Chapter 2
1. Inserting pictures and graphics.
a. A personal or family history would not be complete without pictures to improve the visual image. When you are writing about Aunt Matilda, or the high school you attended, think how much more interesting it would be to include a photo of Auntie “M” or good old Hometown High for your grand children to see.
b. If your drawing skills are lacking, Word has a tool that directly inserts photos and high-quality graphics into a document. It is surprisingly easy to use and you can create digital photo scrapbooks, portfolios, or just give your history an interesting and fun layout. Also, since Word documents can be turned into web pages, you can even publish your photos to the Internet.2. Inserting Pictures from File
a. Image files can be saved from disk, scanners, or digital cameras in any number of formats (*.jpg, *.gif, *.bmp, etc.) and can be inserted into a Word document. To do so, position your cursor in the approximate place in your document where you want the picture to be inserted. Click on the Insert option on the formatting line at top of the Word Window. This will drop down the Insert menu and will give you the Clip Art, From File, and Word Art options. Click on the From File option.
b. A standard browse window will open. Using the navigational controls at the top of the window, go to the folder that contains the image file to be inserted. Highlight the image (which will cause Word to preview the image in the right pane of the window) and click the Insert button.
c. Now that the picture is inserted into your history, you need to further format it to adjust its size, positioning, border, etc. To do so, right-click on the picture and select the Format option from the menu. It may be necessary to experiment with different layout controls to achieve the desired effect, especially since it is being placed next to text or if the Word document is being converted into a web page.
Exercise: Using the images on your disks, practice inserting pictures in your history and wrapping text.
3. Inserting Text Boxes and Captions.
a. To do so, position your cursor in the approximate place in your document where you want the text box to be inserted. Click on the Insert option on the formatting line at top of the Word Window. This will drop down the Insert menu and will give you the Text Box option which is usually between the Picture and File options.
b. Your cursor will become a thin black cross. Click once on the upper left side of where you want to position your text box then drag the cursor diagonally to the lower right. You may need to adjust the size to fit your needs before you go on. To adjust the size, click on the text box and you will see little squares on the corners and sides of the box. Position your cursor over one of the squares so that it turns into a double pointed arrow, and left click, holding the button down. Slide your cursor to adjust to any size or shape you desire.
c. To enter text in the text box, a small cursor will appear in the upper left hand corner of the box. You may type in your caption now, or wait until you have adjusted the size and shape of your text box. Text can be formatted using the normal Word formatting controls. You may have to adjust the text box size to match the font.
Exercise: Insert and change sizes of several text boxes and insert some text in any style or font you desire.
4. Inserting Frames
a. Inserting frames begins with the same process as inserting text boxes, except you must convert your text box to a frame. To do this, position your cursor in the approximate place in your document where you want the frame to be inserted. Click on the Insert option on the formatting line at top of the Word Window. This will drop down the Insert menu and will give you the Text Box option which is usually between the Picture and File options.
b. Your cursor will become a thin black cross. Click once on the upper left side of where you want to position your frame then drag the cursor diagonally to the lower right. You may adjust the size before or after you convert the text box to a frame to fit your needs before you go on. To adjust the size, click on the text box and you will see little squares on the corners and sides of the box. Position your cursor over one of the squares so that it turns into a double pointed arrow, and left click, holding the button down. Slide your cursor to adjust to any size or shape you desire.
c. To convert the text box to a frame right click on the line. (Sometimes you have to do this twice to get the format window to appear.) A small drop down menu will appear. Click on the Format Text Box option. You will see this standard window appear. Click on the Text Box tab
d. Click on the Convert to Frame button to change your text box to a frame. After you have positioned your frame into your document, you then must insert your picture into the frame. Do this the same way you would to insert a picture as explained in Inserting Pictures from File.
Exercise: Practice making frames and inserting pictures.
