How to Make Pictures or Background Transparent in PowerPoint

Give your presentations a pro polish

When you include a picture or slide background in Microsoft PowerPoint, you may not want it to be the main focus. Luckily, making a picture transparent in PowerPoint, as well as doing the same for a background, takes only a few steps.

The following features are available and work the same in PowerPoint on Windows and Mac. Thereisn’t currently a transparency option for picturesin PowerPoint on the web or Windows PowerPoint versions 2013 through 2019.

Make a Picture Transparent in PowerPoint

After youinsert a picture in PowerPoint, you can change the transparency using a preset option or adjust the amount of transparency yourself.

PowerPoint offers a handful of preset transparency settings that can make quick work of this task.

If you prefer to adjust the picture’s transparency yourself, this is another good option.

You’ll see the change to your picture immediately and can close the sidebar using theXon the top right.

Make a Part of a Picture Transparent

If your picture has a specific color that you want to make transparent, this is another option. Note that you can only use this feature for one color in your image.

You’ll then see any matching colors in your picture become transparent. They become the color of the slide. Just note that some images have many color variations and pixels, so you may only see a small area’s opacity change.

Make a Transparent Background in PowerPoint

Just like changing a picture, you can adjust the transparency ofa PowerPoint background. This includes picture or texture fill, gradient, and solid color backgrounds but not (currently) patterns and is ideal if you want to use a watermark background.

When you finish, use theXon the top right of the sidebar to close it.

Be Transparent With Your Images

With flexibility, you can adjust the transparency of a picture using a built-in preset or a background using an exact percentage. Whether you want the transparency at 20, 50, or 99 percent, you can edit images and backgrounds easily in your PowerPoint presentation.

For related tutorials, look at how to completely remove the background of an image to focus on the subject.

Sandy Writtenhouse is a freelance technology writer and former Project, Department, and Program Manager. She turned her education, job experience, and love of technology into a full-time writing career. With all sorts of gadgets in her home and her hands, she seeks to help others make life easier through technology.Read Sandy’s Full Bio

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How to Make Pictures or Background Transparent in PowerPoint#

Make a Picture Transparent in PowerPoint#

Make a Part of a Picture Transparent#

Make a Transparent Background in PowerPoint#

Be Transparent With Your Images#