Get a FREE bonus
e-booklet on
creating your own backgrounds plus free tips!

RSS

101 Tips Every PowerPoint User Should Know


E-mail This Page
to a Friend


"I find your book the best of the three I have bought to learn PowerPoint."
        -Robert Maddin

This book was a HUGE help for me while learning PowerPoint 2007. It was remarkably clearly written and easy to follow. While I'm not a big fan of all the changes to the PowerPoint (and the Office suite generally), it's great to have a well-written guidebook for coping with the increased complexity!

-Jon Boutelle
CTO, SlideShare

"I read your book, How to Do Everything with PowerPoint 2002 and loved it. It really gave me the know-how to deliver an amazing sales presentation."
        -Christina Lang

Lost Art of Persuasion

PowerPoint Tips & Tutorials

Create an instant background from a photo


Would you like a quick way to create a background from any photo? You don’t need to use expensive software like Photoshop -- whether because you don't have it or find it hard to use. Instead, use a simple PowerPoint tool for instant results.

Follow these steps:

  1. Display the slide or the slide master.
  2. Insert a photograph (Insert > Picture > From File). You can find one from the Clip Art collection (Insert > Picture > Clip Art) or use a digital photo that you took yourself.
  3. With the photo selected, resize it or use the Crop button on the Picture toolbar to crop it, so that it fits the slide.
  4. If the Picture toolbar isn't displayed, right-click any toolbar and choose Picture from the list of toolbars.
  5. With the picture still selected, choose Color > Washout from the Picture toolbar, as you see here.

This lightens the image so that text shows up easily.

If you find that the photo is too light, use the Brightness and Contrast controls on the Picture toolbar for more control. Here you see a before and after example. I did reduce the brightness just a little.

More Tips

Page copy protected against web site content infringement by Copyscape

 

 


101 Tips Every PowerPoint User Should Know
Invaluable tips professionals use will get you up to speed fast!


7 Steps to Great ImagesLearn how to format images for highest impact and a professional look


How to Do Everything with PowerPoint 2007
All new! How to use PowerPoint plus best practices for effective presentations.

How to Do Everything with PowerPoint 2003
How to Do Everything with PowerPoint 2003
All new! How to use PowerPoint plus best practices for effective presentations.

Recommended books by other authors

presentationzenpresentationzen
An excellent resource for improving your presentation design

Beyond Bullet Points
Beyond Bullet Points Cliff Atkinson's system for creating effective presentations without bullets. Well thought out and researched.A classic.

slide:ologyslide:ologyNancy Duarte's instant best-seller about top-level design. Learn how the best in the business does it!