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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsSelect your picture, then choose Picture Format > Picture Effects > Shadow and pick a preset. To fine-tune it, open Shadow Options at the bottom of the menu; to remove only the shadow, choose No Shadow.
Add a drop shadow to a picture
- Click the picture in your document. If the picture-formatting tab is not visible, click or double-click the picture to select it.
- Open Picture Format. In some Word versions, the tab is labeled Picture Tools > Format.
- Choose Picture Effects, point to Shadow, and select a preset. The menu previews effects as you move across the choices.
- For more control, open the options at the bottom of the effect menu and select Shadow Options.
Microsoft’s instructions cover Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows and Mac, as well as Word 2024, 2021, 2019, and 2016. The ribbon labels can vary by version. Microsoft Support’s picture-effects guide describes the effect controls.
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Choose a shadow without changing other picture styling
Use the specific Picture Effects > Shadow menu if you want to add a shadow by itself. A preset picture style can combine several treatments, such as a border and shading, so it may change more than the shadow.
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Select the picture and choose Picture Effects > Shadow > No Shadow. This removes the shadow without resetting other picture formatting. Resetting a picture can also remove a picture style, so it is broader than needed when the goal is only to remove the shadow. See Microsoft Support’s guide to picture borders for related picture-formatting guidance.
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If the picture-formatting controls are missing
- Make sure the picture itself is selected; the picture-formatting tab appears when Word has selected an image.
- If the document is in an older compatibility format, save it in a modern format such as
.docx, then try again.
These steps describe Word’s desktop controls. Microsoft’s cited guidance does not establish that the same shadow controls are available in every Word web or mobile interface.
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