Troubleshoot working with frames and pictures

Microsoft Office Publisher 2003

I can't see the background behind the picture.

You might be trying to change the shading of a picture that was imported from another program. Microsoft Publisher cannot do this.

You can, however, adjust the shape of the picture frame so that it wraps more tightly around the picture itself. This way you can see more of the objects beneath the picture.

ShowHow?

Do one or more of the following:

ShowSwitch from wrapping text around the picture frame to wrapping it around the picture's outline

  1. Select the picture frame.
  2. On the Picture toolbar, click Text Wrapping Button image.
  3. Click Square.

ShowChange the shape of the picture's outline

  1. Select the picture frame.
  2. On the Arrange menu, point to Text Wrapping Button image and make sure that the Square option is not selected.
  3. On the Arrange menu, point to Text Wrapping, and then click Edit Wrap Points Edit Wrap Points.
  4. If necessary, zoom in to see the adjust handles.

    ShowHow?

    Do one of the following:

    • To zoom in or out, click Zoom In Button image or Zoom Out Button image next to the Zoom box Button image.
    • To zoom to a specific percentage of the original size of a picture or area, enter the percentage in the Zoom box, or click the arrow next to the Zoom box and choose it from the list.
    • To switch between the current view and the actual size, press F9.
    • To fill the workspace with only objects that you select, click the arrow next to the Zoom box, and then click Selected Objects. This option is only available after you have selected at least one object.
    • To fill the workspace with the width of your publication, click the arrow next to the Zoom box, and then click Page Width.
    • To fill the workspace with the entire page, click the arrow next to the Zoom box, and then click Whole Page.
    • If you have a mouse with five buttons, you can zoom in on a particular part of the page. Point to a corner of the area you want to zoom in on, and then hold down the fifth mouse button while dragging diagonally until the rectangle surrounds the area. To return to the previous zoom level, click the fifth mouse button again.
  5. Position the mouse pointer over the handle that you want to move until you see the Adjust pointer Adjust pointer for Edit Wrap Points.
  6. Drag the pointer to change the outline of the picture.

Note  The text in a table cannot be wrapped around a picture.

ShowChange how tightly the text wraps around a picture

Try one of the following:

  • Print the publication. The text wrap might appear tighter on the printed page.
  • Reduce the font size.
  • Enlarge the picture.
  • Reduce the text box margins.

    ShowHow?

    1. Right-click the text box.
    2. On the shortcut menu, click Format Text Box.
    3. In the Format Text Box dialog box, click the Text Box tab.
    4. Under Text Box Margins, enter the settings for the left, right, top, and bottom margins.

ShowMy shape doesn't print.

If you remove the border from a transparent shape, it won’t appear on the printed page. Add a pattern or color to make it visible again.

ShowHow?

You can use the Fill Color tool to add a fill to any picture except an animated GIF picture. Make these changes in an animated GIF editing program, and then insert the picture file again.

  1. Select the picture, AutoShape, text box, or WordArt you want to change.
  2. On the Formatting toolbar, click the arrow next to Fill Color Button image.
  3. Do one or more of the following:

ShowAdd or change a fill color

Do one of the following:

  • To change to a color in the color scheme, click one of the eight scheme colors below No Fill.
  • To change to a color that isn't in the color scheme, click More Fill Colors. On the Standard tab, click the color you want, or click the Custom tab to create your own color.

ShowAdd or change a gradient, pattern, texture, or picture fill

  1. Click Fill Effects, and then click the Gradient, Texture, Picture, or Pattern tab.
  2. Select the options you want.

ShowRemove a fill

  • Click No Fill.

ShowI tried to move a picture and other pictures moved with it.

The picture might be grouped. To ungroup the pictures, select the picture, and then click Ungroup Ungroup in the bottom right corner of the frame.

ShowI can't add a border or fill to my picture.

Your picture is probably an animated GIF file. Publisher cannot modify animated GIF files by changing their fill color, adding a border, or adjusting their transparency.

Animated GIF files are always embedded pictures. If you don't need your picture to be an animated GIF, you can convert it to an ordinary GIF file, or another graphic type, by saving it as a linked picture.

ShowHow?

  1. On the Tools menu, click Graphics Manager.
  2. In the Graphics Manager task pane, under Select a picture, click the arrow next to the animated GIF you want to save as a link, and then click Save as Linked Picture.
  3. In the Save As dialog box, browse to the directory where you want to save the linked picture.
  4. For File name, type a name for the linked graphic.
  5. For Save as type, select the graphic file format in which you want to save the linked picture.
  6. Click Save.

Once you convert the picture from an animated GIF to an ordinary GIF or other graphic type, you can modify it as desired.

Text and pictures

ShowMy text moved when I added a picture.

When you place a picture, WordArt, a table, a shape with shading, or another text box on top of a text box, the underlying text wraps around the object. To keep the text from moving, you can prevent the text from wrapping around an object.

ShowHow?

  1. Click the picture.
  2. On the Picture toolbar, click Text Wrapping Button image, and then click None.

ShowMy picture is moving as I type.

The picture is currently an inline object. You need to change it to an object with exact position.

ShowHow?

  1. Right-click the object.
  2. On the shortcut menu, point to Format <object type>.
  3. In the dialog box, click the Layout tab.
  4. In the Object Position list, select Exact.

ShowText in a text box appears on top of my picture or WordArt or in its margins.

  • The Wrapping Style option on the Layout tab in the Format <object type> dialog box might be set to Through or Tight. If so, change it to Square.

ShowHow?

  1. Click the object to select it.
  2. On the Arrange menu, point to Text Wrapping, and then click Square.
  • If a transparent text box is on top of the picture or WordArt frame, remove the transparent formatting and send the text box to the back.

ShowHow?

  1. Click the text box to select it.
  2. On the Formatting toolbar, click the arrow next to Fill Color Button image.
  3. Click the color white.
  4. On the Arrange menu, point to Order, and then click Send Backward repeatedly until the text wraps around the picture or WordArt frame.