Graphics

KWord is very good at handling textual information. KWord can also be used to incorporate graphical images with text.

Pictures can be inserted into a document as either framed or inline images.

Framed images are pictures that have a frame around them. The frame around a picture functions exactly the same as a frame around text. It contains the picture and determines the size and shape of the picture.

An inline image has frame around it, but this frame is inserted within the current text frame. If text is inserted in front of the picture, the picture travels down the frame just like any text would. This means the picture will stay in the same area of the page as the text that surrounds it.

Framed pictures, on the other hand, need to be moved by hand on the page.

Insert Graphics

There are three ways to insert a picture into a document:

  • By selecting Insert->Picture... from the menubar

  • Using the keyboard shortcut: Shift+F5

  • or by clicking on the toolbar.

All three methods open a file selection dialog.



Use this dialog to select the picture.

Tip

Pressing Esc at this point will cancel the insertion of a picture into your document.

Once the appropriate picture file is located, click on the filename once with the left mouse button. Click OK to continue.

A new dialog box appears.



The right half of this dialog box contains a preview window. The picture should be visible in this window.

The left part of this box contains one button and two checkboxes.

Choose Image

Click this button and KWord will open a new file dialog to open a different picture.

Insert Picture Inline

If there is a mark in this checkbox, the picture will be an inline picture. If there is no mark, a new frame will be created. For details on the differences, see the introduction.

Retain original aspect ratio

Aspect ratio is defined in the KWord glossary.

If a there is a mark in this checkbox, KWord will not allow any change the aspect ratio of the picture. This prevents inappropriate stretching and compressing of the image. It will still be possible to change the overall size of the image, but it will not be possible to change the horizontal measurement without also changing the vertical measurement.

If there is no mark in this checkbox, the horizontal and vertical sizes of the picture can be changed independently.

To insert the picture, click OK. To abort the picture entirely, click Cancel.

If an inline picture was selected, click with the mouse in the appropriate location. The picture will be inserted.

If a framed picture was selected, the mouse cursor will change to crosshairs. Locate one corner of the location of the new picture frame with the mouse. Click and hold the left mouse button down. Drag the cursor to adjust the size of the picture frame. When the size of the picture frame is correct, release the left mouse button. KWord will insert the picture into the frame, and resize the picture to fit within the frame.

Changing the size of a picture

Resizing a picture is done by changing the size of the frame that surrounds it. KWord will automatically change the picture to fill the entire frame.

For information on changing the size of a frame, see Resizing frames.

Move Pictures

The only way to move an inline image around on the page, is to alter the flow of the text that surrounds it. If this is causing problems, the picture can always be changed to a framed picture.

To move a framed picture in KWord is the same as moving any frame in KWord.

Delete Graphics

To delete a graphic in KWord, simply delete the frame around it.

Saving Graphic in separate file

You can save a picture or graph to a separate file (for use in another document or to archive the graphic).

Simply click once on the graphic with the right mouse button. A submenu will appear. Select Save Picture.... A dialog will appear that will allow you to specify where to save the graphic.

Note

This does not remove the picture from the KWord document file. It is simply a way to extract a picture from a document so it can be archived or used in another application.

Switching between inline and framed pictures

Switching between inline pictures and framed pictures is easy in KWord.

Change an inline picture to a framed picture

To change in inline picture to a framed picture, click on the desired picture with the left mouse button once. This selects the frame of the picture.

Now click and hold with the right mouse button and a submenu will appear. In the submenu, is a menu item labeled Inline frame, with a mark in front of it. Select this option by clicking with the left mouse button.

The frame is now an independent and can be moved around freely.

Change a framed picture to an inline picture

To change a framed picture into an inline picture, click on the desired picture with the left mouse button once. This selects the frame of the picture.

Now click and hold with the right mouse button and a submenu will appear. In the submenu, is a menu item labeled Inline frame. Select this option by clicking with the left mouse button.

KWord has now converted this to an inline frame.

Note

KWord tries to make a reasonable estimation of where in the text the inline image should be inserted.