PowerPoint Tips Blog

Helping you with presenting, PowerPoint, and speaking

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Tips
  • E-Store
  • Training
  • About
  • Affiliates
  • Advertise
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Design / Shapes & text boxes / How to create your very own cool shapes with the Custom Shapes tools: Part II-Subtract

How to create your very own cool shapes with the Custom Shapes tools: Part II-Subtract

July 5, 2011 by Ellen Finkelstein 6 Comments

READ LATER - DOWNLOAD THIS POST AS PDF >> CLICK HERE <<

This is Part II of a series on custom shapes in PowerPoint 2010. Part I, on Union is here. In that post I explain how to find the custom shapes feature.

The Subtract command subtracts one shape from another. It’s great for cutouts and holes. Let’s say I want a bucket with a hole in it.

Here are the steps to create this shape:

  1. Insert the Trapezoid shape. It’s in the Basic Shapes section.
  2. Since it’s upside down from the shape we want, select it and drag the top handle below the bottom handle. Tip: This is a shortcut to flip an object.

  1. Format the trapezoid however you want. I filled it with a gray gradient to make it look like a bucket.
  2. Insert a circle and place it over the trapezoid, where you want the hole to be.

  1. Click the bucket to select it, press and hold the Shift key, then click the hole. You must select the shape that you want to keep first. Then press the Shift key and select the shape that you want to subtract.
  2. Click the Subtract button. There’s a hole in the bucket!

How will you use the Subtract feature? Leave a comment!

The next post in this series will cover the Intersect feature.

Share1
Tweet
Share
+13
Shares 4
READ LATER - DOWNLOAD THIS POST AS PDF >> CLICK HERE <<

Related posts:

  1. How to create your very own cool shapes with the Custom Shapes tools: Part I-Union
  2. How to create unique picture placeholder shapes
  3. Get a designer look with abstract images to create backgrounds for slides and shapes
  4. Create a product catalog with custom layouts

Filed Under: Shapes & text boxes Tagged With: custom shapes, shapes, subtract

6
Leave a Reply

avatar
This comment form is under antispam protection
4 Comment threads
2 Thread replies
0 Followers
 
Most reacted comment
Hottest comment thread
5 Comment authors
OdedEllenJuergenVIctoriaGray Rinehart Recent comment authors
avatar
This comment form is under antispam protection
  Subscribe  
newest oldest most voted
Notify of
Gray Rinehart
Guest
Gray Rinehart

Very nifty! Thankfully I haven’t had to build many presentations lately, but I can see how this would come in handy.

Thanks!
G

Vote Up0Vote Down 
11 years ago
VIctoria
Guest
VIctoria

I am assuming this is for PowerPoint 2010? I could not find the subtract function in 2007.

Vote Up0Vote Down 
11 years ago
Ellen
Guest
Ellen

Yes, you’re right. I mention that in Part I where I introduce the feature as a whole and I link to that part at the beginning. But I’ll add it, just for clarity.

Vote Up0Vote Down 
11 years ago
Juergen
Guest
Juergen

Alternative:
Give the hole a distinct color and then save bucket and hole as a picture. Import the picture, double-click on it and choose “set transparent color” from the recolor menue. Click on the hole and it becomes transparent. This works too (also in earlier versions of Powerpoint)…

Vote Up0Vote Down 
11 years ago
Ellen
Guest
Ellen

Yes, excellent point. I have an old tip on doing that (written before 2007). It’s called “Create Cutouts.” I recommend saving as a PNG (the default these days) because it’s sure to support transparency. But of course the Subtract feature can be used for purposes other than creating holes–just to make interesting shapes.

Vote Up0Vote Down 
11 years ago
Oded
Guest
Oded

Thanks Jurgen! I am using Powerpoint 2007 and your tip was very useful.

Vote Up0Vote Down 
10 years ago
wpdiscuz   wpDiscuz

Free Video Training!

13 Techniques that Will Make Designing Your Slides EASY!

And get the PowerPoint Tips Newsletter with tips and resources for presenters. Plus 5 bonus tips!

BirdSend Email Marketing Tool
4-up-ads PresenterMedia PoweredTemplate High-Persuasion Secrets Power Pointers Quarter Hour


Recent Posts

Recent Posts

  • How do you format your slide titles?
  • Using PowerPoint’s cartoon people
  • Which version of PowerPoint should you buy?
  • Add a customizable, live web feed with Cameo
  • Get a designer look with abstract images to create backgrounds for slides and shapes

Connect with me!

Connect with me! Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

Ellen Finkelstein, Inc. · Fairfield, IA · Tel: 515-989-1832

Privacy, Refund, and Other Legal Stuff

wpDiscuz