Document Editing Problems

How to Paste and Resize Pictures in Microsoft Word Comments

Algirdas Jasaitis Sep 27, 2026 869 views

Question details

Users need a way to successfully paste and resize images inside Microsoft Word document comments without the images becoming disproportionately large.

How to Paste and Resize Pictures in Microsoft Word Comments

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Adding visual references, such as screenshots or pictures, to document comments during the reviewing process.
Observed behavior: Pictures pasted into modern Word comments often appear extremely large and lack resizing handles, making it impossible to adjust their dimensions once they are inside the comment box or Reviewing Pane.

Before you start

Before adding images to your comments, ensure you have an external image editor or a blank Word document open to adjust the picture dimensions beforehand.

Solution 1Recommended

Resize the Picture Before Pasting into the Comment

Since modern Word comments lock image dimensions, you must adjust the image to your desired size before copying it to your clipboard.

Microsoft Word's modern comments interface prioritizes uniform text layouts, which disables the ability to select and resize rich media like images once they are pasted.

By manually scaling down your screenshot or photo in another application or a blank document first, you ensure it fits perfectly within the comment pane.

Prepare the image in a blank document

Open a new, blank Microsoft Word document and insert the picture you want to use in your comment.

Scale the image down

Click on the inserted picture to reveal the sizing handles on its corners. Click and drag the corner handles inward to shrink the image to a thumbnail size suitable for a comment box.

Copy the resized image

Right-click the freshly resized image and select 'Copy' from the context menu, or press Ctrl+C (Cmd+C on Mac).

Create a new comment

Return to your main document, highlight the text you wish to comment on, navigate to the 'Review' tab on the ribbon, and click 'New Comment'.

Paste into the Reviewing Pane

Click inside the newly created comment box (or open the Reviewing Pane from the Review tab) and press Ctrl+V (Cmd+V on Mac) to paste the pre-sized picture.

Resize the Picture Before Pasting into the Comment

Using Word for Mac: If you are using Word for Mac, opening the Reviewing Pane before pasting the image can sometimes yield better results than pasting directly into the floating modern comment bubble.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Use WPS Office for a Seamless Document Review Experience

If formatting limitations in modern Word comments are slowing down your workflow, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly compatible, and user-friendly environment for editing, reviewing, and annotating documents without unnecessary restrictions.

1. Download and Install: Visit the official WPS website to download and install the free WPS Office suite.
2. Open Your Document: Launch WPS Writer and open your existing .docx file. The formatting and previous comments will remain perfectly intact.
3. Review and Comment Easily: Navigate to the Review tab to easily add comments, format text, and insert visual references without restrictive locked layouts.

Completely free to download with a lightweight installationExcellent compatibility with Microsoft Word (.docx) formatsFamiliar user interface ensuring seamless migration with zero learning curveRobust and flexible document reviewing and commenting tools

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't I resize pictures directly inside modern Word comments?

Microsoft updated the comments feature to a 'modern comments' interface, which is designed to keep comment layouts uniform and readable across devices. Because of this rigid layout structure, objects like pictures lose their formatting handles once placed inside the bubble.

Does the Reviewing Pane behave differently on Word for Mac?

Yes. On Word for Mac, pasting rich media like pictures into the Reviewing Pane can sometimes cause images to appear significantly larger than they do on the Windows version, and they still lack the standard resizing tools.

Can I use an external image editor to fix this issue?

Yes. You can paste your screenshot or image into default OS tools like MS Paint (Windows) or Preview (Mac), resize the dimensions to a smaller thumbnail, copy it again, and then paste it into your Word comment.

Document & File Issues