How to Resize an Image in Word

To resize an image in Word, click the picture and drag one of its corner handles. Corner handles keep the proportions, so the image doesn’t stretch. For an exact size, type a height or width in the Size group on the Picture Format tab. Word adjusts the other measurement automatically as long as Lock aspect ratio is on. You can also scale a picture by percentage, reset it to its original size, or compress images to shrink the document. Here’s each method.

Method 1: Drag a corner handle

1. Click the picture. Small circles (handles) appear around its edges.
2. Drag a corner handle inwards to make it smaller, or outwards to make it bigger.

Corner handles keep the width and height in proportion. The handles in the middle of each side stretch or squash the image, which usually looks wrong. Hold Ctrl while dragging a corner to resize from the center, so the picture stays in place.

Method 2: Type an exact size

1. Click the picture to show the Picture Format tab.
2. In the Size group on the right, type a value in Height or Width and press Enter.

With the aspect ratio locked (the default for most pictures), changing one value changes the other to match. This is the best method when several pictures need to be the same size, such as headshots in a staff list.

Method 3: Scale by percentage, or lock the proportions

1. Right-click the picture and choose Size and Position, or click the small arrow in the corner of the Size group.
2. On the Size tab, under Scale, type a percentage in Height or Width, such as 50%.
3. Make sure Lock aspect ratio is ticked if you want to keep the proportions.
4. Click OK.

The Original size section shows the picture’s real dimensions, and the Reset button returns it to that size.

Resize several pictures to the same size

• Pictures with text wrapping (Square, Tight and so on): Hold Ctrl and click each picture to select them all, then type a height or width in Picture Format > Size. They all change at once.
• In-line pictures: Word won’t select several of these together. Resize the first one with the Size and Position dialog, then click the next picture and press F4, which repeats the last action. Repeat for each picture.

For documents with dozens of images, such as catalogues, a short macro can resize every picture to the same width. Test it on a copy first.

Make a picture fill the page width

Set the picture’s width to the width of the text area. On a standard Letter page with 1-inch margins, that’s 6.5″. For A4 with 2.54 cm margins, it’s 15.92 cm. Pictures can’t be wider than the margins while they’re “In Line with Text”. To go edge to edge, change the wrapping to In Front of Text or Behind Text first, using the Layout Options button next to the picture.

Crop instead of resize

Resizing shrinks the whole picture. To remove part of it, use Picture Format > Crop. For a round photo, you can crop a picture into a circle in Word.

Reduce the file size

Making a picture smaller on the page doesn’t make the file smaller, because Word keeps the full-size image. To shrink the document:

1. Click any picture and go to Picture Format > Compress Pictures.
2. Untick Apply only to this picture to compress them all.
3. Tick Delete cropped areas of pictures.
4. Choose a resolution, such as Print (220 ppi) or Web (150 ppi), and click OK.

Move and position pictures

By default, pictures sit in line with text, like a large character. To move a picture freely, change its wrapping with the Layout Options button. Choose Square or Tight to wrap text around it. With wrapping on, you can place the picture anywhere in Word.

Word for Mac and Word for the web

• Mac: The same handles and Picture Format > Size boxes work. Hold Shift while dragging a corner if proportions aren’t kept.
• Web: Drag the corner handles, or use Picture > Picture Size options in the ribbon.

Troubleshooting

The picture stretches when I drag a corner

Lock aspect ratio is turned off. Turn it on in the Size and Position dialog, then reset the picture.

The picture won’t get bigger

An in-line picture can’t be wider than the page margins. Change the wrapping, or reduce the margins under Layout > Margins.

The picture looks blurry when enlarged

The original image is too small. Use a higher-resolution version, and check that Word isn’t compressing images automatically: under File > Options > Advanced > Image Size and Quality, tick Do not compress images in file. If the picture is a screenshot of a Cricut project, recapture it larger using the tips for copying a Cricut Design Space image into Word.

Related guides

• How to cut out part of a picture in PowerPoint
• Make a 1×1 picture in Word

Summary

1. Drag a corner handle to resize without distorting.
2. Type exact measurements in Picture Format > Size.
3. Use the Size and Position dialog to scale by percentage or reset.
4. Compress pictures to make the document smaller.