How to Fade a Picture in Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word wasn't built to be a picture editing software, but there are lots of tools within it that you can use to manipulate images. By controlling the contrast and brightness you can fade a picture that you want to set as a background.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Microsoft Word
• Digital image

1. Open a new Word Document.

2. Insert your picture by either "copy and pasting" it, or by going to "Insert" then "Picture" then "From File" and choosing it from your directory. Press "OK."

3. Pull up the "Picture Toolbar." To do this, go to "View" then "Toolbars" then "Picture."

4. There is a button on the picture toolbar that looks like two rectangles next to each other. This is the "Color" button. Press that and you should be given for image options. The one you want to select is "Washout."

5. After you wash the picture out, you can further control the fading by going to the "Brightness" control (it looks like a sun) and clicking it up or down.

Tips & Warnings

• If you don't like the way your picture turns out, you can reset it to its original form by pressing the "Reset Picture" button on your toolbar (looks like a picture with an arrow).

[RENorton]

on 9/3/2008 Excellent article. Very helpful. Thanks for sharing these great tips!

[pixystix67]

on 8/27/2008 Hi! You can actually right-click and use "save as" to save as a JPG. Or to go a long way around it, you can print to a PDF (see my other articles for how to do this), then crop and save the PDF as a JPG. Hope this helps!

[cd12799]

on 7/24/2008 Once you have the picture faded as you want it, how do you save it back as a photo file (jpg) for use in a photobook?

[cd12799]

on 7/24/2008 Once you have the picture faded as you want it, how do you save it as a picture file again (like jpg), so you can use it in a photobook?

[jmessina10]

on 5/2/2008 Neat tip. Thanks