When i click a picture the drawing tools tab appears instead of the picture tools tab

Symptoms

When you click a picture, the Drawing Tools tab, rather than the Picture Tools tab, appears above the Format tab.

Note: If you do not see either the Picture Tools or Drawing Tools tabs, make sure that you selected a picture, shape, or other object.

Cause

The picture is not treated as a picture because it is most likely an image with a drawing type of format (such as a vector graphic) or an embedded object.

Common file name extensions for vector graphics are .wmf, .emf, and .eps. Also, most clip art is in vector graphic format.

You may also experience this problem if you haven't correctly selected your picture, or if your document was created in an earlier version of Office and you're using Office in Compatibility Mode.

Resolution

Try one or more of the following:

• Replace your image with a picture that has one of these file name extensions: .png, .jpeg or .jpg, .tiff, .bmp, or .gif.

• Make sure that you have selected your picture by clicking it.

• Double-click the picture to select it and open the Format tab.

• If you see [Compatibility Mode] next to the file name at the top of the Office window, save your document in your version of Office document instead of the older version in which it was originally saved, and then try again.

See also

• For information about Scribble, see Draw or delete a line or connector.

• For information about adding a picture, see Insert pictures.

• For information about cropping or compressing a picture, see Reduce the file size of a picture.