How to Adjust Image and Object Transparency in PowerPoint

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Use transparency to jazz up your PowerPoint presentations
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This wikiHow teaches you how to make a picture or object fully or partially transparent in a presentation slide in Microsoft PowerPoint, using Windows or Mac. The desktop versions of PowerPoint allow changing transparency, but the mobile and online versions don't have this feature. [1]

Quick Steps

  1. Open a PowerPoint presentation.
  2. Select the image you want to change the transparency of.
  3. Click the Format tab.
  4. Click the Transparency option.
  5. Select a transparency.
Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Using Windows

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    You can open a new slide show presentation or a saved document from your files.
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    It'll be surrounded by white boxes to indicate that it's selected.
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    You can find this tab above the toolbar panel when the shape is selected.
    • Depending on the type of object you selected, the wording will vary slightly. You might see "Picture Format" instead, for example, if the object you want to make transparent is a picture.
    • If the object is a shape or another element, right-click it and select "Format Shape."
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    It's in the Adjust category.
    • If you're editing a different element, like the slide background or a shape, skip this step.
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    If you don't want a picture to be opaque, drag the transparency slider on the right side of the window.
    • If you are adjusting a picture, click to select a transparency level. For more options, click Picture transparency options .
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Using Mac

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    You can open a new slide show or a saved presentation file.
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    Just click on the picture or shape to select it.
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    You can find this button on the tab bar above the toolbar panel at the top. It will open your formatting options.
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    This button looks like a picture icon with a dashed, vertical line in the middle. It will open a drop-down panel of your transparency options.
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    This will instantly change your picture's transparency to the selected preset level.
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    You can find it at the bottom of the Transparency drop-down. This will open the picture formatting menu.
  7. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/6\/6b\/Change-Transparency-in-PowerPoint-Step-25.jpg\/v4-460px-Change-Transparency-in-PowerPoint-Step-25.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/6\/6b\/Change-Transparency-in-PowerPoint-Step-25.jpg\/v4-728px-Change-Transparency-in-PowerPoint-Step-25.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":346,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":547,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use\">Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)<br>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    If it's not extended, click the
    Android 7 Dropright
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    icon next to it, and expand your transparency tools.
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    You can manually adjust the transparency level of the selected shape and picture in your presentation here.
    • Alternatively, you can type in a transparency percentage in the box or use the up and down arrows here. [2]
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      References

      1. ↑ https://support.office.com/en-ie/article/make-a-picture-transparent-ce96ac80-5afc-436c-ae3f-0c78009bf704#OfficeVersion=_Online
      2. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/make-a-picture-transparent-ce96ac80-5afc-436c-ae3f-0c78009bf704#OfficeVersion=Newer_macOS_versions

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Open your PowerPoint file.
      2. Click the Insert tab.
      3. Click Shape , and select your picture's shape.
      4. Click and drag on the slide to create a shape.
      5. Click the Format tab.
      6. Click Shape Fill , select Picture , and add your picture.
      7. Right-click the picture, and select Format Picture .
      8. Click the paint bucket icon at the top.
      9. Adjust the Transparency slider.

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