To mirror a picture in desktop Word, select the picture, open Picture Format > Rotate, and choose Flip Horizontal. This swaps its left and right sides. Choose Flip Vertical only if you want the top and bottom reversed. The command affects the selected picture in the document; it does not edit the original image file.
Flip one picture left to right
- Open the Word document and click the picture once so the resizing handles appear. If you need a picture first, use Insert > Pictures and choose its source.
- Open the Picture Format tab. In some versions, the contextual tab is labeled Picture Tools Format.
- Choose Rotate > Flip Horizontal. Check a distinctive feature, such as a person facing left or an object near one edge, to confirm it moved to the opposite side.
- Save the document. If the result is wrong, use Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac, or choose Flip Horizontal again.
For a photo of a car facing right, Flip Horizontal makes it face left. Flip Vertical instead turns the photo upside down. Rotating 180 degrees also puts it upside down but reverses both left and right; it is not a substitute for a horizontal mirror.
If you need to turn the picture by an angle rather than mirror it, see how to rotate a picture in Word.
Keep an original and a mirrored copy
If you want a before-and-after layout, select the picture, copy and paste it, and flip only the duplicate. Then place the copies side by side. With an image set to In Line with Text, Word treats it like a large character, so it may be hard to drag freely. Use the picture’s Layout Options to choose a wrapping style such as Square if you need independent placement. Recheck the page after changing wrapping because nearby paragraphs may move.
When the two pictures must match in size, set the same height or width for both under Picture Format, keeping the aspect ratio locked. Avoid dragging one corner by eye when accurate alignment matters. Our guide to making images the same size in Word covers that workflow.
Check text, logos, and meaning before sharing
A horizontal flip also reverses writing inside the picture. A mirrored screenshot, label, logo, or road sign can therefore become unreadable or misleading. Check whether a product mark, directional arrow, or real-world scene must retain its original direction. If the picture contains instructions or data, a decorative mirror effect may be inappropriate; use the unflipped version or edit the image outside Word instead.
For accessibility, select the picture and review its alt text after flipping. The description should match what the reader now sees. A decorative picture can be marked decorative; an informative picture needs a useful description.
Mirror text instead of a picture
Flip Horizontal works on pictures and shapes, but it does not reverse the letters typed inside a text box. To mirror text in Word for Windows, use a 3-D rotation instead.
- Choose Insert > Text Box, draw the box, and type your text.
- Right-click the edge of the text box and choose Format Shape.
- In the Format Shape pane, select Effects and expand 3-D Rotation.
- Set X Rotation to 180°. The text now reads backward, like a reflection.
Set X Rotation back to 0° to undo it. You can also remove the box’s fill and outline in the same pane so only the text shows. In Word for Mac, Microsoft documents the same X Rotation setting for WordArt under Format Shape > Text Options > Text Effects > 3-D Rotation.
- No Picture Format tab: Click the picture itself. A click in surrounding text, a text box, or a shape selects a different object and exposes different controls.
- The picture will not move after flipping: Flipping changes orientation, not position. Use Layout Options if you need to reposition it.
- You selected several objects: Click outside the selection, then select the individual picture to make the intended target clear.
- You are using a different Word version: The tab may be named Picture Tools Format; Microsoft’s Word instructions also show the Flip commands under Rotate for Mac and Word for the web. If the control is absent in your interface, open the file in desktop Word.
Check a cropped or printed picture
If the visible image does not look like the mirror you expected, check whether the picture was cropped before the flip. The visible crop may hide the landmark you were using to compare left and right. Select the picture, inspect Picture Format > Crop, and compare the same visible area in the original and flipped copies. Avoid resetting the whole picture unless you are willing to lose other picture adjustments.
Finally, use Word’s print preview or export a PDF and inspect the output. A wide flipped picture can still be clipped by a page margin, while text wrapping can move it when nearby paragraphs change. Fix the placement and size in the Word file, then export again.
Preview the final page at the size readers will see, especially when an image sits close to a margin or another object. Microsoft explains the Rotate and Flip controls in Word.
Matt has been writing about Microsoft Windows and other Microsoft products since the days of Windows XP. He spends much of his time writing for sites like WindowBrain.com