How To Save A JPEG Image From Word: Step by Step Instructions

by Tim Chesonis | Last Updated: September 24, 2019

Sometimes, you just might find the perfect image in a Microsoft Word document that you need to use elsewhere. But how do you save a JPEG image from within Microsoft Word?

To save a JPEG image from within Microsoft Word, simply follow these steps:

1) RIGHT CLICK on the image in your Microsoft Word document.
2) Click SAVE AS PICTURE.
3) Change the SAVE AS TYPE to JPEG FILE INTERCHANGE FORMAT.
4) In the FILE NAME field, enter the name of your image.
5) Click the SAVE button.

For a detailed explanation complete with screenshots, read on and we will walk through this process together. When we finish, I’ll show you 4 other file formats that Microsoft Word allows you to save an image as and why you might want to choose one of them.

Step 1: Open Your Document

To begin, you will need to open up the Microsoft Word document that has the image you want to save to your computer. In our example below, we are going to save this image of a family on a beach to the computer.

Step 2: How to Save the Picture

Simply right click on the image in question and click the SAVE AS PICTURE menu item as displayed below.

This will automatically produce a pop-up dialog box where you can enter the name of the file, and what file format you wish to save the file in, so let’s take a look at that.

Step 3: Enter the File Name

Here, on the pop-up dialog box displayed, you will need to enter the name of the file in the dialog box that appeared on your screen after you have clicked, SAVE AS PICTURE.

If you will be using this image on a website, it’s good practice to ensure that you label the image with no spaces between the words. The reason for this is that some browsers may not display the image correctly if you have spaces in the file name. It’s also a common practice to use lower-case letters when naming the file in question.

If you will not be using the image on the internet, (on your website, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, or any other social media platform), you could name the file with spaces between the words. It is completely up to you.

Step 4: Select JPEG File Interchange Format

In this step, you will want to make sure that you click the SAVE AS TYPE drop-down menu item at the bottom of the dialog box as displayed in the image above. When you do, you will see see the options listed in the image below. Select the JPEG File Interchange Format option from the drop-down menu.

Note that you do not need to enter the file extension, it will automatically do that for you. So for example, if you were to name the file “family-on-the-beach”, the file would save to your computer as ” family-on-the-beach.jpg”

You may have seen some files that have the .JPEG extension. To avoid confusion, understand that a .JPG and .JPEG are exactly the same. The only difference is the length of the extension name. JPEG actually stands for Joint Photographic Expert Group, and it is pronounced, “Jay Peg”. Computers and web browsers recognize both extension names, so there is not need to worry, as Microsoft Word will automatically save the file with the .JPG extension for you.

Other File Formats You Could Save Your Image As

There are other file formats that you could select when saving the image from a Microsoft Word document. Each file format serves a specific purpose, so let’s take a look at each option offered and why you might want to consider that given file format.

Portable Network Graphics (PNG)

PNG files are great for non-internet use. They are typically more heavy (the file size is larger), than JPG files. Two huge benefits of using PNG files is that they allow for transparency and layers, and are suitable for use with programs like Photoshop or other image editing software. Below are the highlights.

• PNG files allow for up to 16.7 million colors.
• PNG files support layers.
• PNG files have 256 levels of opacity, meaning that they can be completely opaque or fully transparent.

Graphics Interchange Format (GIF)

GIF files were introduced in 1987 as a means of displaying images on the internet back when dial-up modems were the norm.

• They are very lightweight (small file size), and therefore display fast on when surfing the web.
• Because of their lightweight, you can create animated GIF’s, which are like images sewn together to create a 1 or 2 second animated movie.
• They are low quality images and tend to be very grainy.

Tag Image File Format (TIFF)

TIFF images are high-quality raster type graphics. They support lossless compression, meaning that every single color is preserved in a TIFF image, and when displayed on a computer screen, (or PDF document for example), the image will be incredibly clear. TIFF images are known for high quality, without any care for their file size.

In fact, it is not uncommon for TIFF images to be several gigabytes in size, which precludes them from use on the web. TIFF files are primarily used in print media, even to create billboards.

Frankly, the only reason that I can see that someone would want to save an image from within Microsoft Word as using the TIFF file format, is if they knew that the image within the Microsoft Word document was already a TIFF image, (like a logo or a professional photo of a corporate building for example).

Windows Bitmap (BMP)

Like TIFF files, BPM files also provide lossless compression, but they do not scale well at all. If you were to reduce the size of the image, it would look off. Likewise, if you were to increase (stretch), the image, it also would reduce the quality of the image a lot.

BMP files can, in fact, be opened using Photoshop on both the Windows platform and on the Mac operating system. There would have to be a specific reason to save a file as a BMP, given that it is inflexible in scaling.

Closing Thoughts

When using Microsoft Word, most people will either save their images as JPG files or PNG files. JPG files tend to be lighter and can be used on the internet easily. And while PNG files offer transparency and can be used on the web, they tend to be heavier, meaning that they may not load as fast on the internet. For use in print, however, PNG files are a great solution.

Tim has been helping people with computers needs for several years, and he loves to help people succeed. He brings a wealth of wisdom and insight from an entrepreneur's perspective and enjoys freelance writing. In fact, when he's not writing an article, you might find him binge-watching Suits or formatting his computer . . . again, just for fun. To learn more about Tim, click here.