MS Word: Illustrations Group in the Insert Tab to Work with Icons

Microsoft Word continues to evolve as more than just a text editor—it's a document design powerhouse. One standout feature within the Insert Tab is the Illustrations Group, which includes a modern and visually impactful option: Icons.

Icons are scalable vector graphics (SVGs) that can be inserted into documents to add clarity, style, and professionalism. They're particularly useful in reports, manuals, guides, resumes, and educational materials. In this article, you'll learn:

• What Icons are and where to find them

• How to insert and customize Icons in Word

• How to format Icons using the Graphic Format tab

• Common issues users face when working with Icons—and how to solve them

• Best practices and real-world examples

Where to Find Icons in Microsoft Word

To insert an icon:

1. Go to the Insert Tab.

2. In the Illustrations Group, click on Icons.

3. A searchable library will open, categorized into:

   • Accessibility

   • Analytics

   • Arrows

   • Business

   • Communication

   • Education

   • People, Technology, and many more

You can also search using keywords (e.g., “email,” “calendar,” “idea”).

Tip: You must be connected to the internet to access the full Icon library in Word.

Why Use Icons?

Icons are:

• Vector-based – They retain quality no matter how much you scale them.

• Professional-looking – Ideal for resumes, presentations, and reports.

• Visually supportive – Help readers navigate content more easily.

• Fully customizable – You can change color, size, rotation, and more.

Formatting Icons: Graphic Format Tab

Once you insert an icon and select it, a new tab appears: Graphic Format (sometimes called SVG Tools). This tab gives you complete control over the icon’s appearance.

Tools in the Graphic Format Tab:

Group	Tool	Purpose
Graphics Styles	Presets	Apply pre-designed styles to icons
	Fill	Change the icon’s color
	Outline	Add or modify the icon’s stroke/border
	Effects	Add shadow, glow, or soft edges
Arrange	Wrap Text	Define how text flows around the icon
	Align	Align to margins, page, or other objects
	Bring Forward / Send Backward	Adjust icon layering
	Rotate	Rotate the icon in 90° steps or custom angles
Size	Height & Width	Precisely resize icons using dimensions
	Scale	Drag from corners to resize proportionally

Pro Tip: Icons are SVG files, so you can ungroup and edit each part of the icon (right-click → Convert to Shape) for more advanced customization.

Customizing Icons: Step-by-Step

1. Insert the icon via Insert → Icons.

2. Select it to open the Graphic Format tab.

3. Use Graphics Fill to match brand colors or theme.

4. Use Wrap Text → In Front of Text for free placement.

5. For advanced editing, right-click → Convert to Shape → then ungroup individual elements.

Most-Discussed Issues & Their Solutions

“Icons aren’t showing in the Insert menu”

Solution: Ensure you're connected to the internet and using Microsoft 365 or Office 2019 and above. Icons aren’t available in Office 2016 or earlier.

“I can’t change the color of the icon”

Solution: Try clicking Convert to Shape under right-click menu → then ungroup it. You’ll be able to edit each piece as a shape.

“Icons are blurry after resizing”

Solution: This shouldn't happen with SVG icons. Make sure you’re resizing proportionally by dragging from the corner handles or using the Size box in the Graphic Format tab.

“Icons overlap with text and can't be moved freely”

Solution: Set Wrap Text to In Front of Text or Tight for more flexibility in moving and positioning icons.

Practical Use Cases for Icons in Word

Use Case	Icon Types
Resumes	Profile, Email, Phone, Skills
Reports & Dashboards	Graphs, Arrows, Analytics, Checkmarks
Educational Materials	Books, Pencils, Lightbulbs, People
Project Proposals	Business, Strategy, Target, Calendar
Guides/Manuals	Warning, Tools, Settings, Info icons

Best Practices for Using Icons

• Stick to a visual theme: Avoid mixing outline icons with filled icons for consistency.

• Use minimal color palettes to maintain a professional look.

• Group icons with text boxes to create reusable design blocks.

• Use alt text for accessibility (Right-click → Edit Alt Text).

• Use icons instead of bullets for visual interest in lists.

Conclusion

The Icons feature in Microsoft Word’s Illustrations Group offers a quick, scalable, and stylish way to improve your document’s visual quality. From educational documents to business proposals, icons help deliver content more effectively by offering visual cues and enhancing engagement.

With the powerful Graphic Format tab, you can style, align, resize, and even edit individual parts of an icon. By learning to use this tool effectively—and knowing how to troubleshoot common issues—you can create polished, professional documents with minimal effort.