Inserting images: as character, as paragraph, or to paragraph

[jsv1]

What is the best way to anchor images, “as character”, “as paragraph” or "to paragraph, and why? Why would you prefer one way over another?

For years, I always inserted images “as character” because (a) this is how they are inserted by default in Microsoft Word (so it was some kind of habit); (b) there were many times when I hear that inserting “as character” is the most reliable way to insert images and prevent them from moving somewhere unexpectedly.

But maybe there are some additional things I should know about and therefore change my default way to anchor images to another.

[Hrbrgr]

How can I anchor and position graphic elements (images, objects)?

Can that help?

[ajlittoz]

It all depends on your purpose.

Yes, As character is the easiest and most predictable method but it should be reserved for logically “inline” images or more generally frames. The position is highly predictable because the frame behaves just like a character in a paragraph.

It is fit for sequential elements such as a formula in a paragraph (which is the default anchor mode for them).

However, the location is bound to the position within the paragraph.

Of course, when the frame is the only element in the paragraph, you get approximatively To paragraph without the hassle of this mode.

When your image/frame is not a logical part of the paragraph but a side illustration/note, anchor mode should be To paragraph. The frame is linked to the paragraph, moves with it but you have much more freedom in positioning: it can be put anywhere in the current paragraph page. There are nearly countless possibilities. I won’t describe here the pros and cons; experiment to find what fits best your need.

To character is basically equivalent to To paragraph except that the frame is linked to some designated character within the paragraph instead of the first one. This makes no difference when the paragraph is fully laid out in a page. But when the paragraph spans several page breaks, the frame is positioned nearest the anchoring character, not withstanding the positioning parameters. Therefore the frame is not necessarily on the same page as the beginning of the paragraph.

There are also some subtleties with Keep withing text boundaries checked. This may move the frame to next page to avoid it covers part of the margins (top and bottom generally).

As soon as you understand clearly the effects of the various parameters, I recommend you summarise your positioning intent in a frame style so that you don’t need to manually tune each frame individually. It has also the added benefit that frame positioning is controlled centrally and, as with other styles categories, a change in the style is immediately echoed on all frames formatted with this style.

Using frame styles is always the most reliable way to format images.

[jsv1]

To Page

The frame keeps the same position in relation to the page margins. It does not move as you add or delete text. This method is useful when the frame does not need to be visually associated with a particular piece of text. It is often used when producing newsletters or other documents that are very layout-intensive.

To Paragraph

The frame is associated with a paragraph and moves with the paragraph. It may be placed in the margin or another location. This method is useful as an alternative to a table for placing icons beside paragraphs.

To Character

The frame is associated with a character but is not in the text sequence. It moves with the paragraph but may be placed in the margin or another location. This method is similar to anchoring to a paragraph.

As Character

The frame is placed in the document like any other character and, therefore, affects the height of the text line and the line break. The frame moves with the paragraph as you add or delete text before the paragraph. This method is useful for adding a small icon in sequence in a sentence. It is also the best method for anchoring a graphic to an empty paragraph so it does not move around the page in unexpected ways.

Source: Using frames for page layout - Apache OpenOffice Wiki

[ajlittoz]

!!! An important piece of warning about To page !!!

When a frame is anchored To page, it is detached from text flow, i.e. it is attached to a specific page and always remains there, whatever happens to the text.

As an example, consider you have attached the frame while you are in page 7. Then you add text before the frame. The frame remains at page 7 and text flows around it, flowing to page 7, 8, 9, … You change your mind and erase text before the frame. The frame remains at page 7, even if your text only needs 4 pages. You end up with pages 1-4 containing text, pages 5-6 empty and page 7 with the frame.

What upsets users (even experienced users not familiar with To page) is empty pages 4-6 cannot be deleted by any means. They are fake or dummy pages inserted by Writer to cope with the page-7 To page anchor constraint. They are absolutely similar to blank inserted pages to align chapter start to odd pages. The only way to delete these dummy pages is to delete the frame, thus eliminating the constraint.

The phrase “The frame keeps the same position in relation to the page margins.” is wrong. It doesn’t characterise To page anchor. It can also be used for the other anchor mode, except As character. It only depends on the positioning attributes.

The correct definition is: “a To page frame is associated forever to a specific page.”


To page should not be routinely used in flow-oriented documents (i.e. books, essays, dissertations, notes, letters, …). It is adequate for page-oriented documents like leaflets, posters, … but Writer is not the best tool for the task.