Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Changing the Size of a Graphic.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated January 28, 2021)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Once you place a graphic in your document, you can resize it using a very simple technique:
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (392) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Changing the Size of a Graphic.
Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2021 or Microsoft 365. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word Step by Step today!
Insert a graphic into a document and you expect to be able to see it. What do you do if it isn't displayed, however? Here ...
Discover MoreHow to select a graphic that is obscured by a text box can be perplexing. Here's an overview of the different ways you ...
Discover MoreEver want to expand the mail merge feature to include graphics? Merging graphics into your document is easy but requires ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2019-08-19 15:31:52
Bill
Re Changing the Size of a Graphic. The hint suggests inserting the graphic into the document, then grabbing a corner handle and dragging it to make the graphic the desired size. Easy, and I do it a lot. However, I am under the impression (correct me if I am wrong) that when you do this, Word stores the original graphic, along with the resize factor. That way it can resize the graphic properly each time the file is opened, and can even make a reduced-size graphic larger if you choose to do so later. However, if you put several LARGE graphics (such as the ones that come directly out of your camera), into your Word file, and then reduce them., the Word file can become huge. In this case, it might be wise to use an IMAGE RESIZER program to bring the graphic down to nearly the desired size, then insert the reduced graphic and tweak it to the final size.
Word has a command to compress the graphics after they have been inserted, but I never found it to work wonderfully well.
2019-08-19 15:14:48
Bill
Re Changing the Size of a Graphic. The hint suggests inserting the graphic into the document, then grabbing a corner handle and dragging it to make the graphic the desired size. Easy, and I do it a lot. However, I am under the impression (correct me if I am wrong) that when you do this, Word stores the original graphic, along with the resize factor. That way it can resize the graphic properly each time the file is opened, and can even make a reduced-size graphic larger if you choose to do so later. However, if you put several LARGE graphics (such as the ones that come directly out of your camera), into your Word file, and then reduce them., the Word file can become huge. In this case, it might be wise to use an IMAGE RESIZER program to bring the graphic down to nearly the desired size, then insert the reduced graphic and tweak it to the final size.
Word has a command to compress the graphics after they have been inserted, but I never found it to work wonderfully well.
Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here:
Comments