Replace Text with Images in Word
Background: Most users of Word are aware of the Find and Replace function. It has many different ways to change how the text is presented such as changing the format of a key word or phrase throughout the document to emphasize that word or phrase. The Find and Replace can make these changes for every occurrence of that word or phrase throughout the document. The Replace box in the Find and Replace window does have a limit of using text and symbols included in Word’s font files and is limited to 256 characters (a space is also considered a character).
Tip: In order to replace a word with something that can’t be entered into the Replace box due to its limitations, Word provides a code that tells Word to replace with data found outside of Word. The Replace code ^c tells Word to replace the Find text with what is on the Clipboard. The ^ character is the upper case of the number 6 key on the keyboard. The Clipboard does not have the limits that Word has and thus can be used to replace with text longer than 256 characters or an image.
Great tip, but how will it be of use to you?
Consider This: Graphic images change how we read a page of text. As we read a page of text and come to an image, we will spend more time on the image than we would for text. The reason is simple….there is more data to assimilate in an image. Because we spend more time with the image we are more likely to remember it than the text. When that image is associated with text, we are more likely to remember the text associated with that image. An example of this is company logos. A logo (graphic image) next to a company’s name means that people will be more likely to remember the company’s name than the name in text only. This principle applies to individuals as well. Consider this situation: You send correspondence to someone that receives a lot of correspondence and you want that person to remember you among all the other correspondence they receive. Add a small picture of yourself next to your name and that reader will be more likely to remember your name. The picture also demonstrates to the reader your technical expertise and adds a personal touch similar to talking to the reader in person. If you had 10 documents (such as job bids or applications for a job), wouldn’t the sender that had a picture by their name stick out and impress you?
Great idea for future documents, but you already have many documents that you use that don’t have the picture. Exactly how do you do this?
Replace an image for a word
- Select the image of yourself that you desire to be shown. Since the image will be small, the image should be just a head shot.
- Open a new document in Word and paste the image into it.
- Using the handles on the picture, adjust the size of the image to match the size of the font you use. The image should be about twice as tall as the text used.
- Right click the selected image and select Text Wrapping>In Line with Text. This step is necessary to keep the image where the text was when it replaces it.
- Save this image document for future use.
- Open the document you wish to add the image to and press Ctrl+H to open the Find and Replace window.
- In the Find box enter the first part of your name as listed in the document.
- In the Replace box enter ZZZZ followed by a space and the first part of your name as placed in the Find box. It would look like this: ZZZZ Dana. Press the Replace button to replace ZZZZ Dana for Dana. This creates a place holder of where the image would be placed.
- Open the saved image, right click and select Copy. This places the image on the Clipboard
- Return to the document you added the place holder and press Ctrl+H to open the Find and Replace window.
- In the Find box enter the place holder text….ZZZZ
- In the Replace box enter ^c and press the Replace button.
- The image will now appear to the left of your name.
This is but one example of how the Find and Replace function of Word can replace text with an image.
PS. I searched this site and did not find this function of Word discussed. Please excuse me if this topic has already been covered.
Drcard:))
HTH, Dana:))
