How to Move a Picture Freely in Word (Text Wrapping Explained)
You insert a picture in Word, try to drag it to the side, and the whole page rearranges itself. Or the picture jumps to the next page every time you type. It's one of Word's most common frustrations — and it all comes down to one setting: text wrapping.
Why pictures won't move
By default, Word inserts pictures In Line with Text. That means Word treats the picture like a giant letter sitting in a line of text. You can only move it the way you'd move a word — by cutting and pasting it somewhere else in the text.
To drag a picture anywhere, change its wrapping.
Change the text wrapping
1. Click the picture.
2. Click the small Layout Options button that appears at its top-right corner.
3. Under With Text Wrapping, choose an option.
2. Click the small Layout Options button that appears at its top-right corner.
3. Under With Text Wrapping, choose an option.
You can also find this on the Picture Format tab under Wrap Text.
| Option | What it does | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| In Line with Text | Picture behaves like a character in the text | Pictures on their own line |
| Square | Text flows around a rectangle around the picture | Most photos beside text |
| Tight | Text hugs the picture's actual shape | Logos and cut-out images |
| Top and Bottom | Text above and below, nothing beside it | Wide images |
| Behind Text | Picture sits behind the words | Watermarks, backgrounds |
| In Front of Text | Picture sits on top, text unaffected | Placing things exactly anywhere |
Once you've chosen anything other than In Line with Text, you can drag the picture wherever you like.
Stop the picture moving when you type
Even with wrapping on, a picture is attached ("anchored") to a paragraph. Add text above it and the picture moves down with that paragraph.
To pin it to a fixed spot on the page:
1. Click the picture.
2. Click Layout Options.
3. Choose Fix position on page (instead of Move with text).
2. Click Layout Options.
3. Choose Fix position on page (instead of Move with text).
Now the picture stays put while the text flows around it.
Tip: Turn on formatting marks (Ctrl + Shift + 8) and click the picture to see a small anchor icon showing which paragraph it's attached to. Drag the anchor to attach it somewhere else.
Line pictures up neatly
1. Click the picture.
2. Go to Picture Format > Align.
3. Choose Align Left, Align Center, Align Right, Align Top and so on.
2. Go to Picture Format > Align.
3. Choose Align Left, Align Center, Align Right, Align Top and so on.
Word also shows green alignment guides as you drag, snapping to the margins and centre of the page.
Nudge a picture a tiny bit
Select the picture and press the arrow keys to nudge it. Hold Ctrl while pressing an arrow for even smaller steps.
Put two pictures side by side
The simplest reliable way is a table:
1. Insert > Table and create a 2 × 1 table.
2. Click in each cell and insert a picture.
3. To hide the lines, select the table, go to Table Design > Borders > No Border.
2. Click in each cell and insert a picture.
3. To hide the lines, select the table, go to Table Design > Borders > No Border.
Wrapping up
If a picture won't move, change Layout Options from In Line with Text to Square or In Front of Text. Then choose Fix position on page so it stays where you put it.
