How to Move a Picture, Text Box or Other Object in PowerPoint, Excel or Word Exactly Where You Want it

The mouse isn't always the best way to precisely move objects.

The three main Microsoft Office products, Excel, Word and PowerPoint, each allow you to insert objects such as pictures, text boxes and art into your project. Once you have inserted your object, you may want to specify exactly where it should go, but this is not always easy. Excel allows you to move objects freely, but both Word and PowerPoint have default settings that prevent you from moving the object anywhere you want. Once you remove the restrictions, all Office programs allow you to move each object one pixel at a time to get it in the right spot.

Instructions

Removing Word Restrictions

1. Launch the Word 2010 document that contains the object that you want to move.

2. Click the object, and then click the "Format" tab on the far-right end of the Word ribbon.

3. Click the "Arrange" button in the ribbon. Select "Wrap Text" from the menu that appears. Then choose "Through,"Behind Text" or "In Front of Text." Any of these three options release the object so that you can click on the object's border and move it where you want.

Removing PowerPoint Restrictions

1. Open the PowerPoint 2010 presentation that contains the object you want to move.

2. Click the object, and then click the "Format" tab at the top of the screen.

3. Click the "Arrange" button in the PowerPoint ribbon, and then click the "Align" button on the menu that appears. Finally, click "Grid Settings" to open up a small window.

4. Remove the check mark from the "Snap objects to grid" option by clicking on the check box. Click the "OK" button to close the window. Your PowerPoint objects can now be positioned anywhere on the presentation.

Precisely Moving Objects

1. Open the Excel, Word or PowerPoint file that holds the object you want to move.

2. Select the object that you want to move.

3. Press and hold the "Ctrl" key on your keyboard. If you are moving a text box, click any of the four corners to select the box without placing the cursor inside the box. Tap the arrow keys to move the object one pixel in the direction of the arrow that you press.

Tips & Warnings

• Because the "Ctrl" key method moves the object just one pixel at a time, you can get extremely precise placement by increasing the zoom level from the "View" menu first.

• Excel 2010 also has a "Snap to Grid" feature, located in the "Arrange" section of the "Format" menu, but it is turned off by default.

References

• Microsoft Office: Move a Picture, Shape, Text Box or WordArt
• Microsoft Office: Turn the Snap to Grid and Snap to Object Options On or Off