Working with images
Pictures have visual appeal, as our brain responds quickly to colors in comparison to any other form
of information. A picture can be a drawing, chart, photo, logo, graph.
A picture is a digital image, which is representation of image in finite set of digital values 0 or 1,
known as pixels. These are stored in various types of graphics files with the file extension, such as
GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, BMP, etc
Inserting an Image in a Document
The image file stored in the computer, can be inserted into a document using different ways which
are given below:
Using Insert Image dialog.
Using Drag and Drop option
Using Cut, Copy and Paste option
By Linking
1. Inserting Image Using Insert Image Option
Steps to insert an image using Insert Image dialog box, is given below
1. Open the document and click on Insert > Image from menu bar.
2. An Insert Image dialog box will open which will allow to choose the picture file to be inserted.
3. Select the file and click on Open button to insert an image in document.
2. Inserting Image Using Drag and Drop Option
Steps to insert an image using drag and drop option are:
1. Open the document to insert an image in LibreOffice Writer.
2. Open a file browser window (Win+E) and select the image file to be inserted.
3. Drag the image into the document and drop it, where you want it to appear in the document.
3. Inserting Image Using Copy and Paste Option
Steps to insert an image using copy paste option are:
1. Copy the image which is to be inserted.
2. Open the document and paste it where ever required.
NOTE: Inserting an image using any of the above described method saves a copy of image
file in the document wherever image is inserted, that means, the image gets embedded in the
document
4. Inserting an Image by Linking
If multiple copies of the same image are required to be inserted in the document, it is beneficial to
save the link of image instead of inserting the image. Inserting a link, stores its reference instead of
the image itself, thereby reduces the size of the document.
To link the image file check the Link option in Insert Image dialog box
Keyboard shortcut to link an image – drag and drop the image while holding the Ctrl+Shift
keys.
Modifying an Image in a Document
We can modify the image inserted in the document according to our requirement. The Image toolbar
is used to resize, crop, delete and rotate the image.
Using the image toolbar
The image toolbar automatically appears when an image is inserted or selected in the document. If
you want to keep it always on screen, click on View > Toolbars > Image from the menu bar. The
various tools available on Image toolbar is shown below.
Tools on Image toolbar:
1. Image Filter -There are 11 types of filters available for improving an image.
2. Image Mode- Image can be changed to black and white, grey-scale or a watermark.
3. Crop- Cuts off non-desirable part of the image.
4. Flip Horizontally- Flips the image Horizontally by 180o.
5. Flip Vertically- Flips the image Vertically by 180o.
6. Rotate 90o left -Rotates the image by 90o left.
7. Rotate 90o right -Rotates the image by 90o right.
8. Rotate- Image can be rotated by any angle using this tool.
9. Transparency- Makes an image transparent by using the value provided in percentage.
10. Colour -Red, Blue or Green colour can be modified or adjustment for brightness, contrast
and gamma can be made
Clicking on Image Filter opens up a window with 11 filters:
Working with images Toolbar filter
1. Invert -Inverts the colour values of coloured image. In case image is gray-scale then its
brightness is inverted.
2. Smooth- Softens the contrast of image. Another dialogue box appears to adjust parameter
3. Sharpen- Increases the contrast of image
4. Remove- Noise Removes single pixels from the image
5. Solarisation- Used in Photographs to reverse the tone. Dark appears light and light appears
dark. Another dialogue box appears to adjust parameter
6. Aging- Simulates the effect of time on picture. On clicking it, another dialogue box appears
to adjust parameter
7. Posterise- Makes a picture appear like painting by reducing colours in the image. Another
dialogue box appears to adjust parameter, when this icon is clicked.
8. Charcoal- Sketch Changes image as charcoal sketch
9. Relief- Adjusts light source to create shadow using dialogue box to adjust parameter
10. Mosaic- Joins group of pixels into a single area of one colour. Another dialogue box appears
to adjust parameter.
Resizing an Image in a Document
Resizing is the process of reducing or enlarging the size of the image. Quick and easy way to resize
an image is by dragging the image’s sizing handles.
Steps are:
1. Click on the image and observe the eight sizing handles surrounding the image.
2. Position the pointer over one of the sizing handles and drag to resize the image.
3. Release the mouse button when satisfied with the new size.
NOTE: By dragging the corner handles, one can resize both the width and the height of the
image simultaneously, while the other four handles only resize one dimension at a time.
Deleting an Image in a Document:
To delete the image, just select the image by clicking on the image and press the Delete key.
Drawing Objects
To display Drawing Toolbar in the Writer window,
click on View > Toolbars > Drawing.
Steps to design are:
1. Place the cursor in the document where you want the drawing to be placed.
2. Select the tool from the Drawing toolbar.
3. Click-and-drag to create the drawing object in the document.
4. Release the mouse button to finish drawing.
NOTE: To cancel the selected drawing function, press the Esc key or click the Select icon
(the arrow)on the Drawing toolbar.
Resizing Object:
Steps to resize a drawing are given below:
1. Select the object to be resized.
2. All eight handles on the corners and edges will be visible.
3. Drag the required handle to change the shape and size.
NOTE: For resizing and maintaining original shape of drawing, use corner handles. Using
edge handles will resize drawing non-proportionally.
Grouping Objects
LibreOffice Writer allows grouping of different objects, to behave as a single entity. Once grouped,
all shapes belonging to that group become its member and a change applied on one-member works
on all.
Follow the given steps to group the drawing objects.
1. Select the object by clicking over it.
2. Hold the Shift key and keep on selecting all other objects by clicking on it.
3. Select a group tool from Drawing Object Properties Toolbar.
Or
Selecting from main menu Format > Group > Group will also do same work.
NOTE: There are four options under Group option. These are Group, Ungroup, Enter Group,
Exit Group. These options are also present in the Drawing Object Properties Toolbar.
Positioning image in the text
Positioning of an image is controlled by four settings.
1. Arrangement
2. Anchoring
3. Alignment
4. Text Wrapping
These settings can be accessed using three ways –
1. Using Format menu.
2. Using context menu after right clicking on the object.
3. Using Drawing Object Properties Toolbar.
1. Arrangement: In Overlapping objects, arrangement determines the position of the current
drawing with respect to other drawings or text.
Six arrangement tools are:
a. Bring to Front -Place image on top of all objects / images
b. Forward- One Bring image one level up, when there are overlapping images
c. Back One Sends- image one level down in overlapping images
d. Send to Back Place- image at the bottom of all objects/images
e. To Foreground- Moves the drawing object in front of the text
f. To Background- Moves the drawing object behind the text
NOTE: – First four settings can be applied on an image or drawing, but last two are available
for drawings only.
2. Anchoring: It acts as a reference point for image or drawing. Anchoring allows an image to retain
its position to a page, paragraph, character or frame.
3. Alignment: It allows the vertical or horizontal placement of the image with respect to its anchor.
An image can be aligned in six different styles – 3 horizontal and 3 vertical.
4. Text Wrapping: It allows the placement of image in relation to text. Text Wrapping tools are
available under Drawing Object Properties Toolbar.
There are six choices which are briefly explained below.
1. Wrap off- Text is placed above and below the image
2. Page Wrap- Text flows around the image. Moving an image will rearrange the text on the
page
3. Optimal Page Wrap- In Page Wrap, if the space between image and margin is less than 2
cm then text will not be placed on that side
4. Wrap left- Text is placed on left side of the image
5. Wrap right- Text is placed on the right side of the image
6. Wrap through- Superimposes the image on the text
