4.14 Handling Graphics

4.14.1 Getting Started

There are two basic types of graphics that you can use to enhance your Microsoft Word documents: drawing objects and pictures. Drawing objects include AutoShapes, curves, lines, and WordArt drawing objects. These objects are part of your Word document. Use the Drawing toolbar to change and enhance these objects with colors, patterns, borders, and other effects.

Pictures are graphics that were created from another file. They include bitmaps, scanned pictures and photographs, and clip art. You can change and enhance pictures by using the options on the Picture toolbar and a limited number of options on the Drawing toolbar. In some cases, you must ungroup and convert a picture to a drawing object before you can use the Drawing toolbar options.

4.14.2 Inserting and sizing graphics

4.14.2.1  Steps to insert a graphic

1.       Click where you want to insert the picture.

2.       On the Insert menu, point to Picture, and then click From File or From Clip Art.

3.       Locate the picture you want to insert.

4.       Double-click the picture you want to insert.

4.14.2.2    Crop or Trim the Graphic

1. Select the picture you want to crop.

2. On the Picture toolbar, click Crop.

3. Position the cropping tool over a sizing handle and drag.

4.14.3   Putting a Frame on the graphic

Steps to insert a Frame around the Graphic

When you draw an object, it automatically appears with a border around it- a thin line that defines its shape. You can also add borders to text boxes, pictures, and imported art. You can change or format a border in the same way you change or format a line.

To change the thickness of borders, use Line Style on the Drawing toolbar. Use Dash Style to make borders dashed or dotted, and use Line Color to add color to borders or to remove borders entirely.

You can apply this enhancement to drawing objects and to pictures.

Add a border or a line to a drawing object

1.    Select the drawing object you want to change.

2.    Click Drawing to display the Drawing toolbar.

3.    To add a color to the line or border, click the arrow next to Line Color, and then click the color you want. If you don't see the color you want, click More Line Colors. Click a color on the Standard tab, or click the Custom tab to mix your own color, and then click OK.

4.    To give a line or border a different style, such as a heavier weight, click Line Style, and then click the style you want or, click More Lines, and then click a style.

5.    To make a dashed line or border, click Dashy Style, and then click the style you want.

Position the Graphic on the Page

You can position the graphics including Auto shapes (drawing objects) and Pictures by dragging them anywhere on a page except in a footnote, an endnote, or a comment. If you want to keep text and graphic together, you can put the text in a text box and then group the text box with the graphics using the group command on the Draw menu of the Drawing Toolbar