Working with Special Features in Microsoft Word: Images, Sections, Tables of Contents, and Columns

Inserting Pictures in a Word Document

Images and graphics are commonly used in Word documents to support or illustrate written content. One of the simplest ways to insert a picture is by using the copy and paste method. To do this, locate the image file on your computer and copy it using Control + C. Image files often use extensions such as JPG, PNG, or TIF. After copying the image, move to the location in your Word document where the picture should appear and press Control + V to paste it.

After inserting an image, several formatting tasks may be necessary to make the image both visually clear and accessible. These tasks typically include adding alternative text, adjusting the image size, positioning the image within the page, and optionally adding a caption.

Before performing these actions, the image must first be selected. One universal method for selecting graphics in Word is to press Control + Alt + 5, and then use the Tab key to move through graphics in the document until the desired one is selected. Screen reader users working with JAWS have another method available. In JAWS, images are treated as objects. Pressing Control + Shift + O opens a list of objects in the document. Using the Up or Down Arrow keys allows you to move through the objects, and pressing Enter selects the one you want.

Once an image is selected, you can begin making accessibility improvements. The most important step is adding alternative text, commonly called alt text. Alt text is a written description of an image that is read aloud by screen readers but is not visible to sighted users. This description helps users understand the purpose or meaning of the image.

In some versions of Word, especially Word 365, artificial intelligence may automatically generate alt text. However, this automatically generated description is often generic or inaccurate. It is usually best to review and edit it or replace it entirely with a clearer description.

To add or edit alt text, select the graphic and open the context menu using the Applications key. From there, choose the Edit Alt Text option. When the description field appears, type the text that accurately describes the image. If AI-generated text already exists and you prefer to replace it, select the entire text and type your own description. After entering the alt text, press Escape to return to the document and save the description.

Another common task is resizing the image. When an image is selected, JAWS announces its dimensions. NVDA and Narrator do not automatically announce image dimensions, but they can still be accessed through the image settings. Open the context menu with the Applications key and choose Size and Position. Within the dialog box, you can move through the fields to hear the image width and height.

To resize an image, open the Size and Position dialog and adjust either the height or width value. Word automatically adjusts the other dimension to maintain the correct proportions and prevent distortion. After entering the desired size, confirm the change and return to the document.

Images can also be positioned in different ways within the page using text wrapping options. By default, an inserted picture appears in line with text, meaning it behaves like a character within a paragraph and text appears only above and below it. Other wrapping styles allow text to flow around the image for a more visually balanced layout. If you want to explore these options in detail, Microsoft provides additional guidance on how to wrap text around images.

Captions are another important element when working with graphics. Captions identify and describe images and are particularly useful in reports and academic documents. In Word, images are labeled as figures when captions are added. To insert a caption, select the graphic and open the context menu. Choose Insert Caption, then enter a descriptive title. Word automatically numbers figures sequentially, such as Figure 1, Figure 2, and so on. The caption typically appears below the image, which is the standard placement for figures.

Using Sections to Control Page Formatting

Section breaks are used to divide a document into parts that have different formatting. They are particularly helpful in longer or more complex documents where different sections require different layouts.

For example, section breaks may be used when changing page numbering styles, modifying headers or footers in different parts of the document, switching between portrait and landscape page orientation, or inserting columns in only part of a document. They can also be useful when reorganizing pagination for elements such as title pages or tables of contents.

One common type of section break is the Next Page section break, which starts a new section on the following page. To insert this type of break, place the cursor where the new section should begin. Then navigate to the Layout tab of the ribbon and open the Breaks submenu using the shortcut Alt + P, B. From the list of options, choose Next Page. After inserting the break, screen readers such as JAWS or NVDA may announce the new section number when moving through the document.

Creating and Managing Tables of Contents

A table of contents provides readers with an organized overview of a document and allows quick navigation between sections. Word can automatically generate a table of contents based on the headings used in the document. For this reason, it is important to apply Word’s built-in heading styles when creating section titles.

If the table of contents is being used for a formal report or manuscript, it usually appears on a

With the cursor placed on this page, move to the References tab and open the Table of Contents submenu using the shortcut Alt + S, T. Selecting the Automatic Table option generates a table of contents that includes headings up to level three along with their corresponding page numbers. Word also inserts the heading “Contents” at the top of the page.

The table of contents can easily be updated if changes occur in the document. For example, updates may be necessary when page numbers change, when headings are added or removed, or when heading text is modified. Updating the table ensures that the contents list stays accurate.

In most cases, it is best to limit the table of contents to the most important headings. Including too many levels can make the table unnecessarily long and difficult to read. Word allows you to adjust the number of heading levels included by opening the Custom Table of Contents dialog and selecting the desired number of levels.

For digital documents, Word also includes hyperlinks in the table of contents by default. This allows readers to select a heading and jump directly to that section of the document, which is particularly useful for accessibility and navigation.

Formatting Text into Multiple Columns

Multi-column formatting is often used when creating newsletters, brochures, or flyers. Instead of displaying text in a single continuous column across the page, the content is divided into two or more vertical columns similar to a newspaper layout.

Because editing and navigation can be slightly more complicated in a multi-column layout, it is usually best to convert text to columns near the end of the document preparation process.

To create columns, first select the text that should appear in the column layout. Then move to the Layout tab of the ribbon and open the Columns submenu using the shortcut Alt + P, J. From the list of options, choose the number of columns you want. Word will automatically divide the selected text into evenly spaced columns.

The default settings calculate column width automatically and include space between columns. However, if you want more control over the layout, you can open the More Columns dialog. This allows you to adjust the number of columns, change the width of each column, modify the spacing between columns, and optionally insert a vertical line between columns.

When columns are applied to only part of a document, Word automatically inserts section breaks before and after the multi-column area. These breaks separate the column layout from the rest of the document.

Within a multi-column section, you can also insert a column break if you want to start a new column earlier than Word would normally place it. This is done from the Breaks submenu in the Layout tab by selecting the Column option.

Screen reader users may find it helpful that JAWS provides additional information about column layouts through its screen-sensitive help command, which is accessed with Insert + F1. This command can announce details such as the number of columns, their width, the spacing between them, and the current section of the document. NVDA also announces column and section information automatically when navigating through the document, while Narrator currently provides less detailed feedback for column layouts.

In some cases, authors may want to add borders around a multi-column section to visually separate it from the rest of the page. This can be done from the Design tab by opening the Page Borders dialog and applying a box border to the current section.

Summary

Using these advanced Word features allows authors to produce more structured and professional documents. Images can enhance understanding, section breaks provide layout flexibility, tables of contents improve navigation, and multi-column formatting supports publication-style layouts. When used carefully and with accessibility in mind, these tools help create documents that are both visually effective and usable for screen reader users.