Caption anchoring (Word 2007)

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Until Word 2007 I’ve used Ventura Publisher for all my documents, particularly complex documents — i.e., multi-chapters, figures, footnotes, end-notes, bibliography, lots of images etc. It seems to me that Word 2007 will fit my needs for all these documents once I learn my way around the package. Everything I need — that is, functionally — Word seems capable of doing — except for one thing. I can not find a way to anchor a Caption to it’s companion Figure. I have no problem inserting Captions where I want them, but in my documents I frequently move an image, and would like the associated caption to move with it. Such a basic thing….is there a way to do it?

Another question….in my current document I am including about 15 images (JPGs). When I import each image it’s size is way too large, and I’m spending a lot of time reducing the size of the figure. Is there a way to set the default size of each image in this document so that they all import at the size I want them?

Appreciate some help here. Thanks in advance.

6rtury

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Without seeing how you are placing and moving these graphics it is difficult to explain where you are going wrong but it sounds like you are expecting both captions and graphics to be magically linked together. This is not the case – both are independent items in Word. Captions are placed in Word as a paragraph. Figures are best placed inline on their own paragraph too. If you use styles with both these paragraphs then it is easy to include a “Keep with Next” paragraph format setting on the figure style. If you feel the need to move the figure to another location then you should select both the graphic and the caption and move these together.

If you are placing your graphic as a floating object then item is anchored to a paragraph of text somewhere. If you are showing your anchors then it easy to see what the graphic is anchored to when the graphic is selected.

Word does not work in the same way as a page layout program – EVERYTHING flows according to the text placed before it. If you position a graphic anywhere on a specific page and then add text higher up in the document then the graphic will be pushed down the page or onto subsequent pages. How it behaves depends on the way you have placed the graphic and the page/anchor positioning controls you have applied.

Importing graphics typically brings them in at the size the graphic was specified (it does shrink graphics wider than the page/column you insert it on though). If you want the default to be something smaller then you should change the image size in a bitmap editor. You can however create a macro which acts on graphics to reduce them to a specific size automatically. The macro would need to make a decision about whether you are floating the graphic or placing it inline since the code differs with this attribute.

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Andrew and Stuart:
Thanks to both of you. Andrew, you are correct in assuming that I’m trying to use Word like a page layout program. If all the functionality is there, it can substitute for Ventura. I just have to change my perception of how things work. Obviously, I’m not very familiar with the program yet, and have bought a book that focuses on Word’s advanced functions for documents. The metaphor is different and I have to get used to it.

Stuart, your tip is a good one and if it doesn’t overly complicate things in complex documents I’ll probably use it.

6rtury

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One method that I often use is to create a two row, single column table. I put the picture in one cell and the caption in the other, then I can move the entire table, keeping the caption and the picture together.

StuartR

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