Insert and edit images in Writer Part 1
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Foreword and topics in part 1
The video "Insert and edit images in Writer - LibreOffice - part 1" links to this page here, which contains further information.
Link to the Video
Link to the Video (in German [DE]):
Bilder einfügen und bearbeiten in Writer - Teil 1
Insert picture
Open Writer and the file "Lorem ipsum V63". ( File download from - Used working documents - )
Place the cursor somewhere in the middle of the text.
Now select the "Insert Image" icon in the "Standard" toolbar.
Alternatively you can use the menu. ▸
In the dialog ″Insert Image″ select the image file Bild_015k.JPG and click .
The image is now displayed in the document.
Image: Position and size
In the sidebar under Properties, you can select ″Position and Size″ the ″Height″ and ″Width″ of the image.
To ensure that the proportions are retained, place a check mark at "".
At ″Width″ enter 5.00 cm.
The image is immediately adjusted in dimensions.
The value for ″Height″ no longer needs to be entered, since you have set the check mark for ″Maintain aspect ratio″.
Left-click and hold the image and first drag it further down towards the center.
Set Wrap for the image
Right-click on the image to see the Context menu.
In the Context menu, choose for the image "Wrap Parallel" off.
Right-click on the image again and select
( F4 ).In the "Image" dialog in the "Wrap" tab, enter 0.50 cm for "Spacing" and click
.General information on anchoring and positioning
The important concepts of anchoring and positioning.
Set anchorage for the image
Left-click on the image and drag it further down towards the center.
Now right-click on the image.
In the context menu that appears, move the cursor to .
Another context menu shows the anchoring as .
If this is not the default setting, click on it.
Anchoring and effect
Green text from this LO-Online Help
Blue text from this OO-Source
To Page
Anchors the selected item to the current page.
A graphic anchored "To page" is forever associated with a particular page. It does not move as you add or delete text or other graphics. This method is useful when the graphic does not need to be visually associated with a particular piece of text. It is often used when producing newsletters or other documents that are very layout intensive.
Anchoring to the page is often used, for example, on page 1 of a book.
The image then usually takes up the entire page.
To Paragraph
Anchors the selected item to the current paragraph.
The graphic is associated with a paragraph and moves with the paragraph. It may be placed in the margin or another location. This method is useful as an alternative to a table for placing icons beside paragraphs.
To Character
Anchors the selected item to a character.
The graphic is associated with a character but is not in the text sequence. It moves with the paragraph but may be placed in the margin or another location. This method is similar to anchoring to a paragraph but cannot be used with drawing objects.
As Character
Anchors the selected item as a character in the current text. If the height of the selected item is greater than the current font size, the height of the line containing the item is increased.
To centre an image on an HTML page, insert the image, anchor it "as character", then centre the paragraph.
The graphic is placed in the document like any other character and, therefore, affects the height of the text line and the line break. The graphic moves with the paragraph as you add or delete text before the paragraph. This method is useful for keeping screenshots in sequence in a procedure or for adding a small icon in sequence in a sentence.
Presetting the anchorage - as of version 7.1
The anchoring for inserting images can be preset from LibreOffice version 7.1.
Select
▸ ▸ ▸ from the menu.For "Image|Anchor" you can select: "To Pragraph", "To Character" or "As Character".
Compress the image
Compressing an image serves to reduce the file size.
A file size of approx. 100 kB is normally quite sufficient.
Since you have already selected the smaller version of the image Image_015_k when inserting it, no additional compression is required.
Look at it anyway.
Right-click on the image and choose .
In the appearing dialog "Compress Image", the values for width, height and resolution are displayed.
In the dialog below the centre the size of the image file is shown in "kB".
Click
.Remember to save your document.
See also:
"Compress Image", in the Online-help pages
Rotate the image
With the image selected, right-click on the image and choose .
Or select the "Rotate" icon on the "Image" toolbar.
The four corners of the image now each have a orange dot.
Move the cursor to one of these points.
The cursor shape changes to a three-quarter circle line with end arrows.
Click and hold the point and drag it clockwise or counterclockwise.
When the desired angle for the image is reached, release the mouse button.
Another way to rotate the image is in the sidebar under Properties.
If the image is selected, you can rotate it in the sidebar in the lower area under , specify the angle in degrees. ▸
Alternatively, hold the blue dot over the rotary wheel and turn clockwise or counterclockwise.
When the desired angle for the image is reached, release the mouse button.
At 0 degrees, the image is back in the position it was inserted.
Caption the image
Right-click on the image again and select .
In the dialog "Insert caption" enter a caption for the image at "Caption"
There at "Properties/Category", you can select a term for the category, e.g. "Drawing" or "Figure".
In "Preview", you can see how the label looks as a whole.
When you are satisfied, click
.The image has now been given an additional frame.
And according to the pre-selection, the inscription is located at the bottom edge.
You can also change or add to the caption later.
The prerequisite is that the frame of the image is not selected.
Simply click in the label text and edit the label.
Crop an image
If you want to crop an image, right-click inside the image and select Crop.
The handle points are now blue.
You can now click and hold the points with the left mouse button and drag them into the image.
If the section is as desired, then simply click somewhere next to the image so that the image is unselected.
The cropped image does not need to be saved.
Only the cropped image is visible, but the entire image remains in the document.
The cropped image can be enlarged again using the Crop function.
Further image editing options
In the context menu, select further image editing options.
If you click with the right mouse button on an image in the document, you have access to the Menu selection for the image even more possibilities of image editing.
Edit with external tool
Click with the right mouse button on the image and select .
An image editing program opens that has been defined in the operating system with the file type of the image.
If you do not have a suitable image editing program, you can download a program from the Internet.
Here are a few examples of image processing programs
Paint.NET, IrfanView, Gimp, (descriptions can be found in Wikipedia)
In this way, you can edit the image with an image editing program (tool) for your purposes.
Put image file in the Background
Right-click on the image and choose
▸ } from the context menu.The image is now in the background, which means that when you write your text now, you write it over the image.
Insert a transparent image as Watermark on all pages in Writer

Open a blank Writer document.
Choose from the menu or press Ctrl + F5. ▸
In the sidebar under "Styles" select "Page Styles".
Right-click on the "Default page style".
In the "Page Style: DefaultPage Style" dialog, select the tab, then button.
Select an image or import an image, button
.The "Add Image" dialog appears.
Select an image and click
.If you are importing, enter a "Name" for the new image or leave the entry.
In "Options" select for example "Stretched".
In the "Transparency" tab choose the Transparency: 80%, (e.g.).
Click on
.All pages will now have an image as a Watermark, three pages.
See also: Changing Page Background - Online-Help
Customize the Frame style "Graphics" for Border and Caption
You are writing a document and want to insert graphics.
The graphics shall have a border.
And the graphic shall have a caption.
To achieve the desired result, three things must be met:
A. The border for graphics must be adjusted.
B. The "Options" menu must be adjusted.
C. After adjusting A. and B., the document must be saved as a Document template.
_____________________________________
A. Customizing the Frame style for graphics.
Right click on the Frame style for Graphics and click
.In the "Frame Style: Graphics" dialog, select the desired Border and click .
Place a check mark next to "LibreOffice Writer Image."
Select a Category, make the desired settings and click
.You can now test by inserting an image.
C. Choose
▸ ▸ from the menu.In the "Save As Template" dialog that opens, enter a name, select a "Template Category" and checkmark at "Set as default template".
When you restart Writer, the result should look like in the test.
Check Preferences
View and Print settings
To see images and diagrams in the view or to print them as well, check the following settings:
▸ ▸ ▸ menu, there at ▸ ▸ ▸ menu, there at ▸ menu, in the dialog "Print", "LibreOffice Writer" tab, there atImage quality settings
If you print the document or export it as PDF, pay attention to the settings for the image quality.
- In the menu "Reduce Bitmaps". ▸ ▸ ▸ , there at
- The setting for PDFs in the menu "Images". ▸ ▸ , there at
Inserting an image into a Writer table
You can also insert an image into the cell of a Writer table.
Place the cursor in the cell of a Writer table.
Click on the "Insert Image..." icon in the "Standard" toolbar.
In the "Insert Image" dialog, select the image you want to insert.
Click the
button.The image will be inserted into the cell.
Right-click on the image and choose "Anchor" and "As Character".
This will automatically adjust the cell to fit the image.
Further Informations
Anchorage of objects
Inserting and editing images in Writer Part 2
Insert and edit images in Writer Part 2
Used working documents
Lorem ipsum V63 mit Bild_015_k - ohne Beschriftung.odt
Lorem ipsum V63 mit Bild_015_k - mit Beschriftung.odt
LiV63 mit Bild_015_k – ohne Beschriftung mit Rahmen.odt
Bilder in Tabellen-Rahmen - mit Beschriftung.odt
Bilder in Tabellen-Rahmen - ohne Beschriftung.odt
Collagen - Bilder in Formen.odt
Collagen - Bilder in Formen mit einem GIF.odt
Used Pictures
Bild_001_k to Bild_034_k.jpg and GIF_001_k.gif
Downloadable document for the video
in German [DE]
Bilder einfügen und bearbeiten Teil 1 V63.odt
Bilder einfügen und bearbeiten in Writer LO74.odt using Frame Styles.
FAQs about images
Writer/FAQ
How can I anchor and position graphic elements (images, objects)?
How do I modify the link of an external picture?
How do I select several pictures?
Anchoring and positioning graphic elements (pictures, objects)
Calc/FAQ/Layout
How to insert a logo or a graphic into the header?
Draw/FAQ
How do I resize a picture inserted in a drawing?
How do I change the colors of a JPEG image before using it in a LibreOffice file?
How do I save a drawing in an image format (PNG , BMP , JPG, ...)?
How do I display an image file (PNG, EPS , GIF , JPEG, ... ) in my drawing?
Copyright and license status of media
Please be sure to note the license status of media.
The huge variety of media (images, videos and audios) on the Internet can usually be accessed by clicking on them.
However, these media are subject to copyright protection and registered licenses and possibly personality rights.
See also Photograph_copyright_(Germany)
Warning
The takeover of foreign media for the purpose of publication is proven with punishment.
Documentation / Manuals
Here you will find the Documentation / Manuals:
Any questions?
For questions on this topic go to:
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