How to Crop a Picture in Word 2013
Cropping a picture in Word 2013 lets you trim away unwanted edges or focus on a specific part of an image without leaving Word. You can crop manually, crop to a shape, or crop to a precise aspect ratio. This guide covers all the methods, plus how to undo a crop if you change your mind.
What You’ll Need
- A document in Word 2013 that contains a picture (or the ability to insert one via Insert > Pictures).
- The picture must be selected (click on it) to see the Picture Tools tab.
Step-by-Step
- Insert the picture (if not already in the document). Go to the Insert tab, click Pictures, choose your image, and click Insert.
- Select the picture by clicking on it. You’ll see a border with small squares (handles) around it, and a new Picture Tools tab appears at the top of the ribbon.
- Open the Crop tool. On the Picture Tools Format tab, click the Crop button (it’s in the Size group). Black crop handles appear on the edges and corners of the picture.
- Drag the crop handles inward to remove the parts you don’t want. Drag a corner handle to resize both width and height at once; drag a side handle to crop only one dimension.
- Fine-tune the crop area by dragging the whole image inside the crop frame if you want to reposition what remains. The area outside the frame is dimmed, showing what will be cut away.
- Press Enter or click anywhere outside the picture to apply the crop. The cropped parts are removed.
- To crop to a specific shape (e.g., a circle or a star): select the picture, click the Crop dropdown arrow (the small arrow below the Crop button), choose Crop to Shape, and pick a shape from the gallery. The picture is instantly cropped to that shape.
- To crop to an exact aspect ratio (e.g., 4:3 or 16:9): click the Crop dropdown arrow, hover over Aspect Ratio, and choose a ratio (like 1:1 or 4:3). Then drag the crop handles to adjust the size while keeping that ratio.
- To crop with the “Fill� or “Fit� options (useful for filling a shape): select the picture, click the Crop dropdown arrow, and choose Fill or Fit. Fill enlarges the image to cover the whole shape, while Fit shows the entire image inside the shape.
- Undo a crop if you make a mistake: immediately press Ctrl+Z (Undo) or click the Undo arrow at the top-left of the Word window.
Common Mistakes
- Not selecting the picture first. If you don’t click the image, the Crop button is greyed out.
- Dragging the image instead of the crop handles. Clicking and dragging inside the crop area moves the image, not the crop box. Use the black handles on the edges.
- Cropping too aggressively. Once you press Enter, the cropped pixels are gone (unless you undo). It’s safer to crop less and adjust later.
- Forgetting to press Enter. If you click another tool or tab without pressing Enter, the crop might not apply as expected.
- Using “Crop to Shape� and then trying to adjust the crop area. After cropping to a shape, you can still click Crop and drag handles, but the shape remains fixed.
Tips
- Use the aspect ratio presets to make images uniform in a document (e.g., all photos 4:3).
- Hold Shift while dragging a corner handle to crop to a perfect square (when using the basic crop tool).
- Zoom in (Ctrl+Mouse wheel) for precise cropping on small details.
- Duplicate the picture before cropping (right-click > Copy, then Paste) to keep an original version.
- After cropping to a shape, you can still add a border or effects from the Picture Styles group on the Format tab.
Troubleshooting
- The Crop button is greyed out. Make sure the picture is selected. If you have multiple images, click directly on the one you want.
- Cropping doesn’t seem to work. Check that you’re dragging the black handles, not the image itself. Also, ensure you haven’t locked the picture (right-click > Wrap Text > In Line with Text might help).
- I accidentally cropped too much. Press Ctrl+Z immediately. If you’ve done other actions since, you can still undo up to the crop, or re-insert the original image.
- The aspect ratio option is greyed out. This happens if the picture is already cropped to a shape. First, reset the picture (click Crop dropdown > Reset Picture) or start with a fresh copy.
- I want to crop multiple pictures the same way. Crop one picture, then select the others and apply the same aspect ratio, or use the “Fill� option to match sizes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I undo a crop after saving and closing the document?
No, once you save and close, the crop is permanent. You can’t undo it. Always keep a backup of the original image if you think you might need it.
Does cropping reduce the file size of the document?
Yes, cropping removes pixels from the image data, which usually reduces the file size of the Word document, especially for large photos.
Can I crop a picture to a circle in Word 2013?
Yes. Select the picture, go to the Format tab, click the Crop dropdown, choose “Crop to Shape,� and select the oval shape. To get a perfect circle, hold Shift while dragging the shape’s handles after cropping.
Why does my cropped image look blurry when I enlarge it?
Cropping removes pixels, so the remaining image has fewer pixels overall. If you then enlarge the picture, Word stretches the remaining pixels, which can cause blurriness. Try cropping less or using a higher-resolution original.
Can I crop a picture without losing the original file?
Yes, the original file on your computer is never modified. Word only changes the copy in the document. You can always insert the original again.
Is there a way to crop a picture to a specific pixel size?
Not directly. The crop tool works by aspect ratio or freeform. To get an exact pixel size, you would need to crop in an image editor first, or resize the picture after cropping (using the Height and Width boxes on the Format tab).
Related
Method: the standard formula for this calculation, rounded as each result states. See how the calculators work or report an error.