Office For Mac

When it comes to editing pictures for your documents, don’t overlook all of the options built right into Word.

When you click a picture in a document, the Format Picture tab appears on the ribbon. From here, you can quickly apply the styles and formatting you want.

For example, I used the Format Picture options to crop, apply a filter, a border, and a reflection effect to this picture.

Now if I decide that I want a different picture, but still want to use the same styles and formatting, I can just right-click (or Control-click) the image, click Change Picture, and choose the one I want from my hard drive.

I’m going to go one step further and turn this picture into a “placeholder” (sometimes called a “drop zone”) so that I can see a preview of how different pictures will look in my document before committing — try before you buy, if you will.

1. Right-click the picture, and then click Format Picture.
2. In the left pane, click Layout, and then click the Advanced button.
3. Select the Placeholder check box.

Now when I drag a picture from the Media Browser or from my desktop over the placeholder, I see a preview of the image along with all of the applied styles and formatting, and can decide if I like the effects.

Picture placeholders are particularly useful in documents that you update regularly but want a consistent style and appearance from issue to issue, such as brochures or newsletters.

For more tips and information about working with pictures in Office, check out:
- Video: Edit pictures in Office
- Video: Create a custom flyer
- Video: Remove a picture background

- Lowell, Office for Mac writer