Edit Images in PowerPoint

If you use PowerPoint only occasionally and find yourself wondering how to edit photographs or graphics, then this tutorial is for you.

Here, I’ll guide you through a few simple steps for PowerPoint 2010 that you can follow with ease.

How to Scale Images Proportionally

1. In order to scale images proportionally, select an image by left-clicking on it.
2. Drag the image from one of its corners to the desired size, holding down the mouse and the Shift key at the same time.

How to Convert Images to Black and White

1. Start by double-clicking on the selected image. This will open the “Format” tab in the top menu, revealing more editing options.
2. Choose “Color”, then from the “Recolor” section, select the gray option.

How to Compress Images

1. To compress an image and decrease its file size, double-click on the image. The “Format” tab will open in the task menu.
2. Choose “Adjust”, then “Compress Pictures”.
3. In the dialogue window, under “Options”, select a resolution (in most cases, “Screen (150 ppi)” is appropriate). This minimizes the file size of your pictures and optimizes it for projectors.

How to Crop Images

1. Select your image with a double-click to reveal the “Format” tab at the top menu. Then select “Crop”.
2. Drag the frame along the black marks on the corners and sides. This will not alter the original image. Optionally, you can drag the image itself to change what is revealed within the frame for fine-tuning.

How to Adjust Contrast and Brightness of an Image

1. Begin by double-clicking on your image. This will open the “Format” tab in the top menu with all the editing options.
2. In the “Adjust” section, under “Corrections”, you will find “Picture Corrections Options”.
3. Select this option to adjust the contrast and/or brightness.

How to Add Visual Effects to Images (“Picture Styles”)

1. Start with a double-click on your image to open the “Format” tab in the top menu.
2. You can choose from various “Picture Styles”. For this example, I have selected rounded corners and a mirror effect.

How to Add 3D Effects to Your Images

1. Double-click on your image to open the “Format” tab in the top menu.
2. Under “Picture Styles”, select “Picture Effects”.
3. From the “Presets”, choose the effect marked in red in the example below.

How to Recolor Images

1. Double-click on your image to open the “Format” tab in the top menu.
2. Under “Adjust”, select “Color” and then “Recolor”. You can choose from various options here. I picked a slightly unusual one just for fun :)

Now that you are familiar with these tips, feel free to experiment with them in your own presentations!