You may have a few pictures in your Word document. To change several parameters of the pictures, you can edit them one by one. When you have a larger number of pictures, you may want to select them all at a time. This allows you to change them all at once. By default, Word does not allow you to select more than one picture at a time.
Word has two layout options for inserting pictures:
- In Line with Text
- With Text Wrapping
By default, Word inserts pictures In Line with Text in the document. That means Word will treat the inserted picture as a character. Word also treats other characters in the text in the same way. Therefore, Word will not allow selecting multiple pictures in your document when they are In Line with Text.
Therefore, you must change the layout of the pictures to With Text Wrapping. This will allow you to select multiple pictures at the same time.
2 ways to select multiple pictures in word
- Using keyboard and mouse
- Using the Select Multiple Objects dialog
We will show you in simple steps how to go about selecting multiple pictures in your Word document.
Let us begin.
Method #1: Select using keyboard and mouse
Step #1: Open Word document
Open the Word document that has several pictures.
Step #2: Change to With Text Wrapping
Click on the first picture to select it.
Click on the icon for Layout Options that appears next to the picture.
The Layout Options menu will open.
Click on one of the icons under With Text Wrapping.
Exit the menu by clicking on the X on the top right-hand corner.
Repeat this step for all the pictures in the document.
Step #3: Select multiple pictures using keyboard
Click on the first picture to select it.
Press the CTRL button on your keyboard and hold it.
Click on the rest of the pictures.
Word will allow selecting multiple pictures.
Method #2: Select using Select Multiple Objects Dialog
Step #1: Open Word document
Open the Word document that has several pictures.
Step #2: Change to With Text Wrapping
Click on the first picture to select it.
Click on the icon for Layout Options that appears next to the picture.
The Layout Options menu will open.
Click on one of the icons under With Text Wrapping.
Exit the menu by clicking on the X on the top right-hand corner.
Repeat this step for all the pictures in the document.
Step #3: Get Select Multiple Objects icon in the Quick Access Toolbar
By default, Word does not show Select Multiple Objects icon in the toolbar. We must include it in the Quick Access Toolbar.
Click on the Customize Quick Access Toolbar icon.
This will open the Customize Quick Access Toolbar menu.
Click on More Commands.
This opens the Word Options dialog box.
Under Choose commands from, click on the expand button.
Click on Commands Not in the Ribbon.
Click inside the box under Commands Not in the Ribbon and type S on your keyboard.
This will bring all commands beginning with S into the box.
Scroll down and click on Select Multiple Objects.
Click on the Add button to include the selection in the right-hand side.
Exit the dialog box by clicking on the Ok button.
Word adds the Select Multiple Objects in the Quick Access Ribbon.
Step #4: Save your document in .doc format
Click on the File tab on the top menu bar to open the file menu.
Click on Save as and then click on Browse to open the File Manager.
Select Word 97-2003 Document against Save as type, and save the document.
Word will save and reopen the document in the .doc format.
Step #5: Select multiple pictures using Select Multiple Objects dialog.
Click on Select Multiple Objects icon in the Quick Access Ribbon.
This will open the Select Multiple Objects dialog box.
Word lists all the pictures within the dialog box.
Click on the names of the pictures you want to select.
Exit the dialog box by clicking on Ok.
Word will select the pictures you chose.
Conclusion
Follow our simple instructions above. You will be able to select multiple pictures in your Word document with ease.
thanks a lot.
the important search is “Command not in the ribbon.”
Then I found “Select Drawing Objects” (in MS Office 2019 for Mac) which I prove equivalent to the “Select Multiple Objects”
Thanks again