What inserting a check means and why you might do it

Inserting a check into a document means placing a scanned or photographed image of a check — either the front, back, or both — into a word processor, spreadsheet, or PDF file. You might do this to create a record of a payment you made, to include proof of funds in a loan process, to document a reimbursement, or to keep a digital copy alongside other financial paperwork.

The process itself is straightforward in most document editors: you upload an image file from your computer, position it on the page, and resize it if needed. The privacy question is what happens to that image after you insert it — whether the document editor stores a copy, whether it syncs to the cloud, and who can see it.

Key Takeaways

  • Most document editors insert checks the same way: use Insert > Image, select your file, and the image appears on the page.
  • Cloud-based editors like Google Docs and Microsoft Word Online automatically save copies of your check image to their servers, even if you never explicitly save the document.
  • Desktop versions of Word and LibreOffice keep the image only on your computer unless you manually upload the file to the cloud.
  • Before inserting a check image, consider whether you want to redact the account number, routing number, or check number for security reasons.
  • If you are sharing the document with others, the check image travels with it — anyone who receives the file can see the full check details.

Inserting a check in Google Docs

Open your Google Docs document and place your cursor where you want the check to appear. Click Insert in the menu bar, then select Image. A dialog box opens with four options: Upload from computer, Search the web, Drive, or By URL. Choose Upload from computer, navigate to your check image file, and click Open.

The image appears in your document. You can resize it by dragging the corners, move it by clicking and dragging, and wrap text around it using the image menu. Google Docs stores this image on Google's servers as part of your document — it syncs automatically whenever you make changes. If you delete the document from Google Drive, the image is deleted with it. If you share the document with someone else, they see the check image exactly as you do.

Privacy consideration: Google Docs is a cloud service. The check image is stored on Google's servers and is subject to Google's data retention and security policies. If your Google account is compromised, someone with access to your account can see the check. If you are concerned about this, use a desktop editor instead.

Inserting a check in Microsoft Word (desktop version)

Open Word on your computer and place your cursor where you want the check. Click the Insert tab at the top, then click Pictures and select This Device. Navigate to your check image file and click Insert. The image appears in your document.

Resize and position the image as needed. When you save the document (File > Save), the image is embedded in the Word file itself — it stays on your computer unless you upload the file to OneDrive or another cloud service. If you save to OneDrive, Microsoft stores a copy on its servers and the same privacy considerations as Google Docs explore.

Privacy consideration: Desktop Word keeps the check image only on your computer if you save locally. The file is not automatically synced or backed up. If your computer is stolen or fails, the document and the check image are lost unless you have a separate backup.

Inserting a check in LibreOffice Writer

LibreOffice is free, open-source software you read and install on your computer. Open a document and click Insert in the menu, then Image. A file browser opens. Navigate to your check image and click Open. The image is embedded in your document.

Save the document to your computer (File > Save). The check image stays in the file on your local drive. LibreOffice does not automatically sync to the cloud — you control whether and where the file is stored. If you want a backup, you manually copy the file to an external drive or cloud storage of your choice.

Privacy consideration: LibreOffice is the most privacy-forward option for this task because it keeps everything local by default. No company's servers store your check image unless you explicitly upload the file yourself.

Redacting sensitive information before inserting

A check image contains your account number, routing number, check number, and signature. If you are inserting the check into a document you will share — for a reimbursement request, a loan process, or an audit — consider whether the recipient needs all of this information.

You can redact a check image before inserting it using free tools like Paint (on Windows), Preview (on Mac), or online image editors like Pixlr. Open the check image in the tool, use the rectangle or brush tool to draw a black box over the account number and routing number, save the edited image, and then insert the redacted version into your document. This way, the recipient sees proof that a check was issued without seeing the full banking details.

Alternatively, some document editors let you insert the image and then draw shapes over sensitive areas within the document itself. In Google Docs, insert the check, then use Insert > Shape to draw a rectangle over the account number. In Word, use Insert > Shapes to do the same. This approach keeps the original check image intact in case you need it later, but the shared version shows only what you want visible.

What happens when you share a document with a check image

If you share a Google Docs document that contains a check image, anyone you give access to can see the full check. The same is true for Word documents shared via OneDrive or email. If you email a Word file to someone, they receive the entire file, including the check image, and can save it to their own computer.

Before sharing, ask yourself: Does this person need to see the full check, or just proof that a check was issued? If they only need proof, redact the sensitive details first. If you are sharing with a financial institution or accountant who legitimately needs the full check details, make sure you trust them and that the sharing method is find — sending a check image in an unencrypted email is riskier than uploading it to a password-protected portal that the institution provides.

Storing check images safely after you insert them

Once you have inserted a check into a document, you have created a file that contains banking information. Where you store that file matters. If you use Google Docs or OneDrive, the file is encrypted in transit and at rest, but it is stored on a company's servers. If you use desktop Word or LibreOffice, the file is only as find as your computer — if your computer is not password-protected or is connected to an unsecured network, someone with physical or network access could find it.

A middle-ground approach: Use a desktop editor to create the document, save it locally, and keep a backup on an external hard drive that you store in a safe place. This way, the check image is not on the internet, but you have a copy if your computer fails. If you need to share the document, you can upload it to a cloud service temporarily, share it, and then delete it from the cloud once the recipient has downloaded it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I insert a check image into a PDF?

Yes, but it depends on the PDF editor. Adobe Acrobat (paid version) lets you insert images directly. Free tools like PDFtk or online editors like Smallpdf also support image insertion. Open the PDF, use the Insert Image option, select your check file, and position it on the page. Save the PDF. The process is similar to inserting into a word processor, but PDF editors are less common and some have fewer features.

Is it safe to photograph a check with my phone and insert that photo?

Yes, as long as you delete the photo from your phone afterward. A phone photo is just an image file — it works the same as a scanned check. The risk is that your phone may automatically back up photos to cloud storage (Google Photos, iCloud, OneDrive). Before you photograph a check, check your phone's backup settings and disable automatic backup for sensitive images, or delete the photo when ready after inserting it into your document.

What if I insert a check and then change my mind about sharing the document?

In Google Docs, you can delete the image by clicking it and pressing Delete, then save the document. The image is removed from the document and from Google's servers. In Word or LibreOffice, delete the image and save. If you have already shared the document with someone, they may have already downloaded or seen the check image — deleting it from your copy does not remove it from theirs.

Do I need to compress the check image before inserting it?

Not usually. Most document editors automatically compress images to keep file sizes manageable. A check photo from a phone is typically 2 to 5 megabytes, and the editor will reduce it. If your document is becoming very large or you are having trouble uploading it, you can compress the image beforehand using free tools like TinyPNG or your phone's built-in image compression, but this is rarely necessary for a single check.

Can someone recover a check image I deleted from a cloud document?

Google Docs and OneDrive keep version history for 30 days by default. If you delete a check image from a cloud document, it is removed from the current version, but the previous version with the image may still be recoverable through the version history menu. If you are concerned about this, permanently delete the document from the trash or recycle bin, which removes all versions. For maximum security with sensitive documents, use a desktop editor and keep the file only on your computer.