How to layer and group Images in Google Docs

Google Docs is an online word processing tool from Google. You can use it to create new and edit the existing Word documents. It also lets you download your documents in different formats, like PDF, DOC, ODT, RTF, EPUB, etc. When it comes to editing or creating a document, sometimes we need to overlap or group images. Google Docs has a built-in image editing tool, using which you can layer and group images. The users who do not know how to layer and group images in Google Docs may have to use third-party software for the same. In this article, we will show you how you can overlay and group images easily in Google Docs.

How to layer and group Images in Google Docs

We will describe the following methods one by one in detail.

1. How to layer images in Google Docs
2. How to group images in Google Docs

Let’s start.

1] How to layer images in Google Docs

There are two methods to layer images in Google Docs.

• By using the Drawing tool
• By using the Wrap Text option

Below we have described both of these methods in detail.

Overlay images in Google Docs by using the Drawing tool

Here, we will use the Drawing tool in Google Docs to layer the images one over another. The steps for the same are listed below:

1. Open your document in Google Docs.
2. Now, open the Drawing tool. For this, click on the Insert menu and go to “Drawing > New.”
3. In the Drawing tool, click on the Image to insert an image into the document. When you click on it, Google Docs will show you multiple options, like upload an image from your computer, Google Drive, Google Search, etc. Select the required option to upload the image.
4. Now, click on the empty space in the Drawing tool and repeat step 3 to upload another image.
5. After uploading all the images that you want to layer, simply move one image and place it on another image. If you want, you can also rotate the layered images.
6. When you are done, click on the Save and Close button. This will insert the final image into your Google Docs document.

Read: How to insert a Textbox in Google Docs.

Overlay images in Google Docs by using the Wrap Text option

You can also use the Wrap Text option in Google Docs to layer images. You might have seen that after inserting the images in Google Docs, you cannot move them. This is because the Wrap Text option is not enabled by default. If you want to move the images, you have to use the Wrap Text option. By moving the images, you can easily overlap them.

Follow the instructions below:

1] Open your document in Google Docs.

2] Insert an image into the document.

3] Select the image and click on the three vertical dots. Now, click All image options. This will open the image options on the right pane. Here, you have to expand the Text Wrapping section and select the Wrap Text option.

4] Insert another image and repeat step 3.

5] Now, move the images by using either your keyboard arrow keys or your mouse and place them one over the other.

This is all about layering the images in Google Docs. Now, let’s see the method to group images in Google Docs.

2] How to group images in Google Docs

The Group option lets you combine multiple images into a single image. Grouping images is different from layering the images. If you group images, none of the images overlap one another, whereas, the layering images feature lets you place images one over the other.

We have listed below the instructions to group images in Google Docs.

1. Open your document in Google Docs.
2. Go to “Insert > Drawing > New” to open the Drawing tool in Google Docs.
3. Insert the images in the Drawing tool.
4. After inserting all the images, select all of them by pressing Ctrl + A keys.
5. Now, go to “Actions > Group.”
6. After this, click Save and Close to insert the grouped image into your document.

Hope this helps.

Read: How to translate Google Docs documents into any language.

How do you layer images on top of each other in Google Docs?

You can easily layer the images on top of each other by using the Drawing tool in Google Docs. Above, we have explained how to layer images in Google Docs by using the Drawing tool. To bring one image on top of another image, you just have to change its order. For this, right-click on the image, then click Order, and then select the desired option. The following four options are available:

1. Bring to front: This option places the selected image at the top of all the images.
2. Bring forward: This option brings the selected image one step forward.
3. Send to back: This option places the selected image behind all the images.
4. Send backward: This option sends the selected image one step backward.

When you are done, click Save and Close.

How do I group images in Google Drawings?

To group images in Google Drawings, follow the instructions below:

1. Select all the images that you want to group. For this press and hold the Ctrl key and then click on the images one by one.
2. Now, right-click on any one of the selected images and select Group.

That’s it.