.

Select the text, picture, or table (table: One or more rows of cells commonly used to display numbers and other items for quick reference and analysis. Items in a table are organized into rows and columns.) you want to apply a border to.

If you want to apply a border to specific table cells (cell: A box formed by the intersection of a row and column in a worksheet or a table, in which you enter information.), select the cells, including the end-of-cell mark.

2. On the Format menu, click Borders and Shading, and then click the Borders tab. 3. Select the options you want. 4. To specify that only particular sides get borders, click Custom under Setting. Under Preview, click the diagram's sides, or use the buttons to apply and remove borders. 5. To specify the exact position of a paragraph border relative to the text, click Paragraph under Apply to, click Options, and then select the options you want. If you are adding borders to a complicated table or to several parts of your document, you may want to use the Tables and Borders toolbar (toolbar: A bar with buttons and options that you use to carry out commands. To display a toolbar, press ALT and then SHIFT+F10.). Add a border to a page 1.

On the Format menu, click Borders and Shading, and then click the Page Border tab. 2. To specify an artistic border, such as trees, select an option in the Art box.

3. Click one of the border options under Settings. To specify that the border appears on a particular side of a page, such as only at the top, click Custom under Setting. Under Preview, click where you want the border to appear. 4. To specify a particular page or section (section: A portion of a document in which you set certain page formatting options. You create a new section when you want to change such properties as line numbering, number of columns, or headers and footers.) for the border to appear in, click the option you want under Apply to. 5. To specify the exact position of the border on the page, click Options, and then select the options you want.

Text and Table Shading: You can set apart text from the rest of a document by adding borders. You can also highlight text by applying shading. You can also add borders to a table or individual table cell, and you can use shading to fill in the background of a table. 1.

Select the text or table (table: One or more rows of cells commonly used to display numbers and other items for quick reference and analysis. Items in a table are organized into rows and columns.) that you want to add shading to.

If you want to shade specific table cells (cell: A box formed by the intersection of a row and column in a worksheet or a table, in which you enter information.), select the cells, including the end-of-cell mark. 2. On the Format menu, click Borders and Shading, and then click the Shading tab. 3. Select the options you want. x

You can select one color for the whole table or just a section of the table.

Graphic Borders, Colors, and Fills: You can add borders to drawing objects (drawing object: Any graphic you draw or insert, which can be changed and enhanced. Drawing objects include AutoShapes, curves, lines, and WordArt.) and pictures. You can change or format the border of an object in the same way you change or format a line. You can fill drawing objects with a solid color, a gradient (gradient: A gradual progression of colors and shades, usually from one color to another color, or from one shade to another shade of the same color.), a pattern, a texture, or a picture.

1.

Select the AutoShape, text box, drawing canvas, or you want to fill. 2. On the Drawing toolbar (toolbar: A bar with buttons & options that you use to carry out commands. To display a toolbar, press ALT and then SHIFT+F10.), click the arrow next to Fill Color . 3. Do one of the following: x To apply a solid color, click the color you want, or click More Fill Colors for more choices. x To apply a decorative fill, click Fill Effects, and then click the Gradient, Texture, Pattern, or Picture tab. Select the options that you want. 4. As you can see, I have given my AutoShape (the vertical scroll) a textured background.