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: Graphics and Line Height.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated July 4, 2015)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Have you ever placed a graphic in your document, only to find that you can see only a small portion of the bottom of it? The cause of this problem, believe it or not, lies in your paragraph formatting. When you insert an in-line graphic, it inherits the style of the surrounding text. This can cause problems when the style uses fixed line spacing, (for example, "Exactly 14 pt") because the image is forced to this line height as well.
To fix this problem, follow these steps after you have the graphic inserted in your document:
When line spacing is set to Single, Word automatically uses the height of the tallest element in each line as the height of the line. In the case of your graphic, there is a very good chance that it is the tallest item. By changing to single line spacing, the line on which the graphic is located can expand to its full height.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (1161) 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: Graphics and Line Height.
Do More in Less Time! An easy-to-understand guide to the more advanced features available in the Microsoft 365 version of Word. Enhance the quality of your documents and boost productivity in any field with this in-depth resource. Complete your Word-related tasks more efficiently as you unlock lesser-known tools and learn to quickly access the features you need. Check out Microsoft 365 Word For Professionals For Dummies today!
Word allows you to format a paragraph so that it is on the same page as whatever paragraph follows it. You may want, ...
Discover MoreBelieve it or not, if you know how Word stores paragraph formatting, it can help you in your editing.
Discover MorePress a tab at the beginning of a paragraph, and Word normally assumes you want to indent the paragraph. If you don't ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2015-08-24 13:36:11
David T
Many thanks - downloaded a template to save time and ran into this problem
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