In Word, text wrapping controls how body text flows around a picture or drawing object. A newly inserted picture is commonly In Line with Text: it sits in a paragraph like a character and moves as nearby text changes. Choose another layout when you need text beside the picture or want to move it independently.
Wrap text around a picture
- Insert a picture with Insert > Pictures, then select it.
- Choose the Layout Options button beside the selected picture, or open Picture Format > Wrap Text in desktop Word.
- Choose Square for text around the picture’s rectangular boundary, Tight for text closer to its outline, or Top and Bottom to keep text above and below. In Line with Text returns it to the text line.
- Move or resize the picture, then check the neighboring paragraphs and print layout. If the gap is wrong, open Wrap Text > More Layout Options for finer control.
Behind Text and In Front of Text place the picture under or over text rather than wrapping text beside it. Use them intentionally: an image in front can obscure words.
Keep the picture where you expect
Wrapped pictures have an anchor in a paragraph. With the picture selected, use Move with Text when it should follow that paragraph, or Fix Position on Page when its page position should stay fixed. Inspect the result after adding or deleting text; fixed positioning can still need review when the document repaginates. For layered pictures, see our overlapping images guide.
If the option is missing
Select the picture itself, not the surrounding text. Word for the web offers a limited set of picture wrapping controls; if a desktop-created picture with wrapping or fixed positioning cannot be moved there, choose Open in Word and adjust it in the desktop app. A paragraph running off the page is a different problem from wrapping text around a picture.
Source: Microsoft Support: Wrap text around a picture 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