Cannot Change Imported Clip Art Into a Msoft Office Drawing Object

I recently upgraded to Windows 7, Office 2013. Previously I used XP and Office 2003. With the XP configuration I could import clip art from the internet, select 'Edit Picture' and in most cases I could convert the 'Imported Picture' to a 'Microsoft Office Drawing Object.' This allowed me to delete unwanted parts of the picture, change colors or resize selected parts, and then regroup the remainder back into a single object. I did this on a 'Drawing Canvas'. With the Windows 7 configuration the 'Edit Picture' option is never active for clip art in a Drawing Canvas. If I import to a Word page (rather than into a Canvas) then in RARE occasions the Edit Picture options is available but the result is not easy to edit and Group-Regroup is not active. ( In a couple of rare cases I actually ended up with something like a MSoft Object.) I notice that Office 2013 has many options under 'Format Picture' but these do not help me. This is very frustrating because using clip art to write stories for my grandchildren is one of the main uses I have for a computer. Note: the path I use is' Insert>Online Pictures>Office.com Clip Art.'

Any help will be much appreciated.

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Answer

Jay Freedman

Whether an inserted clip art can be edited depends on how the individual picture was created.

Obviously a photograph is just one piece, so only the recoloring and background removal tools in the Picture Tools > Adjust group will be available. The Edit Picture item in the right-click menu will be disabled.

Every piece of drawn clip art I've tried inserting on a document page has enabled the Edit Picture item. If this isn't the case for you, I don't have a solution other than seeing whether repairing Office will help.

Some drawings will be one piece and others will be constructed of multiple lines and shapes. A good way to find out is to click Edit Picture and then click Home > Select > Selection Pane. With that tool you can select individual pieces to move, delete, or recolor.

Also, each drawing I've inserted has initially been ungrouped. To enable the Group command, you must first select two or more pieces at once by holding Ctrl and clicking each piece. To select all of them, use "marquee selection" by dragging a rectangle around the entire picture.

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Cannot Change Imported Clip Art Into a Msoft Office Drawing Object

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Cannot Change Imported Clip Art Into a Msoft Office Drawing Object

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