How to Rotate Clip Art in Microsoft Office

Rotate your heart!

Using clip art is a fun way to jazz up a document, publication, presentation, email message or even a spreadsheet. Microsoft Office applications all come with a library of clip art, and you can usually find exactly what you are looking for. And if you can’t find the exact picture you are seeking in the built-in library, you can download more Clip Art for free at Microsoft.com. Once you have found that perfect image and placed it into your document, you can rotate it so that it fits just right.

Things You'll Need

• Microsoft Office 2003

Instructions

1. Insert the Clip Art you want to work with into your document or other file, by going to the “Insert” menu, pointing to “Picture” clicking on “Clip Art” and then typing a keyword or two in the Clip Art “Search For” box. Once you have found the Clip Art you like, click on the drop down arrow beside it and click "Insert".

2. 

   Find the "Picture" toolbar (see image below for an example). If you do not see the "Picture" toolbar present, go to the "View" menu, point to "Toolbars" and click "Picture".

3. Make sure your Clip Art is selected by clicking on it once. It should have a black border around it, and if you place your mouse over a corner or the edge you should see the drag handle. If so, you know your Clip Art is selected.

4. Click the "Rotate Left 90◦" button, which looks like an upright triangle and a downturned triangle with an arrow pointing to the left. When you click on the button, your Clip Art will rotate to the left ninety degrees. You can continue to click the button and turn at ninety degree angles, if you desire.

5. Notice the small, green "Rotate Handle" that is now visible after clicking the "Rotate Left 90◦" button. If you point your mouse at the handle, you will see that it becomes a circular pointer. Click and drag your Clip Art in the exact rotation you want!

Tips & Warnings

• If you insert your own picture from your hard drive, you can also rotate it using the above steps.

• Be careful downloading from "free clip art" websites that you are not familiar with, as you can unknowingly download a virus this way.