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"Send backward" and "Send to back" not working in Pages

I'm attempting something I've done hundreds of times: I've imported my signature into a document as a jpg. I'm trying to send it to the back so that the typed text can flow partially over it and look normal. However, this time, the "Send backward" and "Send to back" options are not available. Any clues? Thanks for your help!

MacBook Pro, macOS Sierra (10.12.4)

Posted on Sep 5, 2017 2:09 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Sep 6, 2017 1:39 PM

Larry Israel wrote:


Hmmm. An update must have come in changing functionality as this is something I've been able to do forever.


I did follow your directions, and found that these were already the settings for this graphic. It is still blocking the text around it. Nothing is wrapping, as instructed, but it makes the text above and below invisible.


Thank you, Peter!


That "update" happened with Pages 5 almost 4 years ago. Pages '09 works.


OK now you have clarified what you want.


Your jpeg has a white background.


Open in Preview App:


Toolbar > click on Toolbox icon > Magic Wand (2nd icon on left in lower row) > drag across the white area > delete


Preview will now change the file type to png with a transparency alpha channel.


Drag that back into Pages.


Peter

9 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Sep 6, 2017 1:39 PM in response to Larry Israel

Larry Israel wrote:


Hmmm. An update must have come in changing functionality as this is something I've been able to do forever.


I did follow your directions, and found that these were already the settings for this graphic. It is still blocking the text around it. Nothing is wrapping, as instructed, but it makes the text above and below invisible.


Thank you, Peter!


That "update" happened with Pages 5 almost 4 years ago. Pages '09 works.


OK now you have clarified what you want.


Your jpeg has a white background.


Open in Preview App:


Toolbar > click on Toolbox icon > Magic Wand (2nd icon on left in lower row) > drag across the white area > delete


Preview will now change the file type to png with a transparency alpha channel.


Drag that back into Pages.


Peter

Sep 5, 2017 5:38 PM in response to Larry Israel

Have you pasted the image in as an inline object ("Moves with text") or is it a floating object (Stay on Page"), and already at the back?


These are the only two situations where I've seen 'Send backward' and 'Send to back' greyed.


Regards,

Barry


EDIT: Hmmm… Peter is correct. I must have been thinking of Pages '09.

B

Sep 6, 2017 1:10 PM in response to PeterBreis0807

Hmmm. An update must have come in changing functionality as this is something I've been able to do forever.


I did follow your directions, and found that these were already the settings for this graphic. It is still blocking the text around it. Nothing is wrapping, as instructed, but it makes the text above and below invisible.


Thank you, Peter!

Sep 7, 2017 11:38 AM in response to PeterBreis0807

Well that's very cool! Thank you, Peter!


Any idea why they changed this? The new way works, but the old way was quicker and less complicated.


I'm also wondering what I can still "send behind" or "send to back."


Thanks again!


(As for software version, all I can guess is that I was still running an older version. Because until recently, I used the "send to back" feature regularly when adding my signature. It's been no more than three months ago that I was able to use that feature.)

"Send backward" and "Send to back" not working in Pages

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