Images are a great way to add visual interest to your documents. If you’re looking to create a document with images and aren’t sure what file formats are supported, you’ve come to the right place.
In this post, we’ll let you know about all of the different image types supported in Google Docs and how to insert them into your document.
Contents
Supported Image Types
For reliable image insertion in Google Docs, use JPEG (.jpg or .jpeg), PNG (.png), or GIF (.gif). Google Drive can store and preview additional formats, but that does not mean you can insert all of them directly into a document. The sections below explain the common formats and when conversion is needed.
JPEG
The JPEG file format is one of the most popular image file formats. JPEGs are compressed images, which means they’re smaller in file size than other image formats. This makes them ideal for use in documents, as they won’t take up too much space. JPEG filename extensions include .jpg, .jpeg, .jpe, .jif , .jfif , .jfi, etc.
PNG
The PNG file format is another popular image file format widely used on the web. PNGs use lossless compression, which preserves the image data when the file is compressed. PNG is useful for screenshots and graphics with transparent backgrounds. It is still a pixel-based format, so enlarging a small PNG can make it look blurry. The filename extension for PNG is .png.
GIF
The GIF file format is best known for its use in animated images. However, you can also use GIFs for static images. If you want to use an animated image in your document, you can do so by using the GIF format. The filename extension for GIF is .gif.
WMF/EMF
The WMF (Windows Metafile) and EMF (Enhanced Metafile) file formats can contain vector graphics made from lines and curves. Their filename extensions are .wmf and .emf. For Google Docs, export these files as PNG before inserting them. Choose a large enough export size for the document, because the PNG copy will be made of pixels and will no longer scale like the original vector artwork.
TIFF
TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) is often used for scans and print images, with the filename extension .tif or .tiff. Google Drive can preview TIFF files, but Drive preview and Google Docs image insertion are different features. If a TIFF will not insert into your document, export a JPEG copy for a photograph or a PNG copy for a scan containing text.
How to Insert Images into Google Docs?
Now that you know about the different image file formats that Google Docs support, let’s take a look at how you can insert images into your document.
To insert an image into your document, click on the “Insert” tab and select “Image.” There you will find several options to insert the image.
If you want to insert an image from your computer, click on the “Upload from Computer” option and select the file you want to insert.
The screenshot shows an older version of the image menu. Current options include Stock & web, Drive & Photos, Camera, and By URL. Choose your image, then click Insert or Open as prompted. The image goes into the document at the current cursor location.
You can then move and resize the image as needed.
What to Do If Google Docs Isn’t Supporting Your Image File Format
If you try to insert an image into your document and find that the file format isn’t supported, don’t worry. There are a few workarounds for this issue.
You can convert the image to one of the supported file formats. There are many free online tools like Online-Covert that you can use to convert your image.
Once you have converted the image, save it to your computer and then follow the instructions above to insert it into your Google Docs document.
A quick conversion to JPEG or PNG is the simplest fix in almost every case, and it works well for HEIC photos from an iPhone, WebP files saved from a browser, and RAW files straight off a camera. If you only need a one-off swap, opening the image in the Photos app on Windows or Preview on a Mac and choosing Save As (or Export) lets you change the format without installing anything extra. For batches, a free desktop tool like IrfanView or XnConvert can run through a folder of files in seconds and keep your originals untouched in a separate output folder.
If the file you’re trying to add is actually a PDF, a screenshot of the page is often quicker than a conversion. Open the PDF, snip the area you want with the Windows Snipping Tool or macOS Shift+Command+4, and paste the capture into your Google Doc. The same trick works for screens from design apps that export to formats Docs doesn’t read, such as PSD or AI files. For an animated GIF, insert the original .gif file instead of a screenshot or a JPEG conversion. Google Docs also offers Insert > Image > By URL for a GIF link. Check the animation in the document before sharing it, and check any downloaded or printed copy separately.
Conclusion
In this post, we’ve covered the different image file formats that Google Docs support. We’ve also gone over how to insert images into your document. You are now all set to add images to your next Google Doc!
