This beginner’s tutorial explains various types of image wrapping within text paragraphs in LibreOffice Writer.
Images are essential for long documents, books etc. Also, it is more important to have the images associated with the texts in applicable places in a document.
All types of image wrapping are possible in LibreOffice Writer. Here’s how you can do it.
Table of Contents
Image Wrapping Options
The LibreOffice Writer program provides the below types of image wrapping within texts.
- Page Wrap
- Optimal page wrap (default)
- Wrap Left
- Wrap Right
- Wrap Through
- In Background
- Contour Wrap with user-defined shape
How to Wrap Image with Text in Writer
Open a LibreOffice Writer document with texts and keep the cursor where you want to insert an image. Insert an image from the menu using Insert > Image.
Once inserted, right-click on the image and find Wrap options under the context menu.
Optimal Page Wrap
By default, Writer applies optimal page wrap to the inserted images. Texts are aligned at the left or right of the inserted image based on the image size and available position on both sides of the image.
Page Wrap
Use this option if you want your image to be surrounded by text based on your image size.
Wrap Left
Use this option if your image is on the right side and text on the left side.
Wrap Right
Use this option if your image is on the left side and text on the right side.
Wrap Through
This option makes your image on top of your text, and the text remains on the back side of the image.
In Background
Use this option to send the image back side of your text, and all texts are passing in front of the image.
Contour Wrap
This customized wrap option allows you to reshape your image to any shape so that the text can wrap around it.
To define a contour, right-click on the image and click Edit Contour from the context menu. In the contour editor, multiple options are available: Rectangle, Ellipse, Polygon and Auto Contour
.
Click Ellipse and draw an ellipse on top of the image. Click Apply when done.
You will see your image is reshaped as an ellipse, and the texts are wrapped around it.
Summary
In this article, you learned how you could easily wrap text around images in LibreOffice Writer.
Drop a comment if you have any questions.

I am creating a libreoffice writer document with text and images. Right-clicking on an inserted image, the context menu window that appears has “No selection possible” in dimmed letters as the only option available. Shall I install any missing Libreoffice feature that does not come with the default installation options?
I am using Libreoffice 6.4.2.2.
Thank you for your info.
You have to select the image. Then right click on top the image which would bring up the context menu. Verified in LO 6.4.2.2
This web site doesn’t allow to add/attach images, it would be important to prove what I wrote. In this way, with simple text exchange, it just a switch of text back and forth, that turns difficult to explain and demonstrate what one wants to comment.
In my case, the context menu (right-click on the image) does appear as mentioned in my previous message, but the “Wrap” line option does not present the options that are supposed to show, but like I wrote, without images it is impossible to demonstrate.
I hope this site evolves to a better web experience.
you can upload any image in imgur.com and share link here. But what type of image (file extension) you are using?
Here are the images uploaded to imgur.com:
https://imgur.com/a/UBPj4qm
The file type I always use for compatibility reasons, is Word 97-2003. This file type may be the cause for the problem reported.
The second image I uploaded, shows the image properties “Wrap” tab, Optimal selected (default), while all other options are locked, impossible to select, and I think I should have that possibility.
Thank you for your interest and concern.
The image can’t be anchored as a character.
I could not find any issues that why Wrap options are not there. Can you try to create a new document (*.doc) ; save it; then insert any image and see if the options are available?
I determined that this problem only occurs with copy-paste web pages into Libreoffice Writer that includes text and images altogether. This was the page that I copied into Libreoffice Writer:
https://helpdeskgeek.com/how-to/create-a-portable-version-of-any-application-in-windows/
Right-clicking on one of the imported images from this web page, I get the incomplete Wrap context menu, while inserting an image into a new document, all the option of the Wrap context menu appear.
I previously used MS Word to import web pages, but I find out that Libreoffice does it better, the images have the right size, while with MS Word, many times the images have to be redimensioned.
Yes that’s the issue. If you copy directly from web page and paster it in Writer – it paste as HTML image which is wrapped in frame. Wrap option is not available in those cases. I would suggest you to copy paste then re-insert images those requires wrapping.
Thank you for your prompt replies. I will do as suggested.
You may consider this post as completed and closed. Bye.
I was doing a project with all phots I have like a collage. Had Completed several. Instead of closing out the complete set I finished I decided to look up free designer borders to set pictures in. Trouble every since. could not separate page 1 finished from page 2 beginning to add photos to design border. tried to read libre offered options but some just did not come clear to me what to do. Out of frustration started hitting whatever. now afraid precious photos will be lost. In the file Explore the file I have for completed the it shows that the phots are open until I click to open and this is how it locks. empty multiple squares in one texting frame in upper left corners states image and a number. Have hit things and probably has made it worse. Is there a fix for my unknowledge?
The Word wrap around the image touches the edge of the photo. How do I get an open area around the photo to make it look more professional?
I had the same problem–found the answer at: https://ask.libreoffice.org/en/question/199026/how-to-add-a-border-between-image-and-text-in-writer/. Worked for me in both Mac and Windows versions.