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6. Frames Around Inserted Images and Diagrams

This was another helpful feature that Microsoft figured would help us lay out graphical elements more efficiently, mainly in MS Word. Suddenly a large weird "frame" popped up around an inserted image or an AutoShape that we used for a diagram.

Naturally, if we wanted to connect AutoShapes or move our pictures around, these "frames" collided and moved our other stuff all over the document. Iโ€™m sure a programmer somewhere understood how and why this might happen.

The new Office Diagrams were among the worst perpetratorsโ€”their resizing toolbars were a nightmare to figure out. Again, just when someone learns to move and resize using the control handles, we get these new gizmos to contend with.

Naturally the "options" to get rid of these monstrosities are in two separate locations:

  • Tools > Options > View tab to remove the pesky Picture Placeholders (frames around inserted images)
  • Tools > Options > General to remove the automatically created drawing canvas when inserting AutoShapes

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