Controlling Image Sizes in Word

The ability to insert and edit images in Word is one of the programs best features – it takes Word beyond a normal word processor and allows you to achieve results that approach the results of a desktop publishing program.

However, many people will warn against using Word to edit your images. You will have very little control over the resolution of your images and, oddly enough, when you crop an image in Word, Word stores the entire image with the file, but places a “mat” around the cropped area.

This might not seem like a big deal, but it can mean huge file sizes that make documents difficult to share via email and eat up a lot of hard-drive space.

If you want to use Word to edit photos, or even if you frequently include images in your Word document, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the “Compress Pictures” button on the Pictures toolbar. While it won’t give you absolute control over your images in Word, it will help you limit the file size of documents that contain images.

1. Click on a picture in your document

2. On the Picture toolbar, click the Compress Pictures button (it’s the one with arrows at all four corner)

3. In the Compress Pictures dialog box, you are presented with options for the way Word handles your images

4. To apply your changes to all the pictures in your document, click the button beside All pictures in document in the Apply to section

5. Under Options, you can opt to compress your picture(s) and/or to delete the cropped areas of your picture(s) by selecting the appropriate box

6. Once you’ve made your changes, click OK