Free Ways to Wrap Text Around an Image in PowerPoint

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Wrapping text around an image in PowerPoint can help draw attention to the image while improving readability. Although PowerPoint doesn’t have built-in text wrapping features, you can achieve similar effects for free using creative layouts and designs.

Use Text Boxes

The easiest free way to wrap text around a rectangular image is to insert text boxes around it:

  1. Insert your image on the slide.
  2. Insert a text box above the image and add text.
  3. Insert text boxes to the left and right of the image.
  4. Format the text boxes to match the slide background color.

Benefits:

  • Works on any version of PowerPoint
  • Lots of control over text box sizes/positions
  • Can wrap text completely around image

Drawbacks:

  • Time-consuming for multiple images
  • Positioning text boxes can be tricky

Embed Word Document

You can wrap text in Word, embed it into PowerPoint, and retain the wrap:

  1. Insert image and wrap text in Word document.
  2. Save the Word file.
  3. In PowerPoint, insert the Word file as an object.
  4. Double-click object to edit wrap settings.

Benefits:

  • Leverages Word’s text wrapping
  • Editable by double-clicking object
  • Clean, professional result

Drawbacks:

  • Requires Word and intermediate skills
  • Not editable like normal PowerPoint text

Use Line Breaks

Manually adding line breaks lets you control text flow around images:

  1. Insert image on slide.
  2. Type text until reaching image edges.
  3. Press Shift + Enter to add line breaks.
  4. Continue text on next line.

Benefits:

  • Simple manual text wrapping
  • Works in any PowerPoint version
  • Directly editable text

Drawbacks:

  • Time-consuming with multiple images
  • Text doesn’t align perfectly

Tips for Wrapping Text Around Images

  • Use short 1-2 sentence paragraphs for easier wrapping
  • Place images on outside column edges
  • Apply consistent text alignments/positions
  • Send images back to prevent covering text
  • Group images with text boxes if needed

When to Avoid Text Wrapping

Text wrapping may not help in certain situations:

  • Data/information-heavy slides
  • Small text amounts
  • Poor alignment with complex shapes
  • Images require lots of precise positioning
  • Text boxes clutter design

Alternative Formatting Options

Instead of wrapping, consider these formatting options:

  • Overlay images on solid shape backgrounds
  • Place images and text in separate columns
  • Use background images instead of shapes
  • Insert images within text boxes

The key is creatively integrating visuals with concise text, which PowerPoint excels at even without wrapping.

Tutorials on Wrapping Text

For visual learners, video tutorials on the techniques discussed are available here:

Conclusion

While PowerPoint doesn’t directly support text wrapping, workarounds exist to wrap text around images for free. The best approach depends on your priorities and design needs. With creativity, images and text can be effectively integrated to make visually appealing PowerPoint slides.

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