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 / Images / PowerPoint Tips: Turn AutoShapes into Pictures

PowerPoint Tips: Turn AutoShapes into Pictures

December 12, 2001 by Ellen Finkelstein 2 Comments

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

Sometimes you may want to edit a diagram or AutoShape in a way that PowerPoint doesn’t allow.

For example, you may have created a complex diagram, such as the flowchart you see here (or any combination of shapes and text).

a complex diagram

a complex diagram

Now you need to make the entire diagram smaller or larger, including the text. Perhaps you want to change the background to one that gives you more room so that you can enlarge the diagram to make the text more legible. However, if you select all the shapes with their text and use the corner handles, you’ll find that the shapes change size, but the text doesn’t.

Or you may want to crop an AutoShape to make an interesting background. If you select the AutoShape and open the Picture toolbar (View>Toolbars>Picture), you’ll find that the Crop button isn’t available.

Finally, you can get some interesting color effects using the Contrast,  Brightness, and Color buttons on the Picture toolbar, including creating a watermark (washout). However, you can’t use these buttons on AutoShapes, only on pictures.

Convert your graphics into pictures

A good solution in these situations is to turn your graphics into pictures. You’ll then find that you have additional options:

  • You can scale the entire picture including the text
  • You can crop the picture
  • You can change the contrast and brightness, and also create a watermark (washout)

You can convert a graphic to a picture easily:

  1. Select the graphic, diagram, etc. To select additional objects, press Shift and click or drag diagonally across all the objects.
  2. Cut the selection to the Clipboard (Ctrl+X or click Cut on the Standard toolbar).
  3. Choose Edit>Paste Special.
  4. Choose one of the Picture options. (These options will vary with your version, but you’ll always have at least one. You can choose any of the Picture options for the procedures in this tip.)
  5. Click OK.

I created the background below using the Gold Preset gradient, with the From Center style. Then I cropped the edges, reduced the contrast, and increased the brightness.

using the Gold Preset gradient

using the Gold Preset gradient

Work with your picture

Once you have your picture, you can use the Picture toolbar to crop it, change its brightness, change its contrast, or choose Washout from the Color button’s drop-down list to create a watermark (a very light image that works well as a background).

Create a background

To use your picture as a background, cut it again to the Clipboard, open the Slide Master, and paste it. You’ll probably want to move it behind the text placeholders, so right-click the picture and choose Order>Send to Back.

Save it as a Picture

Starting with version 2002 (part of Office XP), you can save any graphic as a separate image file. The advantage is that you can then open the file in an image editor, such as Photo Editor or Photoshop, and manipulate it further. Just select the objects, right-click and choose Save as Picture.

Share3
Tweet
Share
+12
Shares 5
READ LATER - DOWNLOAD THIS POST AS PDF >> CLICK HERE <<

Related posts:

  1. Create an instant background from a photo
  2. Colorize a Photo for a Background
  3. Rotation tips
  4. Crop around an image in PowerPoint 2003

Filed Under: Images, Shapes & text boxes Tagged With: AutoShapes, background, graphics, pictures, PowerPoint

2
Leave a Reply

avatar
This comment form is under antispam protection
2 Comment threads
0 Thread replies
0 Followers
 
Most reacted comment
Hottest comment thread
2 Comment authors
Bridget HooserC. Recent comment authors
avatar
This comment form is under antispam protection
  Subscribe  
newest oldest most voted
Notify of
C.
Guest
C.

Thank you so much! Very helpful.

Vote Up0Vote Down 
9 years ago
Bridget Hooser
Guest
Bridget Hooser

This is exactly what I needed! Thanks!

Vote Up2Vote Down 
6 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

  • 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
  • Creating and using a strong call-to-action slide

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