Image caption in Writer adds frames-how to control?

ejbSF · October 11, 2022, 7:01pm

When I add a caption to an image, apparently LO Writer adds a frame to the caption. This is causing all sorts of problems with word wrap and text flow.

Once the caption/frame is in place, some text sometimes falls ‘behind’ the image and the caption while other text wraps properly. Sometimes the invisible frame seems to extend down into the text, leaving a blank space below it. And, the frame itself isn’t centered on the picture, so the caption appears off to one side. Even if I manage to get everything right, any text editing messes it all up again.

I think I could fix this if only I could see the frame, but I can find no way to do so.

What am I doing wrong? Any way to either make the frame show so I can see it, or add a caption without the invisible frame?

Thanks,
EdB

LO 7.4, Windows 10

EarnestAl · October 12, 2022, 1:31am

Click View > Text Boundaries to toggle visibility. You will see faint grey lines defining the frames

If grey line is difficult to see it can be changed in Tools > Options > LibreOffice > Application Colours > Object Boundaries.

Right-clicking on the outer frame will give a context menu to alter Anchor and Wrap

It is worth turning on formatting marks as that can show empty paragraphs and other formatting that might affect your document. You can click View > Formatting Marks, or press Ctrl*F10, or click the icon ¶ to toggle visibility.

ejbSF · October 12, 2022, 5:42pm

Took me a minute to figure it out – I set my Writer background to light gray to ease old eyes, and couldn’t see the lines. I changed the object boundaries, also a light gray, to dark gray, and there they were! Thanks!

Hrbrgr · October 11, 2022, 7:04pm

Have a look at:

Frame in Writer

Caption the image

ajlittoz · October 12, 2022, 6:50am

Insert>Caption is a kind of macro which adds several basic bits of data to your document, resulting effectively in a frame around what is captioned. The reason for the frame is based on the assumption that you caption “something” which is outside your main text flow for the purpose of referencing it. This “something” is not part of the sequential reading order of the text; thus you need to indicate in text when it is relevant.

Since captioning creates a frame, it is important to master frame styles and their configuration. Two parameters are of utmost importance: anchor mode and position. For best reliability and reproducibility, I recommend you create a custom frame style with your preferred settings and apply this style after creating the caption. Note that the captioned object may impose constraints on the outer caption frame. Exercise caution when defining the caption frame properties.

Without more details on your case, I can’t give better fit advice.

Is it possible to create a caption without a frame ?

Yes. Don’t use Insert>Caption and do manually (part of) what is done by the “macro”. A caption is nothing more than a paragraph with an automatic numbering which is the only added-value. Type your own caption text. To add a number:

Insert>Field>More Fields
go to Variables tab
click Number range in Type
Select the sequence number (you can create new categories if not satisfied with the built-in ones)

ejbSF · October 12, 2022, 5:46pm

Thanks for the reply. I hit upon adding a small borderless text box below the picture in stead of the caption and it works fine, though I still have to make sure they stay aligned.

I’ll read up on frame styles, as you suggest.

ajlittoz · October 12, 2022, 6:21pm

Caution! Caution! Caution! Text boxes are not your friend. They are labelled graphical objects which don’t live harmoniously with your main text. Prefer frames because you can anchor them in very versatile ways and all, absolutely all, formatting possibilities are available in frames while you only have a very reduced version of formatting in text boxes.

What you describe as a text box attached to the picture is roughly equivalent, though less reliable, to what is done with Insert>Caption.

In your approach you keep the picture frame (yes, a picture is a frame by itself) as the main “object” to which you attach the caption. The menu command creates a frame containing both the caption and the picture frame. Since the picture frame is totally included inside the captioned frame, you have far less problems with this neat nesting than with your approach of non-nesting objects.