Creating Clickable Regions for Image Maps in Word
An image map can be a single image separated with clickable regions or a composite image made up of multiple images grouped together, yet still separated with clickable regions. For example, you could create an image of the countries of Europe and then define an image map for the image that allows users to link to a topic about each country when they click on an area of the image. User can click France to see information about France, Italy to see information about Italy, and so on.
When you define an image map, you can also define alternate text for each clickable region. For example, you might define alternate text for the Italy region as "Click here for more information about Italy." For more information about assigning alternate text to image maps, see Assigning Alternate Text to Images and Image Maps in Word.
Creating Image Maps for Single Images in Word
You create an image map for a single image by inserting the image into a drawing canvas and then creating text boxes with hyperlinks that link to a location with additional content. You can also create image maps for composite images. For more information about creating image maps for composite images, see Creating Image Maps for Composite Images in Word.
The following procedure provides an example of how to create an image map for a single image in Microsoft Word source documents using Microsoft Word 2003. Steps for creating an image map for a single image in Microsoft Word may be different in other versions of Microsoft Word.
To create an image map for a single image in a Microsoft Word source document:
  1. Insert your cursor on the line where you want to insert the single image you want to use for your image map.
  2. On the Insert menu, click Text Box. Microsoft Word inserts a drawing canvas. You will insert your image and the text boxes that contain hyperlinks for each clickable area you want to specify for the image into this drawing canvas.
  3. Click in the drawing canvas to insert a text box in the drawing canvas.
  4. On the Insert menu, click Picture > From File.
  5. Browse to the location of the image you want to use for your image map, select the image, and then click Insert, Link to File, or Insert and Link based on the image insertion method you use for your projects. Microsoft Word inserts the image into the drawing canvas.
  6. Add a text box that covers each region in the image that you want to be able to click by completing the following steps:
    1. Select the drawing canvas.
    2. On the Insert menu, click Text Box.
    3. Click on the drawing canvas, and then drag and drop the text box over an area of the image you want to make clickable.
    4. Right-click the text box, and then click Format Text box.
    5. On the Colors and Lines tab, in the Fill area, in the Color field, select No Fill from the list.
    6. In the Line area, in the Color field, select No Line from the list.
    7. Click OK.
  7. Specify a hyperlink for each text box by completing the following steps:
    1. Right-click the text box, and then click Hyperlink from the right-click menu.
    2. Specify the location to which you want to link, and then click OK. For example, you can link to a Web site or you can link to a location in the source document.
  8. Press and hold the SHIFT key, and then click the image and the text box you created for each hyperlinked area you want to use to create the clickable image map for the area.
  9. When you have the image and all of the hyperlinked text boxes you created for the image map selected, continue to press and hold the SHIFT key, then right-click the selection and then click Grouping > Group on the context menu.
  10. Save your Microsoft Word source document.
  11. Generate output for your project. For more information, see Generating Output.
  12. In Output Explorer, verify ePublisher created the image map using the link information you specified by clicking on the page that contains the image map and then clicking on each area of the image where you created a link. For more information about viewing output files in Output Explorer, see Viewing Output in Output Explorer.
Creating Image Maps for Composite Images in Word
You can create composite images by inserting the composite images into a drawing canvas and then grouping the composite images with hyperlinked text boxes.
The following procedure provides an example of how to create image maps for composite images in Microsoft Word source documents using Microsoft Word 2003. Steps for creating image maps for composite images in Microsoft Word may be different in other versions of Microsoft Word.
To create an image map for a composite image in a Microsoft Word source document
  1. Insert your cursor on the line where you want to insert the composite image you want to use for your image map.
  2. On the Insert menu, click Picture > New Drawing. Microsoft Word inserts a drawing canvas. You will insert the images that make up your composite image and the text boxes that contain hyperlinks for each clickable area you want to specify for the image into this drawing canvas.
  3. Select the drawing canvas, and then on the Insert menu, click Picture > From File.
  4. Browse to the location of each image that makes up your composite image, select the image, and then click Insert, Link to File, or Insert and Link based on the image insertion method you use for your projects. Microsoft Word inserts the image into the drawing canvas.
  5. Position each image that makes up your composite image in the drawing canvas by dragging and dropping the image into its correct position.
  6. Add a text box that covers each region in the image that you want to be able to click by completing the following steps:
    1. Select the drawing canvas.
    2. On the Insert menu, click Text Box.
    3. Click on the drawing canvas, and then drag and drop the text box over an area of the image you want to make clickable.
    4. Right-click the text box, and then click Format Text box.
    5. On the Colors and Lines tab, in the Fill area, in the Color field, select No Fill from the list.
    6. In the Line area, in the Color field, select No Line from the list.
    7. Click OK.
  7. Specify a hyperlink for each text box by completing the following steps:
    1. Right-click the text box, and then click Hyperlink from the right-click menu.
    2. Specify the location that you want to link to, and then click OK. For example, you can link to a Web site or you can link to a location in the source document.
  8. Press and hold the SHIFT key, and then click each image that makes up your composite image and the text box you created for each hyperlinked area you want to use to create the clickable image map for the area.
  9. When you have the image and all of the hyperlinked text boxes you created for the image map selected, continue to press and hold the SHIFT key, then right-click the selection and then click Grouping > Group on the context menu.
    Note: After grouping the image and the text boxes, do not use the Hyperlink command on the right-click menu to assign a hyperlink to the entire group. If you do, the hyperlink you assign for the group will override the hyperlinks you assigned to the individual text boxes in the group.
  10. Save your Microsoft Word source document.
  11. Generate output for your project. For more information, see Generating Output.
  12. In Output Explorer, verify ePublisher created the image map using the link information you specified by clicking on the page that contains the image map and then clicking on each area of the image where you created a link. For more information about viewing output files in Output Explorer, see Viewing Output in Output Explorer.
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Last modified date: 01/28/2026