Word to GIMP pasted image too small

I paste an image from Microsoft Word 2010 into GIMP 2.6.10 using Edit → Paste as → New Image, but the pasted image is less than half-size (1280×800 down to 553×347). Pasting into an existing blank 1280×800 image makes no difference.

On the other hand, pasting exactly the same clipboard entry into Windows Paint works beautifully, producing a razor-sharp 1280×800 image, and furthermore, pressing Ctrl+C in Paint, then going to Gimp and pressing Shift+Ctrl+V in Gimp produces the correct full-size image in Gimp too.

Why does pasting an image directly from Word to Gimp reduce the image size? How can I make it paste the correct image size without having to go via Paint?

UPDATE: I just noticed that cutting the image from Word and pasting back into the same document also loses definition. Paint must be magical.

Marcelo Cantos

Posted 2010-11-29T00:30:01.193

Reputation: 1 321

I can't actually help, but I can confirm that I experience similar things with PhotoShop and MS Office 2003. I try pasting in various formats (e.g. Bitmap, Device Independent Bitmap) until I get one I like, or use the same Paint trick you mention. It's certainly a bug in Office apps. – CarlF – 2011-02-09T15:26:46.497

Answers

Well, the format Office stores the images copied to clipboard is WMF (I think it is the reason of your problem). If you open Windows clipboard manager (start > execute > clipbrd), you can see that the default format is a metafile (View menu, the first option bellow "default format").

I think you can solve that problem easily using another clipboard manager. But you can try that to solve by another way:

option 1: save your document as html and open the image you want on Gimp.
option 2: open the document, see the page with the image, do "print screen" and then paste to Gimp and cut what do you want (you can zoom the page to copy with better quality).
option 3: open the document on OpenOffice, right click on a figure and select "save image" (if you cannot open DOCX, save in your Word as DOC).

kokbira

Posted 2010-11-29T00:30:01.193

Reputation: 4 883

@kokbira: Thank you for taking the time to offer an answer, but both options entail more effort than my current work-around via Paint. Also, it is practically impossible to get pixel-perfect reproduction with print-screen. – Marcelo Cantos – 2011-02-08T23:16:25.760

what about saving the document as html? – kokbira – 2011-02-09T13:00:37.753

hey, see my new "option 3" :) – kokbira – 2011-02-09T13:03:59.653

@kokbira: Thank you again, but none of the three options you've presented is as simple as pasting into Paint, then immediately copying and pasting into Gimp. – Marcelo Cantos – 2011-02-09T23:52:01.460

mmm... ok. it solves the problem of importing a file from Word to Gimp, but in another way than copy-and-paste. pehaps a "clipboard manager" could help you... I remembered that the format that is copied from Word is WMF (Windows Metafile) and when pasted to MS Paint for example it is reduced in size, pehaps because the transformation from WMF to BMP... I'll search about... – kokbira – 2011-02-10T17:56:34.180

something about I saw is in here: http://www.powerbasic.com/support/pbforums/showthread.php?t=21530

– kokbira – 2011-02-10T18:01:08.340

In my experience (usually on Win XP), I've had to do the same thing with various non-MS programs, e.g. when pasting from Word into Photoshop or Flash – or back (i.e. vice versa) – I always go via Paint. It's fairly quick as you can just select the image, type Ctrl+C, go into Paint, then type Ctrl+V and Ctrl+X in quick succession. Paint IS magic; I hope it's still in Windows 8...

noodlenicky

Posted 2010-11-29T00:30:01.193

Reputation: 11

Your experience is not more guaranteed by Microsoft (Win XP), but your magic desire is still realized on Windows 10 (Paint did not die) ^^ – kokbira – 2015-08-15T15:02:02.747

As far as I know, MS Word scales the image size to fit the page if the image is too large, and when you copy the image from Word and try to paste it to another application such as GIMP, Paint, etc. it gets copied with the scaled size.

You can get the original sized image by right-click the image --> "Size and Position" menu --> Scale --> set Height and Width to 100%.

The image will change to its original size and you can copy it and use it wherever you want.

Joseph Wall

Posted 2010-11-29T00:30:01.193

Reputation: 1