Wrapping text around images, shapes, and other objects in Word is a great way to break up blocks of text and make your documents more visually engaging. When you wrap text, the text will flow around the object so that the object and the text complement each other. Wrapping text takes just a few clicks, and it’s easy to adjust or remove text wrapping if you change your mind.
In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know about wrapping text in Word, including:
- What text wrapping is and why you should use it
- How to wrap text around images, shapes, SmartArt, charts, and other objects
- The different text wrapping options and how to choose the right one
- Tips for positioning wrapped objects
- Troubleshooting common text wrapping issues
- How to remove or adjust text wrapping
As a writer who uses Word daily, I’ve wrapped more text than I can count. By the end of this guide, you’ll be a text wrapping pro too!
What is Text Wrapping in Word?
Text wrapping is a feature in Word that allows you to insert an object, like an image, shape, or chart, into a document and have the surrounding text flow around it in a natural way.
Without text wrapping, any objects you insert will disrupt the flow of text, often leaving awkward gaps or large blocks of white space. Text wrapping solves this problem by intelligently repositioning the text so it hugs the object’s border.
Text wrapping improves the overall look and readability of documents. It prevents text from becoming obscured behind objects. And it helps highlight and integrate those objects into your content.
Why Should You Use Text Wrapping?
Here are some of the key benefits of using text wrapping in Word:
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Improves aesthetics – Text wrapping prevents awkward gaps and spacing issues, creating a clean, professional look.
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Enhances layout flexibility – Wrapping gives you more control over object placement within the text.
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Highlights images and objects – Wrapped objects stand out more, becoming part of the flow instead of interrupting it.
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Increases readability – Wrapping prevents text from being hidden or obscured by objects.
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Draws attention – Wrapping guides the reader’s eyes to important visuals that support your content.
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Great for any object – Wrap text around images, shapes, charts, SmartArt, tables, text boxes, and more!
For all these reasons, taking the time to wrap text is worth the small effort. Your documents will be more visually appealing and easier to parse.
How to Wrap Text Around an Image in Word
Wrapping text around an image is the most common text wrapping scenario. Here are the simple steps to follow:
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Insert the image where you want it to appear in the document.
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Click the image to select it.
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Go to the Picture Format tab.
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Click Wrap Text and select a wrapping option.
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Adjust the image and text as needed.
The default wrap setting is Square, which wraps text around the image in a tight rectangular shape. But you can choose from many wrapping styles to find what works best.
Let’s look at how to do this in more detail.
Insert an Image
First, insert the image in the desired location within your text. You can:
- Click Insert > Pictures and select an image file.
- Drag an image file directly onto the document.
- Copy and paste an image from another file.
Position the image roughly where you want it. You can fine-tune the placement after wrapping the text.
Select the Image
Next, click the image to select it. This displays the Picture Format tab with text wrapping options.
Tip: If you don’t see the Picture Format tab, make sure you actually clicked the image. Clicking elsewhere will display the regular text formatting tabs instead.
Choose a Text Wrapping Option
On the Picture Format tab, click Wrap Text and select one of the wrapping styles:
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Square – Wraps text in a tight square around the image.
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Tight – Wraps text closely around the edges of irregularly shaped images.
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Through – Allows you to wrap text in irregular shapes by pulling text into the image.
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Top and Bottom – Text above and below the image moves as a unit to accommodate it.
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Behind Text – Sends the image behind the text like a watermark.
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In Front of Text – Displays the image on top of the text.
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In Line with Text – No wrapping; image sits in the text like a character.
Square and Tight are good general-purpose options. Choose Through if you want text to overlap the image in places. The other options are more specialized.
Adjust Formatting as Needed
After wrapping, you can drag the image to fine-tune its location relative to the text. Use the sizing handles to resize it if desired.
The text will automatically re-wrap and reflow as you adjust the image positioning.
You can also change the text wrapping style or remove wrapping entirely if you don’t like how it turned out. Just re-select the image and pick a different option or In Line with Text.
And that’s it! With these simple steps, you can quickly wrap text around any image in Word.
How to Wrap Text Around Other Objects
The same text wrapping options work for many objects beyond just images, including:
- Shapes and text boxes
- Charts and graphs
- Tables
- SmartArt graphics
- Formulas
- WordArt
- Clip art
To wrap text around any object:
- Insert the object into the document.
- Select the object to display its formatting tab.
- Click Wrap Text and choose an option.
- Adjust as needed.
The process is virtually identical. The only difference is which formatting tab appears – Shape Format, SmartArt Tools, Chart Tools, etc. But they all have the Wrap Text button in the same location.
So now you can wrap text around all sorts of objects, not just pictures!
Text Wrapping Options in Depth
Word provides several text wrapping modes, each with their own pros and cons. Let’s explore what they do so you can pick the right one:
Square
Square wrapping conforms the text into a tight rectangular shape snug against the image borders. This is great for wrapping text around standard rectangular photos and shapes.
Pros: Neat and tidy look; close text integration
Cons: Can cause uneven spacing around irregular shapes
Tight
Tight wrapping follows the exact contours of the object. Use this when you have an oddly shaped image, such as a circle, triangle, star, etc., and want text to hug the edges.
Pros: Accounts for irregular shapes; prevents awkward gaps
Cons: Shape must have an absolute boundary; doesn’t work well with transparent images
Through
With Through wrapping, you can manually pull text into and around parts of the object, overlapping them. It allows for unique effects.
Pros: Total control to create overlap; best for transparency
Cons: Requires manual editing; can be tricky
Top and Bottom
This option only wraps text above and below the object, treating it as a single block.
Pros: Maintains a clear shape; useful for wide vertical objects
Cons: Can leave empty space on the sides; limited flexibility
Behind Text and In Front of Text
Use these complementary options to layer an object behind or on top of text like a watermark.
Pros: Allows you to watermark text; maintains flow
Cons: Text can be difficult to read atop objects
In Line with Text
This is Word’s default wrapping mode for objects. The object sits in the text flow line like a big letter, disrupting the flow.
Pros: Simple; lets you insert objects anywhere quickly
Cons: Causes spacing issues and obscured text
Take a minute to choose the right text wrapping style for each object you insert based on its shape, your desired effect, and how the text interacts with it. This will give you the best, most professional results.
Tips for Positioning Wrapped Objects
Wrapping text around an object gives you flexibility to place it precisely where you want. Here are some tips:
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Avoid edges and corners. Allow some space between the object and text margins or page edges.
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Try to align wrapped objects with the edges of nearby paragraphs. This creates a clean look.
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Be consistent with spacing. Use similar gaps between wrapped objects and text throughout the document.
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Avoid breaking figures and captions across pages. Keep them together.
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For small objects with tight wrapping, you can place them right in the text flow as if they are special characters.
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To overlay an object on text without wrapping, use In Front of Text and adjust transparency.
Take a moment to fine-tune the positioning of wrapped objects. Subtle adjustments make a big difference in the overall
wikiHow Video: How to Wrap Text in Word
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- Microsoft Word
StepsPart
Why cant I wrap text in Word?
Your text could already be wrapped. Or, if youre trying to wrap text inside of a cell, make sure that “shrink to fit” is not enabled, as this will shrink the texts font size to fit the cell and the text wont wrap.
How do I wrap text in a Word table?
First, select the cell(s) you want to wrap text in. Then, you can either click Wrap Text in the Format section of the Table tab or right-click the cell and click Wrap Text in the contextual menu.
How do I warp text in Word?
To warp text, click WordArt in the Insert tab and select a style. Replace the WordArt text with your text, then select Text Effects > Transform in the Shape Format or Drawing Tools Format tab. You can then select one of the styles under the Warp heading to warp your text.
How to Wrap Text in Word
What are the different ways to wrap text in Word?
The word wrapping options are: “In Line with Text”, “Square”, “Tight”, “Through”, “Top and Bottom”, “Behind Text”, and “In Front of Text”. “In-Line with Text” is the default setting, and as described above, places the image at a specific point on a specific line.
How do you wrap text around a table in Word?
Click on the “Properties” button. This is located on the far left of the top menu. In the pop-up window that appears, click on the “Around” button underneath the bolded header, “Text Wrapping.” This ensures that text will wrap around your table.
How do you wrap text around an image in Word?
To wrap a text, click on the image. You can click on the Layout Options shortcut button. Or, you can navigate to Picture Format and click on the dropdown from Wrap Text for more choices to wrap the text. You can see a variety of ways to align the image and wrap the text around it. Let us see different ways you can wrap text in Word in detail.
How do you curve text around a circle in Word?
You can use WordArt with a Transform text effect to curve or bend text around a shape. If you want the text to circle the shape, you can also do this, but it’s a little bit more work. You can also insert WordArt multiple times to wrap text around shapes with straight edges. Go to Insert > WordArt, and pick the WordArt style you want.
