HELP: Image Formatting & Text Anchoring??

[Steve]

Hi... I could use some help...

I've a tutorial document; 106 pages but shouldn't matter except to show
level of my frustration. This document has 100-150 "screen shot" graphics
and I want the text to flow around the text.

For each graphic, I've clicked FORMAT PICTURE / LAYOUT / ADVANCED / TEXT
WRAPPING style as SQUARE and all margins are set to 0.125. Then I move
(mouse or arrows) the graphic to where I want... however, as I move further
into the document, the graphics start to have a mind of their own.

1. This problem I can see immediately... when I move a picture towards the
top of a page... it "jumps" into the header. I can move the pic down to
line 4 or 5... and use the arrows to get NEAR the first line but not TO the
first line. This doesn't happen in the first 20-30 pages... then once out
of every five attempts after. Annoying but liveable.

2. This problem is highly-aggravating... happens when adding/deleting
text/pics BEFORE an established pic... again, as I get deeper into the
document. When I make a "several line change" (adding usually but also
deleting) or insert a new graphic... the next few graphics start running
amuck... they end up in the margins... or in the footer... or overlaying one
another. Usually it's graphics on the current or next page... once in a
while even 2-3 pages down.

Can anyone shed any light on what I'm doing wrong??
Thanks in advance,
Steve

 

[Jezebel]

There are a couple more features of graphic positioning you need to learn
about.

1. Go to Tools > Options and check the 'Object anchors' checkbox. Now select
any of your pics. You'll see a little anchor in the left margin. This
indicates the paragraph that the graphic is anchored to. Every graphic is
anchored to a paragraph -- and if you delete the paragraph, you delete the
graphic also. By default it's the closest paragraph; but you can drag the
anchor to choose which paragraph you want to use as anchor; and on the
layout > Picture Position tab you can lock the anchor. The graphic is always
on the same page as the anchor paragraph.

2. On the Picture Position tab, experiment with the other positioning
settings. The default is relative to the start of the anchor paragraph, but
amongst other options you can set an absolute position on the page. You can
also clear the 'Move object with text' checkbox: in this case the graphic
stays put even if the anchor paragraph moves.

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi Steve,

For each graphic, I've clicked FORMAT PICTURE / LAYOUT / ADVANCED / TEXT
WRAPPING style as SQUARE and all margins are set to 0.125. Then I move
(mouse or arrows) the graphic to where I want... however, as I move further
into the document, the graphics start to have a mind of their own.

In addition to Jezebel's post - and I highly recommend you look into the areas
she points to - there can be problems with graphics formatted with text flow.
Especially in the newer versions of Word (2002/2003), Word appears to reach a
point where it can no longer correctly manage graphics internally. Sometimes,
recreating the document can help (such as copy/paste all but the last
paragraph mark to a new document).

Personally, I avoid applying text flow formatting to a graphic in any but the
most simple/short documents. If I need to place text beside a graphic, I'll
usually insert it into a Frame (the Insert Frame command from the FORMS
toolbar). Possibly, I might use a Table instead; or even a single table cell
formatted with text flow. The additional advantage of this approach is that I
can cross-reference.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 8 2004)
http://www.word.mvps.org

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[CyberTaz]

Hi Steve -

The replies from Jezebel & Cindy - both of whom are very knowledgeable -
should help you a great deal, but the fact remains that Word is notoriously
problematic for most users when it comes to controlling graphics.

If you can, you would be better off using just about *any* page layout
program on the market for this type of document, combining your Word doc
text & placed images there. You can pick up MS Publisher for <>$80 if you
don't already have it available. IMHO, that type of program will more than
pay for itself in terms of increased productivity & reduced frustration...
even if used just for the one job.

 

[Steve]

Well I truly thank all of you... it's great that each of you took some time
to help.

I was pretty close to Jezebel's answer... tried the piece I missed but my
graphics still run amuck. Tomorrow I'll try Cindy M's frames and I'll keep
Publisher in reserve...

Steve