In my previous blog, we talked about how to add and format text around images in Microsoft Word. Next, I’m going to walk you through the Adjust functions of the Picture Format tool bar.
We will cover:
- Remove Background
- Corrections
- Color
- Artistic Effects
- Transparency
- Compress Pictures
- Change Picture
- Reset Picture
Remove Background
Starting from left to right in the tool bar, Remove Background. If there is a certain part of an image that you want to highlight or place emphasis on you can use the Remove Background tool to remove portions of a photo.
Click to select your image, then select Remove Background. You will notice your photo’s background turning an alternate color. You can then go and select either Mark Areas to Keep or Mark Areas to Remove to add or eliminate part of the image.
When you click on either Mark Areas to Keep or Mark Areas to Remove tool, you will then be given a Pen tool, to draw around the area to which you want to keep or remove.
When completed, click on Keep Changes to see your results. Then click anywhere off the image and viola, background removed with portions of the image viewed.
If you do not like the changes you made, you can always go back into the Remove Background menu and click Disregard Changes.
Corrections
The Corrections section allows you to improve the brightness, contrast, or sharpness of the photo. You can quickly select what you would like to see how your image is portrayed in your document, or you can adjust the setting by percentages in the settings tool bar to the right. I suggest you play with the distinct types of settings to find the perfect tone for your image.
I like to use this feature for darker photos I want to brighten up.
Here is the original photo vs the new brightened photo.
You can adjust the sharpness of the photo to give it a crisper look.
The Picture Corrections Options menu will allow you to adjust percentages for Sharpen/Softer and Brightness/Contrast manually.
Color
The Color menu allows you to improve the quality of the image or match the colors of your logo or the theme in your document.
Under the color menu you can select and adjust the:
- Saturation – Change the intensity of the color
- Tone – Change the levels of brightness
- Recolor – Change the color of an image
Use the menu settings on the right to adjust color exact percentages.
More Variations
Select More Variations to create a custom color using the color picker or add specific percentages to your RGB or HSL color model.
Set Transparent Color
Use the Set Transparent Color option to eliminate the background of an image. For example, I use this tool to delete the white background of our logo so that it appears nicely on top of an image.
Artistic Effects
Artistic Effects allows you to view your image as a sketch or painting or to add certain textures like this example, the cement look.
Transparency
Adjust the Transparency of an image to allow what is behind to be seen. I use this feature to lighten up the background so text in front of an image can be seen more clearly.
Compress Pictures
Selecting a picture to be compressed shrinks the file size down so that when you are ready to save your document, images will be reduced to a size more compatible to email, place on a website, or share.
Change Picture
If you decide you are no longer happy with the photo, you can Change Your Picture from this tool bar and select from any of the options. For quicker edits right-click on the photo and select Change Picture.
Reset Picture
If you decide that you are no longer happy with the photo you created, you can reset your image to the original image.
These are the basics of the Adjust features of the Picture Format tool bar in Microsoft Word. Keep in mind, the tools and functions performed in this blog are universal and are used in other Microsoft Office apps. Stick around, in the next blog I will cover Picture Styles and show you some different effects. In the meantime, for more tips and tricks subscribe to our blog.
