How to insert an SVG into a Word document
Word places SVG files as sharp, recolourable graphics: Insert, Pictures, This Device. How to wrap text round one, and what to do in Word 2013 or 2016.
Published
To put an SVG into a Word document, choose Insert, Pictures, This Device, pick the .svg file and choose Insert. Word keeps it as a vector graphic, so it prints sharply at any size, and the Graphics Format tab can recolour it. Microsoft’s support page lists this for Word in Microsoft 365 and Word 2019, 2021 and 2024. In Word 2013 and other older versions, convert the SVG to a PNG and insert that.
There is no separate step for converting an SVG to a DOCX file. An SVG is a drawing and a DOCX is a document, so “converting” one to the other means placing the drawing on a page and saving the document.
Insert the SVG
Word on Windows
- Click in the document where the graphic should go.
- Choose Insert, Pictures, This Device.
- Select the .svg file and choose Insert.
Word on a Mac: choose Insert, Pictures, and pick the file, as for any other image.
Word on a phone or tablet: Microsoft’s page says the Android apps can insert SVG. On an iPhone or iPad an SVG cannot be inserted, but one already in the document can be edited.
Word does not open an SVG as a document of its own. Choosing the .svg under File, Open shows its code as text, if anything. Start or open a document first, then insert the file into it.
Place it on the page
A newly inserted graphic sits in the line of text like a large letter, which is why it will not drag freely at first.
- Wrap Text, on the Graphics Format tab, sets how the words flow round it. Choose Square or Tight to let text run beside it, or In Front of Text to place it anywhere on the page.
- Size boxes on the same tab set an exact height and width. Dragging a corner handle keeps the proportions.
- Crop trims the frame. If the SVG arrived with a wide empty margin, crop SVG removes it from the file itself.
- Alt Text adds a description for people using a screen reader.
The graphic does not blur when enlarged, and it stays a vector when the document is printed. Saving the document as a PDF generally keeps it as shapes too.
Recolour and edit it
Click the graphic to show the Graphics Format tab. Microsoft’s page describes these tools:
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| Graphics Fill | One colour for the whole graphic |
| Graphics Outline | A line round the shapes, in a colour you choose |
| Graphics Styles | Ready-made combinations of fill and outline |
| Graphics Effects | Shadow, glow and 3D effects |
| Change Graphic | Replaces the image and keeps its place |
Graphics Fill colours everything at once. To colour the parts separately, right-click the graphic and choose Convert to Shape. The drawing becomes a set of ordinary Word shapes, and each piece can be selected and changed from the Shape Format tab. Microsoft’s notes say that on phones and tablets this is not available, and the document has to be opened in Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows.
If the colours only need changing once, it can be simpler to do it before inserting. Change SVG colours lists every colour in the file and lets each be replaced.
Word 2013, 2016 and other older versions
Microsoft’s page does not list Word 2016, 2013 or 2010. A copy of Word 2016 kept up to date through a Microsoft 365 subscription gained SVG support, while one bought outright may not have it. If Insert, Pictures does not show the file, or inserts an empty box, use one of these:
| Substitute | How | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| PNG | Convert with SVG to PNG at a large pixel size, with the background left transparent | Fixed resolution. For print, allow 300 pixels for every inch of printed width |
| EMF | Open the SVG in Inkscape and save a copy as Enhanced Metafile | Stays a vector in Word on Windows. Complex drawings may change |
For a logo printed 2 inches wide, a PNG 600 pixels wide is enough.
The same substitutes are worth using when a document will be opened by people on older versions, or in other word processors, whatever version you have.
Common problems
| What you see | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The .svg file is not shown in the Insert Picture window | An older version of Word | Insert a PNG or EMF instead |
| The graphic will not move where it is dragged | It is in line with the text | Set Wrap Text to Square, Tight or In Front of Text |
| The lettering in the graphic has changed font | The SVG has live text in a font the computer lacks | Convert the text to paths in a vector editor, then insert again |
| Parts are missing or look different | The file uses something Word does not draw, such as a filter or a mask | Save a simpler copy from a vector editor, or insert a PNG |
| The whole graphic turns one colour | Graphics Fill applies to everything | Use Convert to Shape, or recolour the file first |
| The graphic looks fine for you and rough in a colleague’s copy | An older version may show a stand-in picture in place of the SVG | Send a PDF, or use a large PNG |
| Convert to Shape is missing | A phone, tablet or web version, or an older version | Use Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows |
Questions
Can an SVG be copied and pasted into Word? Copying shapes from a vector editor and pasting into Word often gives a picture, not an SVG, depending on what the editor puts on the clipboard. Inserting the saved file is more dependable.
Can a Word document be turned into an SVG? Not directly. Save the document as a PDF, then convert it a page at a time with PDF to SVG, which writes the text as outlines where the PDF carries its fonts.
Does this work in PowerPoint and Excel? Yes, with the same Insert, Pictures command. SVG in PowerPoint covers slides.
How do I check an SVG before inserting it? The SVG viewer shows the drawing, its size and whether it contains text or embedded pictures.