How to Resize Multiple Images at Once in Word

Resizing images one by one in a Word document is slow and tedious, especially when you have a dozen or more pictures that need to match dimensions exactly. Word does not have a single button that resizes all selected images simultaneously, but you can achieve the same result with a macro or by using the Layout Options pane to set precise measurements. This article explains how to resize multiple images in bulk using a simple VBA macro and how to manually align image dimensions for consistent formatting.

How Word Handles Image Sizing and Why Bulk Resizing Is Not Built In

Word treats each image as an independent object with its own size properties. When you select multiple images by holding Ctrl and clicking each one, the Picture Format tab appears, but the Height and Width boxes in the Size group are grayed out. This is by design: Word does not allow you to apply a single dimension value to a multi-selection of pictures. The same limitation applies to shapes and other embedded objects.

To resize multiple images at once, you must either use a Visual Basic for Applications macro that loops through each selected image and sets its size, or you can use the Repeat Last Action feature with the F4 key to apply the same size change to each image manually. Both methods work in Word 2016, Word 2019, Word 2021, and Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Prerequisites for the Macro Method

Before you run a macro, you need to enable the Developer tab. Go to File > Options > Customize Ribbon. In the right pane under Main Tabs, check the box for Developer and click OK. You also need to save your document as a macro-enabled file (.docm) if you plan to reuse the macro. If you only need the macro once, you can run it from the current document without saving it as a .docm.

Steps to Resize Multiple Images Using a VBA Macro

1. Open the Visual Basic Editor
   Press Alt+F11 on your keyboard to open the VBA editor. If the editor opens but is blank, go to Insert > Module from the menu bar to create a new code module.
2. Paste the resize macro code
   Copy and paste the following code into the module window:
   Sub ResizeSelectedImages()
Dim shp As InlineShape
Dim targetWidth As Single
Dim targetHeight As Single
targetWidth = InputBox("Enter target width in inches:")
targetHeight = InputBox("Enter target height in inches:")
For Each shp In ActiveDocument.InlineShapes
If shp.Type = wdInlineShapePicture Then
shp.Width = targetWidth 72
shp.Height = targetHeight 72
End If
Next shp
End Sub
   This macro prompts you for a width and height in inches, then applies those values to every inline picture in the document. It multiplies by 72 because Word measures size in points (72 points = 1 inch).
3. Run the macro
   Close the VBA editor and return to your document. Press Alt+F8 to open the Macros dialog. Select ResizeSelectedImages from the list and click Run. Enter the desired width and height in inches when prompted and click OK. All inline pictures in the document will resize to those dimensions.
4. Adjust the macro for floating images
   If your images are floating (wrapped with text wrapping), replace InlineShapes with Shapes in the macro. Change For Each shp In ActiveDocument.InlineShapes to For Each shp In ActiveDocument.Shapes. Also change If shp.Type = wdInlineShapePicture Then to If shp.Type = msoPicture Then. Run the macro again.

Manual Method Using F4 to Repeat Image Resizing

1. Set the size for the first image
   Click the first image you want to resize. Go to the Picture Format tab. In the Size group, enter the exact width and height in the boxes. Make sure Lock Aspect Ratio is disabled if you want to force both dimensions. To disable it, right-click the image, select Size and Position, uncheck Lock Aspect Ratio, and click OK.
2. Select the next image and press F4
   Click the next image to select it. Press the F4 key on your keyboard. Word repeats the last action, which is the size change you just applied. The second image resizes to the same width and height as the first.
3. Repeat for all images
   Continue selecting each remaining image and pressing F4. This method works for both inline and floating images. If you need to resize images that are not adjacent, you can hold Ctrl and click each image to select them, then press F4 once. However, F4 only repeats the last action on the active selection, so you must select images one at a time or in groups.

Common Issues When Resizing Multiple Images

Images Become Distorted After Resizing

When you force a width and height that do not match the original aspect ratio, images appear stretched or squashed. To avoid this, calculate the correct dimensions before resizing. For example, if the original image is 4 inches wide and 3 inches tall (aspect ratio 4:3), and you want the width to be 2 inches, set the height to 1.5 inches. The macro above does not preserve aspect ratio automatically. Modify the macro to preserve aspect ratio by adding a check: after setting the width, calculate the height as shp.Height = shp.Width (originalHeight / originalWidth).

Macro Does Not Resize All Images

The macro shown earlier only processes inline images. If your document contains a mix of inline and floating pictures, run the macro twice: once with InlineShapes and once with Shapes. Alternatively, combine both loops in one macro. Also ensure that the images are not grouped. Grouped images are treated as a single shape, and the macro will resize the group as a whole, not the individual pictures inside it.

F4 Key Does Not Repeat the Size Change

The F4 key repeats the last action, but some actions are not repeatable. If you used the Size and Position dialog (right-click > Size and Position) instead of the ribbon size boxes, the F4 key may not work. Always use the Height and Width boxes on the Picture Format tab for the first image. Also, if you performed an action between resizing the first and second image, F4 repeats that intermediate action instead. Press F4 immediately after selecting the next image.

Macro vs F4 Method for Resizing Multiple Images

Item	VBA Macro	F4 Key Method
Setup time	Requires enabling Developer tab and pasting code	No setup needed
Number of images	Resizes all matching images in one run	Works best for 5–10 images
Aspect ratio control	Can be customized in code	Manual calculation required
Image types supported	Inline or floating (modify code)	Both inline and floating
Repeatability	One-time run; rerun for different sizes	Press F4 per image

Now you can resize multiple images in Word using either a VBA macro or the F4 repeat key. For documents with more than ten images, the macro saves the most time. For a quick one-off adjustment on a few pictures, the F4 method works without any coding. If you frequently resize images, save the macro in your Normal.dotm template so it is available in all documents. To do that, open the VBA editor, find the module under Normal, and paste the code there instead of in the current document module.