How to move a caption along with its figure?

[swevrywhere]

Hi,

So here's my problem. I am writing a 2-column technical paper in Word
2007. I've inserted a figure and a caption for it, and now I want to
place them at the top of the page (spanning one column). I've noticed
that you can move the figure to the top left or right of the page
(under the "arrange" group), but the caption doesn't follow along with
it. So now the figure looks great but the caption is left in the
middle of the page where it was before. Please, does anyone know how
to link a figure and its caption so that they move together?

Thanks!

Bonus question: does anyone know how to create a figure (and caption)
that span both columns at the top of a page? Thanks!

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

The best approach to both problems is to put both figure and caption
together in a frame. You can place the frame anywhere you like on the page,
including spanning columns.

The trick is how to insert a frame in Word 2007, as the command has been
made much more difficult to find. It's in the Legacy Forms palette of Legacy
Tools on the Developer tab (if you have that displayed), but that's the hard
way. The best solution is to add Insert Frame (from All Commands in the
Customize dialog) to the QAT. Then select your figure and caption together,
click the Insert Frame button, and then format your frame as desired.

The alternative is to use a text box for the caption (and group it with the
figure) or put both figure and caption in a text box. The drawback to this
is that, while Word 2007 can see text in a text box for purposes of
generating cross-references and a Table of Figures, earlier versions cannot,
so your document would not be backward-compatible.

And of course the easiest thing is to make both figure and caption In Line
With Text, but that is not a viable option if you need the figure always to
be at the top of the page (unless you're willing to end a column short--or
fudge a paragraph break--in order to accommodate it).

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[CyberTaz]

Your ideas are definitely better, but one other twist on the Text Box
option: In 2007 you can still right-click the edge of a Text Box, select
Format Text Box, then Convert to Frame -- same dialog as before, just more
obscure Why you can't still get into the Format Text Box [or Format
Picture or Format AutoShape...] by way of a dbl-click I can't understand,
though.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I should have mentioned that, but it always seems to be exceedingly
roundabout to insert a text box when what you really want is a frame, not to
mention that often the frame that it's converted to is formatted differently
from the one you would insert.

I should also have mentioned that a frame is by default inserted with a
border, which can be removed using the Border button on the Home tab.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

Your ideas are definitely better, but one other twist on the Text Box
option: In 2007 you can still right-click the edge of a Text Box, select
Format Text Box, then Convert to Frame -- same dialog as before, just more
obscure Why you can't still get into the Format Text Box [or Format
Picture or Format AutoShape...] by way of a dbl-click I can't understand,
though.

--
Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
Office:Mac MVP

The best approach to both problems is to put both figure and caption
together in a frame. You can place the frame anywhere you like on the
page, including spanning columns.

The trick is how to insert a frame in Word 2007, as the command has been
made much more difficult to find. It's in the Legacy Forms palette of
Legacy Tools on the Developer tab (if you have that displayed), but
that's the hard way. The best solution is to add Insert Frame (from All
Commands in the Customize dialog) to the QAT. Then select your figure and
caption together, click the Insert Frame button, and then format your
frame as desired.

The alternative is to use a text box for the caption (and group it with
the figure) or put both figure and caption in a text box. The drawback to
this is that, while Word 2007 can see text in a text box for purposes of
generating cross-references and a Table of Figures, earlier versions
cannot, so your document would not be backward-compatible.

And of course the easiest thing is to make both figure and caption In
Line With Text, but that is not a viable option if you need the figure
always to be at the top of the page (unless you're willing to end a
column short--or fudge a paragraph break--in order to accommodate it).

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[bjm]

I think they are trying to tell us "You shouldn't be doing THAT."

Their ideas of what we should & shouldn't be doing (easily or at all)
certainly do seem inscrutible.
bj

Your ideas are definitely better, but one other twist on the Text Box
option: In 2007 you can still right-click the edge of a Text Box, select
Format Text Box, then Convert to Frame -- same dialog as before, just more
obscure Why you can't still get into the Format Text Box [or Format
Picture or Format AutoShape...] by way of a dbl-click I can't understand,
though.

--
Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
Office:Mac MVP

The best approach to both problems is to put both figure and caption
together in a frame. You can place the frame anywhere you like on the
page, including spanning columns.

The trick is how to insert a frame in Word 2007, as the command has been
made much more difficult to find. It's in the Legacy Forms palette of
Legacy Tools on the Developer tab (if you have that displayed), but
that's the hard way. The best solution is to add Insert Frame (from All
Commands in the Customize dialog) to the QAT. Then select your figure and
caption together, click the Insert Frame button, and then format your
frame as desired.

The alternative is to use a text box for the caption (and group it with
the figure) or put both figure and caption in a text box. The drawback to
this is that, while Word 2007 can see text in a text box for purposes of
generating cross-references and a Table of Figures, earlier versions
cannot, so your document would not be backward-compatible.

 

[swevrywhere]

Great, thank you everyone! Suzanne, your tips worked great. Microsoft
should definitely make this functionality more intuitive, but at least
it's possible.

 

[Jethro Pull]

I think I am missing something, all due respect to Suzanne (my daughter's
name).

I just move the figure, delete the caption and reenter the caption in the
new location. I am pretty clueless about this frame/textbox routine probably
because I'm too chicken to try something new. These out-of-control figures
and their mindless captions are the bane of my existence.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Why don't you just move the figure and caption together?

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[Jethro Pull]

Hi Suzanne,

I haven't been in Word lately, but will try it in the next couple of days. I
assume you mean Shift-click-click-move. That should work.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Well, no, I would just select the caption and figure together and drag.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org