Problem with frames in W2007

[Steve Thackery]

I'm getting into a right mess with text boxes and frames (and pictures, in
fact). The Help facility seems almost useless when it comes to a detailed
explanation.

I'm trying to understand:

1/ what is the difference between a text box and a frame?

2/ what exact effects do "lock anchor" and "move with text" have, and when
should they be used?

3/ If I insert a picture, is it in a kind of invisible frame? I ask because
it seems to have the same layout facilities.

4/ When I right click the picture and choose Insert Caption, the caption
seems to be in its own little frame (or is it a text box) even if the
picture itself isn't.

5/ When I move a captioned picture around, it leave the caption behind. Is
this normal?

I'm writing a complex document with lots of pictures, each of which must be
captioned with "Figure n....." It seems a nightmare deciding what type of
text wrapping to use, and whether to "lock anchor" or "move with text".

I've tried creating a text box, changing it to a frame, and then putting the
picture plus caption into it. That seems slightly easier and less freaky in
its behaviour.

But sometimes if I add some text earlier in the document, the text gets
moved along but the pictures stay behind. Other times I try to move a
picture to the required place in the text, and then when I release the mouse
button the picture and/or the text jump all over the place, and makes a
right old mess. Sometimes two or three pictures land on top of each other -
occasionally on a different page!

I realise I'm missing something fundamental about how to handle pictures,
text boxes and frames, and I wouldn't expect anyone to give a lengthy
explanation or set of answers here. But can anyone recommend some sort of
reference - either a book or online - which gives a really good explanation
of this area?

Thanks in anticipation!

Steve

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Before you print (which will update the INDEX field), press Ctrl+Shift+F9 to
unlink the field.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Inline

I'm getting into a right mess with text boxes and frames (and pictures, in
fact). The Help facility seems almost useless when it comes to a detailed
explanation.

I'm trying to understand:

1/ what is the difference between a text box and a frame?

A text box is a "drawing object" or AutoShape in the drawing layer. A frame
is a sort of hybrid thing that is in the text layer. That means that, in
every version before Word 2007 (pay attention: this impacts backward
compatiblility), text in a text box is not accessible to the TOC or REF
fields, but text in a frame is. You can also view the contents of frames
(though not in position) in Normal (Draft) view; text boxes, being in the
drawing layer, cannot be seen in Normal view. There are more wrapping
options for text boxes than for frames: frames are either wrapped (basically
Square) or not.

2/ what exact effects do "lock anchor" and "move with text" have, and when
should they be used?

"Lock anchor" means that the graphic will remain anchored to a specific
paragraph and move with it. "Move with text" means that the graphic will
move along with the paragraph it's anchored to. I guess. I have to admit
I've never much understood this part of it (I don't use wrapped graphics any
more than I absolutely have to).

3/ If I insert a picture, is it in a kind of invisible frame? I ask because
it seems to have the same layout facilities.

Beginning with some version several versions ago (I'm not sure when),
pictures can be inserted freestanding, not in a text box or frame. As you
have observed, they have the same wrapping objects as text boxes (and many
more options than frames).

4/ When I right click the picture and choose Insert Caption, the caption
seems to be in its own little frame (or is it a text box) even if the
picture itself isn't.

I can't speak to this. In Word 2003 and earlier, if the graphic is wrapped,
the caption will be in a text box, which is quite useless because then the
caption can't be seen by the Table of Figures, but if the graphic is In Line
With Text, the caption should be as well (you can insert both inline and
then put them together in a frame if you want to wrap text around them).

5/ When I move a captioned picture around, it leave the caption behind. Is
this normal?

As noted, you can put them together in a single frame. If you want to leave
them inline, make sure that the first one (caption or picture) is formatted
as "Keep with next." See also
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/figures/keepwithcaption.html

I'm writing a complex document with lots of pictures, each of which must be
captioned with "Figure n....." It seems a nightmare deciding what type of
text wrapping to use, and whether to "lock anchor" or "move with text".

I've tried creating a text box, changing it to a frame, and then putting the
picture plus caption into it. That seems slightly easier and less freaky in
its behaviour.

But sometimes if I add some text earlier in the document, the text gets
moved along but the pictures stay behind. Other times I try to move a
picture to the required place in the text, and then when I release the mouse
button the picture and/or the text jump all over the place, and makes a
right old mess. Sometimes two or three pictures land on top of each other -
occasionally on a different page!

I realise I'm missing something fundamental about how to handle pictures,
text boxes and frames, and I wouldn't expect anyone to give a lengthy
explanation or set of answers here. But can anyone recommend some sort of
reference - either a book or online - which gives a really good explanation
of this area?

For other references, see these:

Working with Anchors
http://word.mvps.org/faqs/drwgrphcs/anchors.htm

The draw layer: a metaphysical space (and how to bring it back down to
earth)
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/DrwGrphcs/DrawLayer.htm

Inserting and positioning graphics
http://office.microsoft.com/training/training.aspx?AssetID=RC010264821033

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Oops, that was meant to be an answer to another thread. Sorry.

 

[Steve Thackery]

Suzanne, that's a TREMENDOUSLY helpful reply.

Thank you so much!

Steve

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Glad I could help.