To move an image in front of text and other objects in Microsoft Word, select the image, open its Layout Options, and choose the In Front of Text wrapping style.
When you insert an image into a Word document, its default position relative to the surrounding text can vary. Often, you need the image to overlap or appear distinctly separate from the text, which is where text wrapping options become essential. Bringing an image to the front is a common requirement for creating layered designs or ensuring an image is always visible regardless of text flow.
Steps to Bring an Image to the Front
Based on the provided information, the primary way to place an image in front of text in Word involves using the Layout Options feature. Here's how you do it:
- Select the Image: Click on the image you want to move to the front. This will typically make the image borders visible and may show contextual tabs in the Word ribbon.
- Open Layout Options: Look for the Layout Options icon. This is usually a small icon that appears near the top-right corner of the image when it is selected. Click on this icon.
- Choose 'In Front of Text': In the menu that pops up from the Layout Options icon, find the section Under With Text Wrapping. From the available text wrapping styles, select In Front of Text. This action immediately positions the image in front of any text or other objects on the page.
- Fix Position (Optional but Recommended): The reference also mentions an important step for controlling the image's placement. After selecting In Front of Text, you can choose to select Fix position on page. This setting ensures that the image stays exactly where you place it on the page, even if you add or delete text elsewhere in the document. If you don't select this, the image's position might shift relative to the page margins as the text layout changes.
Understanding Layout Options
The Layout Options icon provides a quick way to access the most common text wrapping and positioning settings for an image. While you can find these options in other places (like the Picture Format tab > Arrange group > Wrap Text), the icon offers a streamlined workflow directly next to the image.
Choosing In Front of Text is one of several text wrapping options available. Other common styles include:
- Square: Text wraps around the image in a square shape.
- Tight: Text wraps closely around the actual outline of the image (useful for images with irregular shapes).
- Through: Similar to Tight, but text can fill into white space within the image outline.
- Top and Bottom: Text stops above and starts below the image.
- Behind Text: The image is placed behind the text, potentially acting as a watermark or background element.
For the specific goal of moving an image to the front, the In Front of Text option is the correct choice.
Why Use 'Fix Position on Page'?
Using Fix position on page in conjunction with In Front of Text gives you precise control over your image's location. Without it, the image might be set to move with the text, meaning its position relative to surrounding paragraphs is maintained. While this is useful for images embedded within the text flow, it's often undesirable when the image is meant to be a standalone graphic or design element at a specific page coordinate. Fixing the position ensures the image stays put, regardless of subsequent text edits above or below it.
In summary, the quickest way to bring an image to the front in Word and keep it exactly where you want it is by using the Layout Options icon, selecting In Front of Text, and then choosing Fix position on page.
