Make a Photo Transparent in PowerPoint

Are you looking for a cool effect to help your presentation stand out?

Learn how to make a picture transparent on PowerPoint with this quick and helpful video tutorial.

PowerPoint allows you to create all kinds of impressive effects to make your slides more engaging. One such effect is the ability to make a photo appear as if it is fading into the background.

This tutorial will guide you through the process of fading a photo in PowerPoint to make it partially transparent. Let’s dive in!

How to Create a PowerPoint Transparent Picture (Quick Start Video)

Watch and learn! We’ve created a video tutorial so you can learn how to make a picture transparent in PowerPoint. Check out the screencast below.

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Before we start the tutorial, we also have a helpful complement to this tutorial. Download our FREE eBook: The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations. Grab it now before you read on.

How to Make a Shape With Photo Fill Transparent in PowerPoint

Need to learn how to make a shape and image transparent in PowerPoint? Follow along with this step-by-step tutorial. It’s an easy skill to pick up that you’ll be using time and time again.

1. Draw a Shape

Instead of just inserting an image, let’s start off by drawing a shape on the Insert tab. Click on Shapes and select a rectangle shape. Click and drag the shape onto the slide.

2. Choose a Fill for Your Image

Next, click on the shape and select Shape Format. Then choose the Format Pane option.

In the Format Pane, ensure the Shape Options tab is selected.

Now we’ll choose Picture or texture fill to fill the box with an image of our choice.

3. Insert the Image

Click on Insert… and browse for the image that you want to use as the background.

After inserting the image, your shape will be replaced with the image. If your picture appears stretched or doesn’t fit the shape correctly, you can tick the box that says Tile picture as texture.

4. Make a Photo Transparent in PowerPoint

Finally, let’s add the transparency effect. Pull the transparency effect slider to the right to fade the image into the background.

You can adjust the slider further to the right for more transparency as needed. It takes a little finesse, but you can achieve image transparency directly within PowerPoint.

How to Make an Image Transparent in PowerPoint

If you want to insert an image without a shape, you can still make it transparent. Let’s look at how to do this.

We’re using the Be. PowerPoint template for this part of the tutorial. You can follow along if you have an Envato Elements subscription.

![Be. PowerPoint template]

1. Insert an Image

The first step is adding a photo. Click the Insert tab, then select Pictures. Here, you’ll have four options for adding images. In the Be. template, you can click the image placeholder or drop the image directly into the placeholder.

2. Format the PowerPoint Picture Transparency

With your photo highlighted, select the Picture Format tab.

From the Format Picture pane, select the Picture Transparency option. To use one of the seven preset options for PowerPoint picture transparency, click the icon in the upper right of the Picture Transparency drop-down.

Click Picture Transparency Options… to fine-tune your transparency with a slider.

Use PowerPoint to Make a Transparent Background

PowerPoint’s picture transparency features extend to backgrounds as well. Here’s how to customize your slideshow’s background.

1. Format Your Background

Open any of your slides, then right-click on the background. Select Format Background… from the context menu.

2. Insert Your Background Image

Under the Fill menu, choose the Picture or texture fill option. You can then click Insert… in the Picture source section to select the image you’d like to use for your background.

3. Adjust PowerPoint Picture Transparency

If the background image makes it hard to read the text on the slide, you can adjust the transparency. From the same Format Background… menu, change the Transparency slider. For this specific background, setting it to 85% transparency might be ideal.