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How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint
Last Updated: August 10, 2022 Tested
Using Windows
This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff . Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. The wikiHow Tech Team also followed the article's instructions and verified that they work. This article has been viewed 63,734 times. Learn more...
This wikiHow teaches you how to make a picture fully or partially transparent in a presentation slide in Microsoft PowerPoint, using Windows or Mac. On Windows, you can fill a shape with a picture and adjust its transparency. On Mac, you can adjust picture transparency without needing an extra element. [1] X Research source The desktop versions of PowerPoint allow changing transparency, but the mobile and online versions don't have this feature. [2] X Research source

- Make sure to select the same shape as the picture you want to add. You may often need a standard rectangle or a circle here.

- Make sure the shape is proportional to the picture you're inserting. Otherwise, your image may become skewed.
- After creating the shape, you can adjust its size and proportions. Just click and drag the white dots on the shape's selection outline.

- If the shape is not selected, just click on it in the slide.

- Inserting the picture as a shape fill will allow you to adjust its transparency as you like.
- Alternatively, you can select Online Pictures here to insert an image from a web link.

- You can adjust the shape from the white dots on its outline.

- Alternatively, you can manually type in a transparency percentage in the box here.

- Alternatively, you can type in a transparency percentage in the box, or use the up and down arrows here.
Expert Q&A
You might also like.

- ↑ https://support.office.com/en-ie/article/make-a-picture-transparent-ce96ac80-5afc-436c-ae3f-0c78009bf704#OfficeVersion=macOS
- ↑ https://support.office.com/en-ie/article/make-a-picture-transparent-ce96ac80-5afc-436c-ae3f-0c78009bf704#OfficeVersion=_Online
About This Article

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. Did this summary help you? Yes No
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How to change the background transparent in PowerPoint
- Presentation
- June 15, 2022

What you read in this article
PowerPoint is mainly a visual aid for presentations, it’s no surprise that many users would like to make the background transparent. A transparent background can help your PowerPoint slide look more professional and even make it easier to read the text on the slide. In a PowerPoint presentation, the images play an essential role in communicating the message. Sometimes images may require a little editing to fit the presentation’s objective.
You can make a background image transparent to reduce its intensity and get your audience to focus on the content displayed in the foreground.
There are a few ways to change the background transparent in PowerPoint, but we’ll show you two methods that should work in most cases.in PowerPoint, you’ll have the option to change the original look of an image to suit your presentation design by either making specific colors or sections of your background image transparent. This is useful when your design has a specific color scheme or you just need to tone down the brightness.
you may like: How To Make Picture Transparent In PowerPoint
1. Open PowerPoint and go to the slide you want to edit.

2. Right-click on the slide and select “Format Background” from the drop-down menu.

3. In the “Format Background” window, select the “Picture or texture fill” option.

4. Click the “File…” button and select the image you want to use as your transparent background.
5. Click the “Insert” button.

6. Select the “Tile Picture As Texture” checkbox.
7. Adjust the transparency of the image by moving the slider under “Transparency”.
8. Click the “Apply to All” button to apply the transparent background to all slides in your PowerPoint presentation.
read also: How To Insert Superscript And Subscript In PowerPoint
3. In the “Format Background” window, select the “Solid fill” option.

4. Adjust the transparency of the slide by moving the slider under “Transparency”.

5. Click the “Apply to All” button to apply the transparent background to all slides in your PowerPoint presentation.
Both of these methods should work in most cases, but if you’re still having trouble making the background transparent, you can try one of the other methods listed in the “Format Background” window. For example, you can try using the “Gradient fill” or “Pattern fills” options.

Keep working on your PowerPoint skills!

How to Use PowerPoint’s Background Remover?
If you have a solid color image background, it’s easy to remove the background. By removing it, the main image appears in the picture. This allows text, a picture, or another color to show and is a way to blend your photos into the slide background seamlessly.
- First open PowerPoint and go to the slide with the image you want to apply a transparent background.
- Select the image. A new tab, Picture Tools Format, is added to PowerPoint.
- Go to Picture Tools Format and select Remove Background.
Note: In PowerPoint for Mac, go to Picture Format and then choose Remove Background.
- To customize which areas of the picture are kept and which are made transparent, choose either Mark Areas to Keep or Mark Areas to Remove to designate parts of the photo that should remain or be deleted. Then, draw a line around the area on the picture.
Note: In PowerPoint for Mac, use What to keep or remove.
- Select Keep Changes to apply the edits.

How to Make a single color Transparent?
Here is another way to make a solid color in the image transparent. Here is an example, you can make a white background see-through.
- Select the image and go to Picture Tools Format. Mac users need to select Picture Format.
Note: In Mac 2011, it’s called Format Picture.
- Select Color to display a list of color variations and choose Set Transparent Color.
- Select an area of the picture that is the color you want to make transparent.
Note: Mac 2011 users must choose Recolor first, and then Set Transparent Color.

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How to Save a PowerPoint Slide as a Transparent Image!
08.15.2012 by Jessica Kings //
This trick is probably one of my favorites in PowerPoint…. how to save a powerpoint slide with a transparent background! This can actually help you to make your own clipart in PowerPoint!

I’m really excited to blog about this fantastic idea that Mercedes over at Surfing to Success gave to me! She has a ton of technology tutorials on her blog also so you should definitely check out her website!
Now, onto the tutorial!

And of course, you can have those two cute star images for free!

Share this:
August 15, 2012 at 3:19 am
Thanks for the tutorial and the kind mention! This question haunted me for so long. I knew you would figure it out.
Thanks! Mercedes Surfing to Success
August 17, 2012 at 2:06 am
No problem! I hope everyone checks out your blog because it really is awesome!
August 15, 2012 at 3:30 am
So cool!!! I just learned how to make an object that has a background transparent on PPT and I can't stop playing with it!!! lol
August 17, 2012 at 2:07 am
Lol!! The fact that it's s easy makes it so much fun!
August 15, 2012 at 12:16 pm
Thanks for the tutorial AND for making the directions as a download – so I won't forget how to do it! 🙂 Peggy
No problem! I want to make it easy for everyone to learn all these tech tricks! 🙂
August 16, 2012 at 2:01 am
Hi Jessica, Your tutorials are great – so easy to follow for a non-techie like me:). I would love to learn how to protect your images with a watermark or how to add your blog address on an image like you added on the side of the monkey cup. Thanks again for such great information! Carla Playful Learning Brooklyn
August 17, 2012 at 2:11 am
Glad to help! I will put the watermark tutorial on my to do list! As far as putting the web address on the picture, I have a tutorial from a while back that should help: http://aturntolearn.blogspot.com/2012/05/how-to-superimpose-text-on-image.html
Hope that helps in the meantime!
August 16, 2012 at 7:54 pm
Thank you so much! I make a lot of my own clipart in powerpoint but I was always saving the whole slide as a .png file so I would always have the white background. This is so awesome! Now I have to go back and fix some of my images! 🙂
Jen http://mrsksimperfectjourney.blogspot.com
So glad it will help you out!
March 21, 2013 at 3:55 am
I've been thinking about asking this to you for a while now and that is… Where in the world do you find the time to blog man?…not just blog..but also respond to other bloggers comments.I know a lot'ta ppl in TOP 20 MBA Programs and they tell me that they dont even have the time to breathe. powerpoint presentations
October 2, 2013 at 3:12 am
November 3, 2013 at 11:39 pm
Will the image/images stay in their original size when you save it?
February 9, 2014 at 7:35 pm
Thank you so much! This is exactly what I had been looking for! 🙂
February 12, 2014 at 1:20 pm
April 21, 2014 at 8:32 am
April 24, 2014 at 11:26 am
Thank you my friend!!!!
October 22, 2015 at 6:22 am
May 8, 2016 at 2:14 pm
May 25, 2016 at 7:58 pm
Awesome. I have been trying to bring transparent images from PPT to Google slides. When I use the transparency tool, then copy it to Google, it is finicky and doesn't always work. With this I have to save each image individually, but it works. I just wish google slides had a transparency tool.Thank you.
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How to use transparency in PowerPoint?

Businesses commonly use PowerPoint to create presentations for meetings, conferences, and other events.
PowerPoint’s user-friendly design has made it a top choice among many, one of the key contributing factors to its immense popularity. Microsoft PowerPoint is one of the most used software for building effective presentations . One of the reasons for its popularity is that it’s got plenty of cool features to make beautiful presentations.
In this blog, we will discuss one of the often commonly used features related to transparency, that every PowerPoint user must know.
The transparency in PowerPoint feature allows users to make images and other objects in their presentation appear see-through.
This blog will explore the various ways in which we can use the transparency feature of PowerPoint.
Table of Contents
What is Transparency?
Transparency is a feature that can make an image or an object on a slide transparent. This means that the background pixels of the image will be removed, allowing what’s behind it to show through. This can be useful for creating slide designs with a more polished look or for making text and other content more legible.
The transparency feature can be a useful tool for enhancing your presentations. It can make slide designs look more professional and can help to make text and other content more legible. Opacity in PowerPoint is worth considering if you’re looking to add a bit of polish to your PowerPoint slides .
Here are the benefits of using the transparency feature in PowerPoint.
- Transparent background can help make the text easier to read.
- Adding transparency to a slide can bring out more emotion, add a sense of depth, and inject some extra excitement!
- Incorporating transparent images into the background can serve as a powerful visual aid that emphasizes your text.
- Illustrations, graphs, symbols, and diagrams can all be amplified with the use of transparent images!
- Transparency in PowerPoint can help create a consistent and simple slide design.
- Maximizing transparency can drastically reduce the word count on each screen, making it easier to comprehend.
- Opacity in PowerPoint can be a helpful tool to ensure punctuation stays in check and words don’t get overexcited and appear in all caps!
- Finally, PowerPoint image transparency can help create contrast between colors for text and background.
How To Make A Picture Transparent In PowerPoint?
You can make a picture transparent in PowerPoint in a few different ways. You can use the transparency setting you can also change the transparency of the picture in PowerPoint by adjusting the transparency level manually.
Make A Picture Transparent
If you want to change picture transparency in PowerPoint , the ‘Set Transparent Color’ feature is your go-to for a quick and easy transformation. This feature enables you to pinpoint the exact color to make it transparent – the possibilities are endless!
Step 1: Simply choose the picture from the device.

Step 2: Now go to the Picture Format tab and click on Colors.

Step 3: A drop-down menu will open. Now, select the option Set Transparent Color.
Step 4: Finally, click on the color you want.

Adjust The Transparency level manually
You can also adjust the transparency level manually by using the steps below. This is for users who have a 2016 version and above:
Step 1: Firstly, click on the Picture Format tab.
Step 2: Now, select the Transparency option.
Step 3: Then, adjust the desired level of frequency from the preview images. This will allow you to fine-tune the transparency to get exactly the effect that you want.
How To Make A Picture Background Transparent In PowerPoint?
At times, you may find yourself in need of a transparent background in PowerPoint , for example, you may want to insert a logo onto a slide, but you don’t want the background of the logo to be visible. Or, you may want to create a collage of images, and you don’t want the background colors to clash.
Fortunately, PowerPoint makes it easy to make a transparent background. Here are the steps to make the background transparent in PowerPoint :
Step 1: Insert the image into your PowerPoint slide.
Step 2: Tap the image, and the Image Format section will appear.
Step 3: Select the option Transparency.
Step 4: Choose the preview image that showcases the desired transparency level with a click.
Step 5: Save your presentation.
Step 1: Open a blank PowerPoint slide.
Step 2: Select “Insert,” then “Shapes.”

Step 3: Choose a shape of your choice.
Step 4: Then, draw a shape roughly the size of the image you’re about to place into it.

Step 5: Select “Format,” “Shape Outline,” then choose “No Outline” after clicking on the shape.

Step 6: Right-click the shape and select “Format Shape.”

Step 7: Select the “Fill” icon, then “Texture or Picture fill” from the “Format Shape” box.

Step 8: Choose the “Insert” option.

Step 9: Locate the image file you want to insert in the “Insert Picture” dialog box.
Step 10: Select the image, then press the “Insert” button.

Step 11: To change the image’s transparency, employ the “Transparency” slider in the “Format Shape” panel.

Step 12: You may also enter a value in the box next to the slider: 0% is the default option and displays fully opaque; 100% displays entirely transparent.
When you view the presentation, the image background will appear with the selected level of transparency applied to the image.
How To Make A Text Transparent In PowerPoint?
Making text appear transparent in PowerPoint can be a great way to add subtlety and flair to your slides. Depending on what you’re looking for, there are a few different ways to do this.
Make Text Transparent
If you want to make the text itself appear transparent, you can do so by following the steps below:
Step 1: Right-click on the text in the text box.

Step 2: Select Format Text Effects.

Step 3: From there, you can go to the Text Fill tab.

Step 4: Now, adjust the transparency slider to your liking.
Make Text Box Background Transparent
Alternatively, if you want to make the background of the text box transparent, you can do so by following the steps below:
Step 1: Right-click on the text box.

Step 2: Click on Format Shape.

Step 3: On the Fill tab, choose No Fill, and on the Line Color tab, opt for No Line. This will make the text box’s background appear virtually invisible!

With these steps, you’ll add a touch of transparency to your PowerPoint text that will make them stand out.
How To change the Transparency Of A Shape In PowerPoint?
With these easy steps, find out how to add a touch of transparency to any shape in PowerPoint .
Step 1: Choose the shape(s) that you wish to render transparent.

Step 2: Simply right-click and choose Format Shape from the context menu.’

Step 3: Adjust the Transparency slider in the Format Shape pane to your desired percentage of transparency.

Step 4: You can also click on picture transparency. Options and select your custom transparency.
Watch this video to know the steps more clearly
Wrapping It Up
When it comes to presentations, a picture that is too busy or eye-catching can take away from the rest of the presentation. A simple, clean picture can make a big impact and leave a lasting impression.
In PowerPoint, there is an option to make a picture transparent. This means that the picture will be less bright and almost see-through. This can be a great way to make a picture less distracting.
Making a picture transparent in PowerPoint is a quick and easy way to make your presentation more professional and polished.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does PowerPoint allow transparency?
Insert an image into your PowerPoint and click on it. Go to the Picture Format tab. Click Transparency. Use the preset options to choose your desired level of transparency.
How do I make the background transparent?
Go to Select > Invert. On the right side of the screen, right-click on your image and select Add Alpha Channel. This will provide a transparent background.
People Are Also Reading:
- How To Make An Image Transparent In Google Slides
- How To Remove The Background From An Image
- How To Add Pictures To PowerPoint Using Stock Images

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How to Make an Image Transparent in Microsoft PowerPoint
Marshall is a writer with experience in the data storage industry. He worked at Synology, and most recently as CMO and technical staff writer at StorageReview. He's currently an API/Software Technical Writer based in Tokyo, Japan, runs VGKAMI and ITEnterpriser, and spends what little free time he has learning Japanese. Read more...

Microsoft PowerPoint provides a suite of basic image-editing tools, including the ability to change the opacity of an object or photo. If you want, you can even change the transparency of only a certain section of an image. Let’s take a look!
Changing the Opacity of an Image or Object
If you want to make an entire object or image more transparent, open PowerPoint and insert an image by clicking Insert > Pictures. When the photo is on a slide, select it and a border will appear around it.
Next, right-click the image, and then select “Format Picture.”
The “Format Picture” pane will appear on the right; click the Image icon.
Here, you’ll see a few options. Click the arrow next to “Picture Transparency” to open its drop-down menu. Click and drag the “Transparency” slider to adjust the opacity of the image.
The scale is:
- 0 percent: Fully opaque
- 100 percent: Fully transparent
We’ve set ours to 50 percent.
You can see below what our selected object looks like now.
When you’re happy with the level of transparency you’ve set, close the “Format Picture” pane.
RELATED: How to Change a Picture From Color to Black & White in PowerPoint
Changing the Opacity of Part of an Image or Object
Before we jump into changing the opacity of part of an image, it’s important to note this feature only works on objects that are inserted as a picture. So, if you insert an image inside a shape, this option won’t be available.
With that in mind, click “Insert,” and then select “Pictures” from the “Images” group. In the drop-down menu, select whether you want to insert an image from an online source or your machine.
Navigate to the image you want to use, select it, and then click “Insert.”
After the image is inserted, make sure it’s selected, and then click “Picture Format.”
In the “Adjust” group, click “Color.”
Select “Set Transparent Color” near the bottom of the menu.
Your cursor change, as shown below. Use it to click the color in the image you want to make transparent.
After you select a color, every instance of it in the image will become fully transparent and take on the color of the background of the slide.
Unfortunately, this is an all-or-nothing tool. The part of the image you select will either become completely transparent or remain completely opaque.
Note also that if you print your presentation , the transparent areas of the images will be white on the hard copy.
RELATED: How to Blur an Image in PowerPoint
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How to Make a Shape Transparent in PowerPoint
How to change the transparency of shapes in powerpoint.
Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience. He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the SVP and General Manager of Lifewire.
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What to Know
- Right-click the shape and select Format Shape . Adjust transparency from the Fill menu.
- Or, choose No fill for instant 100% transparency.
This article explains how to change the transparency of a shape in PowerPoint. Doing this reveals more of whatever is layered behind the shape.
This guide and its screenshots apply to MS Office Professional Plus 2019, specifically, but they should work similarly in other versions of PowerPoint. There are two exceptions where custom shape transparency isn't supported: PowerPoint for the web and the mobile app.
Can You Change the Transparency of Shapes in PowerPoint?
Shape transparency is supported in most versions of PowerPoint. The idea is simple: the more transparency there is, the more you can see through it.
Zero percent (0%) transparency means the color for the shape you've chosen is fully visible, whereas any number approaching 100% transparency makes the shape increasingly more see-through. You have complete control over this percentage level.
PowerPoint supports several shapes, from rectangles to more advanced ones, including arrows, callouts, flowcharts, and action buttons. By default, the shapes have a solid fill color which blocks out whatever is under them. Transparency is how you make whatever is behind the shape become more visible.
How Do You Make a Shape Transparent in PowerPoint?
You can adjust the shape's fill settings to make it transparent:
Locate the specific shape you want to edit. If it hasn't been created yet, you can pick one to insert into the slide through Insert > Shapes .
Right-click the shape, and choose Format Shape .
In some older versions of PowerPoint, right-click and then go to Format > Fill , or left-click and then look in the Format Shape toolbar for the Transparency button.
Expand the Fill menu from the newly opened slide-out menu on the right.
Enter a value into the Transparency menu, or use the slider to adjust it manually.
The Quicker Method for Full Shape Transparency
If you don't want the shape to have any fill color, as described above, you can move the slider to the right for 100% transparency so you can see through the shape. But there is a faster way to get this done, and it even works in the web and mobile versions of PowerPoint.
It's simple: use No fill . With this one option, the shape becomes completely see-through. It retains the outline, so the overall shape isn't completely invisible.
To do this in PowerPoint for the web, select the shape, access the menu next to the shape fill button (paint can symbol), and select No Fill . If you're using the mobile app, tap the shape and select the paint can at the bottom; this full transparency option is below all the colors.
First, insert a shape into a slide to match the size of the picture you want to add > select the shape > and choose Format > Shape > No Outline . Then right-click the shape and click Format Shape > Fill > Picture or texture fill > find the picture file > and choose Insert to fill the PowerPoint shape with an image . From the Format Shape menu, move the Transparency slider to make the image nearly or fully transparent.
To make an image background transparent in PowerPoint , remove the background to add transparency. Select Picture Format > Remove Background . If you want to edit the area marked for deletion, select Mark Areas to Keep or Mark Areas to Remove > Keep Changes .
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How to Make a Picture Transparent in PowerPoint

Since PowerPoint is mainly a visual aid for presentations, it’s no wonder that images play such a big role in designing one. But sometimes a little bit of editing is needed so your images fit your presentation just right. Here you’ll learn how to make a picture transparent in PowerPoint in 3 easy steps.

Making a picture transparent in PowerPoint refers to the act of taking a premade picture and altering it so it seems less bright, almost see-through. This is a great option for pictures that are maybe too eye-catching. Pictures are supposed to be an aid for the presentation. However, they can easily become distracting for the audience, turning them to a hindrance rather than an aid.
For example, it can work very well if you want to use a picture as a background for your presentation. In some cases, the picture might get in the way of the text in your slides. If your picture makes your presentation hard to follow, then it’s definitely no good. Luckily, making a picture transparent is a great option for fixing this. Knowing how to make a picture transparent in PowerPoint can help you tune up your presentations. They will look more polished and professional, and it’ll add another great option for your overall design skills.
If you’re working with more than one picture in a slide , knowing how to make a picture transparent in your presentation PowerPoint can also be useful knowledge. You can make them transparent to overlay them. You can even edit just one of them so they’re not competing with each other. Knowing how to make a picture transparent in PowerPoint can become a really useful resource for presentations.

How to make a picture transparent in PowerPoint
Here you’ll find 2 different methods to make a picture transparent in PowerPoint. Take into consideration that each one serves a different purpose, so you might want to read both!

Method 1 for making a picture transparent
This method is for when you want to turn transparent a specific color or part of your picture. For example, the background. This can be extremely useful in cases where you’re working with a specific color palette and the background color of your selected picture clashes with it.
1- Insert your picture and selected it.
2- Go to the Picture Format tab > Colors .
3- In the drop-down menu, select the option Set Transparent Color .
4- Now all you have to do is click on the color you want gone! PowerPoint will immediately make all that same color transparent.
Take into consideration that since this is a pretty automatic process, the results might not be a sharp as expected. The more defined the colors are and the better the picture’s quality is, the better the “Set transparent color” option will work. Otherwise, it might end up looking pixeled and patchy. And no one wants a pixeled picture in its presentation!
Method 2 for making a picture transparent
This method is perfect for those wanting to make a whole picture translucent. Maybe it’s so it works better as a background. Or so it doesn’t compete for the audience’s attention with more important slide elements. In any case, this method will help you edit any picture you choose.

1- Instead of copying and pasting (or inserting directly) your chosen picture, you need to insert a shape. A rectangle will do just fine! You can also experiment with other shapes to customize your picture. You can do so in the Insert tab > Shapes .
2- Now its time to insert your picture into the shape you just created. Right-click your shape and select the option Format Background to open the side menu.

In the Fill options, select the Picture or texture fill . Now you just have to search your picture. If you pick the File option, you’ll get a File Explorer menu for you to look for your saved picture.

Since pictures on their own don’t have the transparency option, inserting them into an editable shape is what makes it possible to edit their transparency. If you skip these 2 first steps, the transparency option won’t even appear!
3- The shape you had created should now be filled with the picture you chose. And now you can edit the picture’s transparency. In the same side menu, in the Fill options, just below “Insert picture”, you will find the Transparency option.
The best part is that you can pick how transparent you want your picture to be. 50% is usually the go-to, but you can tinker around with the transparency options until you find the one that fits your slide.
It is a pretty straight forward process!
Keep working on your PowerPoint skills!
Even if this kind of edits might seem unimportant, these are the kind of details that can go a long way when making your presentation look more polished. Pictures and visual elements are a big part of PowerPoint presentations, so learning how to work with them is usually time well spent!

If you want to know more about working with images in PowerPoint, here are some amazing tips to help you make an even better presentation.
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How To Save A PowerPoint Slide As A Transparent PNG
When you save a PowerPoint slide as a picture, you have the option to save it as a PNG, which is a transparent file type . To do this, select the “File” tab, then click “Save As.” In the “Save As” dialogue box, select “PNG” from the “Save as type” drop-down menu. This will save your PowerPoint slide as a transparent PNG file.
If you know how to make a picture transparent in PowerPoint, you will be able to tune up your presentations. Although a picture is intended to be an aid to a presentation, it can quickly become an impediment. You will learn how to make a picture appear less bright and nearly see-through in this course. Using PowerPoint, you can add transparency to any picture you choose. The more clearly defined the colors in a picture, the better its quality will be; otherwise, it will look patchy and pixellated. Because of the way this method is used, a picture can be made to appear translucent. The audience is not interested in what other factors are important to them, nor is it interested in what happens to the product.
Fill options include the option to use a picture or texture. You can now use the search feature to look up your image. Select the File option and you will be taken to a File Explorer menu where you can look for your saved pictures. You can also find the transparency option just below the insert picture button in the same side menu. Here is where you can select how transparent your photo should be.
To change the transparency, choose the image you want to change. Open the transparency section by clicking the Picture Format tab. For the image, there are preset transparency options available. To obtain a more detailed understanding of your options, select a preset option or check the Picture Transparency Options box at the bottom.
The steps below will help you make images transparent in Office 365: Insert an image into your PowerPoint and click on it. To see the picture format , select it from the Picture Format menu. By clicking Transparency, you can see what other people are looking at. Use the preset options if you want to keep the level of transparency you select at a specific level.
Artwork saved and imported as transparent files can be used to create custom colored PowerPoint presentations. The files are available in a variety of formats.
Make the shape or shapes you want transparent accessible by selecting them. Fill the form in the Format menu by right-clicking and selecting Format. By setting the slider to one, you can specify how much transparency you want.
How Do I Make A Picture In Powerpoint Be Transparent?

Then, on the Picture Format or Shape Format tab, look for Transparency. An image can be configured with preset transparency options by clicking on it. You can choose one of the preset options or the more detailed Picture Transparency Options from the bottom.
The following step-by-step instructions will walk you through the process of making a picture transparent in PowerPoint. Using transparent PowerPoint is a fantastic way to reduce the amount of noise in your presentations. PowerPoint 2010, 2013, 2016, or the most recent version, i.e. PowerPoint 2018, are all valid. The following is a step-by-step guide to how to insert a picture into PowerPoint. On the slide, click The Picture. You’ll see a list of settings that allow you to edit a picture by selecting the ‘Picture Format’ option. How can I make a photo transparent in PowerPoint?
Here are two simple steps you can take to make a photo background transparent (in the same way that you can see in the image above). Then, to use the ‘Picture Format,’ click the ‘Figure’ button at the top of the menu bar. If you don’t want parts of the image to be cropped, use the ‘Crop’ option. The first step is to choose a transparent image, then click on ‘color’ from the ‘Picture Format’ menu. After right-clicking the image, select Format Picture -> and then choose the picture corrections option in the right-hand pane. The image will be faded so that other elements of the slide can take center stage during this step. This is your guide to PowerPoint 2013 as it may still be applicable to some of you. Your presentation will appear professional if you use a transparent picture. Whether you are a salesperson, a marketer, a designer, or a photographer, you should learn the fundamentals of these simple techniques.
Powerpoint Picture Transparency Not Saving

If you try to save a PowerPoint slide as a picture and the transparency is not maintained, you may need to save the picture in a different file format. One option is to save the picture as a PNG file.
How To Copy Image With Transparent Background In Powerpoint

To create a transparent background in PowerPoint, you will need to use the “Format Background” tool. This tool is located in the “Design” tab, under the “Background Styles” group. Once you have selected the “Format Background” tool, you will need to select the “Picture or Texture Fill” option. From here, you will need to select the picture that you want to use as your transparent background. Once you have selected the picture, you will need to click the “Insert” button. Finally, you will need to adjust the transparency of the picture by clicking the “Recolor” button and selecting the “ Set Transparent Color ” option.
Using this tip, you can make a transparent PowerPoint image. You can quickly and easily remove the background in PowerPoint by using the program’s built-in background remover. When the background in a picture is solid, it is simple to remove it. A sliding element enables you to display text, a picture, or another color, allowing your photos to be seamlessly blended into the slide. After you’ve chosen the image, you can use the Picture Tools Format. To set transparent colors on your Mac, you must first select Recolor. Using Format Shape to make a shape transparent in PowerPoint is as simple as right-clicking it and selecting it from the drop-down menu. To crop a picture in PowerPoint, you can choose its shape, aspect ratio, and more.
How Do You Remove The White Background From A Picture In Powerpoint?
Choose a picture that you want to remove the background from. Remove the background from your computer with the help of Picture Tools on the Format tab or in the Adjust group.
How To Save Png In Powerpoint

To save the image, click File > Save As (PC) or File > Export (Mac). Choose a location and file name from the drop-down menu, then select Save As Type to save the image as a JPEG, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, MPB, or WMF format. Ascertain that the slide has been saved and that it has been exported.
PowerPoint allows users to save presentations in four image formats: JPEG, PNG, TIFF, and GIF. You can save the presentation in PDF format as well. The process will be described step-by-step with images so you can better understand it. When you save your PowerPoint presentation to a file, the File tab appears in the ribbon section of the presentation. The entire process of running a window or a Mac is described below. The simplest way to save your presentation as a picture on your Windows computer is to follow the simple steps below. It is very similar to how you save all of your PowerPoint slides in the image format when you save a single slide in your presentation.
The image in PowerPoint may be better saved as a high-quality image for printing or displaying on a large screen, depending on your use of the slide. Simply follow the steps outlined below to save an object as an image in PowerPoint. The first step is to right-click on the object and then choose Save as Picture from the drop-down menu. Choose the PNG file format if you want to save a high-quality image of your object.
How To Paste Png Without Background In Powerpoint
To paste a PNG without a background in PowerPoint, first make sure that the background is transparent. Next, open PowerPoint and go to Insert > Pictures. Locate the PNG file that you want to insert and click Insert. The PNG will now be inserted into your PowerPoint presentation without a background.
Microsoft PowerPoint can be used in conjunction with Word and Excel, which are part of the Microsoft Office suite. diagrams are used to communicate multimedia data in the application. It’s simple to use the program. PowerPoint presentations have been used in the workplace for quite some time. To make the image’s background transparent in PowerPoint, follow these steps. Using Wondershare PixCut, you can easily erase an image from a backdrop. You can make image backgrounds transparent for free by doing this.
There are also benefits in its AI, which can help you eliminate background clutter in a matter of minutes. Please let us know if you will be able to see what you will be able to achieve with the transparency of a photo in PowerPoint. It’s a good idea to keep your PowerPoint 2007 or newer up to date. It is critical that you provide an end-of-page file name for your PowerPoint presentation, the.ppsx or the.pptx file. If one of these extensions isn’t available, you can contact the PowerPoint presentation team via email or phone, or you can download an online link and add it to your PowerPoint presentation. How can I share a powerpoint presentation on social media? You can share your PowerPoint online as long as you have a Microsoft account. You must enter your username and password to access your Microsoft account. When you log in, you will be prompted to choose a link to send to your participants or copy the URL in the dialogue box.
Can Powerpoint Save Png Transparent Background?
Because PowerPoint slides lack a transparent background, this is unlikely to occur. PowerPoint already does this if you right-click on a slide and select Save as Picture and choose PNG as the format for the save.
Keep Background To Keep Your Image Intact
Make sure to select Keep Background from the Picture Format menu.
How Do I Remove The Checkered Background From A Png File In Powerpoint?
Select the picture from which you want the background to be removed. When using the toolbar, choose Picture Format > Remove Background or Format > Remove Background. If you do not see Remove Background, make sure to choose a picture. If you double-click on the image to choose it, you’ll have to navigate to the picture format tab.
Powerpoint Blend Picture Into Background
In the Format Backgrounds menu, click the Format Backgrounds link next to the slide, then choose Background or Texture Fill. You can choose the image from a number of sources, including the clipboard, online, or by selecting a file from your local device.
Can I Blend Photos In Powerpoint?
By selecting the image and then selecting ‘Shape Fill,’ you can fill in the blanks. Fill in the blank space with a picture by clicking the ‘Fill picture’ button in the drop down menu. After selecting an image, select the first image to be superimposed.
How Do You Overlay Pictures In Powerpoint?
You can overlay images on your PowerPoint presentation by opening it or beginning a new presentation. To change the slide, go to the section where the image will be displayed, then click on the edit slide that you want to change. In Insert, choose the base image you want to use and click Insert then Pictures.
How Do You Fade A Picture Behind Text In Powerpoint?
An image can be used to send a behind-the-scenes text by first clicking on it, then selecting “Format” and then sending it behind the text. To send backward, click the “Send Backward” button in the “Arrange” section. There are two options for selecting a drop-down menu. When you press the “Send Backward” button, you will be taken to a higher level.

Does Powerpoint Have Blend Modes?
The fact that PowerPoint does not support blending modes means that we rely on a lot of tricks to overcome this limitation. Using the blending mode as a ruse is usually accomplished by manually coloring the overlapping area.
How To Create A Transparent Signature In Powerpoint
To create a transparent signature in PowerPoint, first insert a text box onto your slide. Then, click the text box, and click the Format tab. In the Format tab, click the Text Effects drop-down arrow, and click In Front Of Text. This will make your text box appear in front of your slide content. To make your signature transparent, click the Shape Outline drop-down arrow, and click No Outline.
Signature images with an invisible background, such as those used in transparent signatures, are referred to as transparent signatures. The signature images can be a scanned or typed handwritten signature or a digitally drawn or typed signature. To create a transparent signature for free, a variety of online options are available. Using the Online Signature Maker from Signaturely is the most simple way to create a transparent signature online. In the case of digital signatures, you can either type or draw them on Signaturely’s platform. A handwritten signature can also be digitize as well as removed from the background with eraser tools. When you click on the signature line, you will be able to select your signature image to sign any document electronically.
If you are signing Word documents with a signature image, the Remove Background feature can be used to make the background transparent. There are several online tools that can automatically remove the background from your signature files in addition to editing features. To keep your background transparent, you must save it as a PNG file.
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How to Make a Shape Transparent in PowerPoint | 2016 – 2019, Office 365 | Step-by-Step
How to make a shape transparent – quick guide, how make an image transparent powerpoint 2010 – 2016 – quick guide, how make an image transparent in powerpoint 2019/office 365- quick guide, why make shapes and images transparent, how to make a shape transparent, 1. insert a shape, 2. format shape, 3. select solid fill, 4. adjust transparency, how to make an image transparent (pre) powerpoint 2019/office 365, 1. insert background image, 2. insert rectangular shape, 3. cover the background image with the shape, 4. choose the appropriate color for your shape, 5. format shape, 6. adjust transparency.
PRO TIP! If you want to learn how to wrap the text shown in the image above, you can learn exactly that in this step-by-step tutorial on how to wrap text in PowerPoint .
How to Make an image Transparent in PowerPoint 2019/Office 365
Another useful way to inject some life into your PowerPoint presentation is to build a word cloud. In this step-by-step tutorial on word clouds in PowerPoint you will learn exactly that.
Make a Shape Transparent
Make an image transparent (pre) powerpoint 2019/office 365 – (versions powerpoint 2010, powerpoint 2013, powerpoint 2016), make an image transparent in powerpoint 2019/office 365, final final sign off , related posts, how to add music to powerpoint slideshow and find free music, how to record audio in powerpoint for narration or voice-over | step-by-step, [solved] how to upload powerpoint to google drive.
Blog > How to make an image transparent in PowerPoint
How to make an image transparent in PowerPoint
03.03.22 • #powerpoint #design.
Transparent images can visually enhance presentations, as they are great to use as background images in PowerPoint. If the text on a background image cannot be read properly, you can make the background transparent, to increase readability. How this works and everything about transparent images in PowerPoint can be found in this blog article.
1. What is transparency in pictures?
Transparent images are translucent images that allow the underlying elements to show through. Transparency is also called opacity and is expressed in percentage. Depending on the opacity, you can see the underlying elements to different degrees.
Possible applications of transparencies
2. using transparent background images in powerpoint.
Transparent background images on slides are ideal to showcase written content better. The transparencies enhance your slide designs and at the same time make all content such as text, but also diagrams or numbers, more legible. Are you still looking for a suitable background image for your presentation? Then read the blog post The 5 best sources of free images , to find out where you can find royalty-free wallpapers.
There are several ways you can make images transparent in PowerPoint. Here you will find tutorials on how to make the entire background of a slide or just parts of an image transparent.
Make complete slide background transparent
- Insert the image you want into your presentation.

3. Transparent shapes – Make only parts of the background transparent
If you want to make only a part of the background transparent in order to place a text, then this works with an additional shape that gets the transparency setting. Our tip : Transparent shapes can be used to create visually exciting slides with high readability.

4. Make a transparent gradient overlay
Even gradients in PowerPoint can be made transparent with a few steps.

- Gradient stop: Position: 35%, Transparency: 100%
- Gradient stop: Position: 50%, Transparency: 20%
- Gradient stop: Position: 65%, Transparency: 0%
- Gradient stop: Position: 100%, Transparency: 0%
5. Remove the background of an image
Sometimes it can be helpful to remove the whole background of an image to be able to position it in a neutral background. For this purpose there is a function in PowerPoint, which allows the quick removal of disturbing backgrounds.

Tip : The function Remove background works best with strong contrasts between foreground and background.
How to make an image transparent in PowerPoint?
- Insert an image into your presentation and click on it.
- Go to the tab Picture Format .
- Click on Transparency .
- Select your desired opacity level.
How to save transparent images in PowerPoint?
When saving images with transparencies, it is necessary to ensure that they are saved in a special format, for example as a PNG file. Other formats, such as JPG cannot save the transparency.
How to remove the background of images in PowerPoint?
- Go to the tab Picture format .
- Now the background is automatically selected and colored pink.
- When you are satisfied with the selection, click Keep Changes .
- Your image background is now removed.
Related articles
About the author.

Johanna Gumpelmeyer
Johanna is a passionate graphic designer and supports the SlideLizard team in the area of marketing and UX design. There she combines her creative streak with technical know-how.

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- Main content
How to make pictures transparent in Microsoft PowerPoint so that you can place text over them or use them as a background
- You can make a picture transparent in your PowerPoint slides in just a few simple steps.
- Making pictures transparent in PowerPoint allows you to add text over them or use them as a background.
- Visit Business Insider's Tech Reference library for more stories .
Pictures can make your Microsoft PowerPoint presentation more visually appealing and engaging for your audience.
If you want to include a picture in your PowerPoint as a background or subtle detail — rather than as the focal point — you can transform any picture by making it transparent with just a few clicks.
Check out the products mentioned in this article:
Microsoft office (from $149.99 at best buy), apple macbook pro (from $1,299.00 at apple), acer chromebook 15 (from $179.99 at walmart), how to make a picture transparent in powerpoint on a mac or pc.
1. Open PowerPoint on your Mac or PC and launch a new presentation or open a saved project.
2. Insert the picture you want to include, if you haven't already, and right click on the image.
After you right-click the image on a PC, the below dropdown menu will appear.
After you right-click the image on a Mac, the below dropdown menu will appear.
3. Select "Format Picture…" from the dropdown menu.
4. An option toolbar will appear on the right side on your screen. Click the "Picture" icon, designated by a mountain landscape icon.
After you select "Format Picture," on a PC, the below dropdown menu will appear.
After you select "Format Picture," on a Mac, the below dropdown menu will appear.
5. Click "Picture Transparency" from the listed options.
From here, you can select a pre-set transparency gradient, type one in as a percentage (with higher percentages being more transparent), or drag and drop using the slider until you're happy with the picture's transparency.
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Make a PowerPoint Image Transparent: The Pro Guide
A modern PowerPoint presentation design is what people want in 2022. Nobody wants boring slides anymore. Walls of text are also a thing of the past. Today, images are the go-to content carriers . Well-thought-out and effectively designed images pack a powerful punch.
With PowerPoint’s huge range of options, you can add transparent images to your presentation and customize them to your liking. Keep reading to find out how.
Transparent images for your PowerPoint presentation
Transparent images can be used in the background to reinforce text. Facts, figures, diagrams and icons can also be enhanced with transparent images . It’s an effective way to highlight the most important figures of a company and to present them in an attractive way.
You only need one presentation program to format transparent images: Microsoft PowerPoint . It’s easy to make images transparent in PowerPoint – no special image editing programs are necessary . This saves you time and lets you edit your slides from start to finish directly in Microsoft Office.
If you’re working with a pre-2016 Microsoft Office package, you’ll need to complete an extra step by filling a basic shape (circle, square, etc.) with your picture. After that, the transparency level can be adjusted. Post 2016 and with the release of Microsoft Office 365, transparency has become even easier via the Picture Format tab. You can choose the right transparency level in the practical preview view.
What exactly does transparency mean for images?

Transparency is a term used in computer-generated imagery. It refers to image elements that allow you to see what’s underneath . Opacity , or non-transparency, is its counterpart . The opacity and transparency of an image always add up to 100%. Below you can clearly see the transparency gradations from left to right. If you like this slide, feel free to click on the image for a look at many more slides like this one.

When you make parts of images transparent, these areas take on the color of the paper in print media and the color of the page background in software and web applications . When saving image files with transparent image areas, be sure to save them in a special format, such as a PNG file .
Why make PowerPoint images transparent?
Using transparency for images can help make text easier to read . It also adds depth, emotion and excitement to a slide and a presentation as a whole.
Example: On the left, the image is in its original state. You can hardly see the text. On the right, the image is transparent. You can see the font much better.

PowerPoint has so much more to offer than just white backgrounds. In this article, you’ll learn more about transparency and the effect is has on text and data. You’ll also learn how to make only certain colors transparent in images. With all these tips, you’ll be able to focus your audience on the key content on your slides. Give it a try!
Make PowerPoint images transparent: Here’s how!
You have two options, the first of which is only available with Microsoft 365 and newer versions.
Option 1 (for newer versions/Microsoft 365):
Since the release of PowerPoint 2016, Microsoft offers a direct way to make images appear transparent in seconds.
In this section, we will show you how to create transparent images in Microsoft Office 365 and optimize the readability of your presentation slides.
Step 1: In Microsoft 365 PowerPoint, select your image and open the Picture Format tab. Click the Transparency option.

Step 2: Use the preview images to select the desired level of transparency . The previews show you different degrees of the effect, from high to low.

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to make images transparent in pre-2016 PowerPoint versions. Please note that an imported image with fixed transparent properties can’t be edited in PowerPoint. You can only customize an image’s transparency in PowerPoint if the transparency was created in the program itself. Making images transparent in pre-2016 PowerPoint versions requires a small, extra step which we’ll explain below.
Before we start, it’s important to understand the process. Pure image files cannot be made transparent using pre-2016 PowerPoint software. Only filled shapes can be made transparent .
You can use basic shapes, such as arrows, stars, squares and rectangles and then fill them with images . Since most graphics have a rectangular, standard format, we like to use a similar base shape as well.
Step 1: Open a new presentation or one that has already been saved. Go to Insert > Shapes . Under Basic Shapes , you’ll find arrows, circles, rectangles, squares, etc. Select one that matches the shape of your image as closely as possible.

Step 2: Insert your shape (a rectangle in our example) on the slide. Remember to make sure your slide has ample space. To size the shape, hold the left mouse button while dragging it. Its dimensions should match those of your image.

Once you’ve created your shape, you can further modify its size and position it by right-clicking it and selecting Format Shape .
Tip: By holding down the Shift key, you can create perfectly even circles and squares when dragging shapes.

Step 3: The Format Shape menu will open on the right side of your screen. In the Shape Options tab, go to Fill & Line > Fill > Picture or texture fill . Under Picture source , click Insert and select From a File . Now you can browse your computer for the image you’d like to insert. Click Open to import the image.

Step 4: Your image will now be a rectangular shape. Go to the Format Picture menu (the name changes when you insert an image). Under Texture , use the slider to adjust the transparency level. You can even type in a value . Sliding to the right increases the transparency. A value of 100 makes the graphic completely transparent.

Note: This extra step of filling a shape with an image and then making it transparent also works in newer PowerPoint versions.
Quick guide: How to make images transparent (pre-2016 PowerPoint versions)
- Select the slide where you want to create your transparent PowerPoint image.
- Go to Insert > Shapes .
- Select a shape and drag it into position on the slide . To do this, hold down the left mouse button.
- Right-click your shape to open the Format Shape… menu.
- A new menu will open on the right-hand side of your screen. Select Fill > Picture or texture fill .
- Go to Picture source > Insert > From a File to select your image from your computer. Click Open to add it to the shape on your slide.
- In the same menu under Texture , you’ll find the transparency slider. Use it to adjust the transparency level.
Quick guide: How to make images transparent (Office 365)
- Insert an image into your PowerPoint and click on it.
- Go to the Picture Format tab.
- Click Transparency .
- Use the preset options to choose your desired level of transparency.
More transparency options for PowerPoint images: editing specific areas
Sometimes you only want certain parts or colors of a picture to be transparent . This is when the Set Transparent Color option comes in handy. Crop can be used to remove distracting areas of the image.
Note : This option isn’t available if you’ve inserted your image to a shape as a shape fill.
How to set a transparent color in PowerPoint
Set Transparent Color allows you to make just one color transparent in an image. Pictures usually consist of a large range of color variations and nuances. For example, if you have an image of a sky, selecting only one shade of blue may not produce the desired effect, since the sky consists of many hundreds of shades of blue. The best results come from using simple, solid-color images or clip art.
Step 1: Open PowerPoint and insert the image you want. Double-click it .
Step 2: Click on the Picture Tools tab.
Step 3: From the Adjust group, Select Color > Set Transparent Color .

Step 4: When your mouse pointer changes , go to your image and click the color you want to make transparent .
Note: You can always undo the partial transparency if you aren’t happy with it. Simply go to the Adjust group and select Reset Picture.
You can find a how-to video of this process here .
Remove Background in PowerPoint: highlighting areas with transparency
Remove Background can be used to remove parts of an image that distract from the area you want to highlight. Maybe the background of an image is too dramatic and distracting. Or maybe you want to add a stamp next to a signature and need to remove other elements to avoid clutter. Microsoft Office helps you choose between areas to keep and areas to remove with its Background Removal options.
The Background Removal option is available in Microsoft PowerPoint from 2016 on. This tab allows you to select the areas you want to keep and the areas you want to remove.
Remove Background can be found in the Adjust group after clicking on Picture Format on the ribbon.

You can find step-by-step instructions in this blog post or in this video tutorial .
Design possibilities with transparent images

One way to spice up your PowerPoint presentation is with a transparent picture collage . Images, and especially photos, are great ways to grab the audience’s attention . Overlapping photos to create collages is a unique and attractive way to make use of these images. It’s a really versatile technique that can be applied to various media . Collages provide numerous ways to combine images and convey important messages . An image collage can be created using transparency effects, combining multiple images or motifs. Images are first made transparent and overlapped with other images . Text or other information can then be added to the collage. This technique creates collages that are visually unobtrusive and elegant, allowing content to be highlighted more effectively than with conventional background images.
Here’s how:
- Create one or more transparent images as described above.
- All images should be on one slide. Select all images (hold down CTRL and left-click each image).
- Open the Picture Format tab and select Picture Layout from the Picture Styles group.
- Numerous options will appear to arrange your selected images as a collage.
- Once you’ve made your choice, the SmartArt Design tab will open. Now you can further edit the images and the collage.
Of course, you can also manually create your collage. To do this, hold down the mouse and place the images in the position you want or reduce/enlarge them using the specified corner points on the image.
Transparent picture captions

Transparent picture captions are a favorite design choice for print and screen. They also look great in presentations. PowerPoint doesn’t have an integrated feature to create captions, so you’ll need a workaround.
How to create a transparent caption in PowerPoint from Office 2013 (instructions for older PowerPoint versions can be found below):
Create a text box (under Insert ) and add your text. This text can’t be changed afterwards so make sure it’s correct.
Draw a shape ( Insert > Shape ) and place it directly over your text .
Hold down the left mouse button and drag a rectangle over both text and shape.
Go to Shape Format > Merge Shapes and select Fragment . Your text and shape will be fragmented into pieces.

Select the letters you want (select multiple letters with Ctrl + left-click) and drag them to the desired image. Right-click the letters and select Bring to Front to place the text over the image.
Right-click the letters again. From the drop-down menu select Format Shape to choose your desired gradient fill or transparency.
If you want your text to look like it has been cut out , follow these steps:
Select all letters (CTRL + left click) and go to Shape Format > Merge Shapes > Union . Place the letters on your picture.
Insert a shape (Insert > Shape) and place it over the text.
Select the text and the shape, click Merge Shapes > Subtract . Make sure that the text is on top of the shape .
You’ll now have a shape with cut-out text that you can place where you want on your picture.

If you’re using a version prior to PowerPoint 2013 , follow these steps:
Insert the image you want into your presentation.
Go to Insert > Text Box and drag a text box to your chosen spot on your image.
Enter your text. When you click the text box, the Format tab will appear.
Step 4:
In the Format tab you’ll find WordArt Styles where you can choose effects for your text.
Right-click on the text and select Format Text Effects . Go to Text Fill and select Solid Fill . Adjust the transparency slider as needed.
Step 6:
You can also change the outline color, transparency, and thickness.
In PowerPoint 2007 or 2010, you can easily change the transparent text via the text box and move it wherever you want.
Transparent PowerPoint images: a modern design option with countless possibilities
Making images transparent in Microsoft is easy and needs no extra expertise or image editing software. You can edit directly in PowerPoint right from the start. Earlier Microsoft Office versions require a small, simple step which even absolute beginners can easily learn. With versions 2016 and later, formatting image transparency is even easier.
Transparent images are great for elevating your slides and giving them even more visual appeal . It allows you to draw your audience’s attention to your key messages and creates the right mood for your presentation.
With our step-by-step instructions, creating a transparent image for your next PowerPoint presentation will be a breeze!
Are you excited about the possibilities that transparency has to offer? Then feel free to take a look around our shop .
Here we have professionally designed templates for:

Do you have questions about transparency or making images transparent? Or any general PowerPoint questions? Feel free to contact us at [email protected] .
We’d happy to help you!
These articles might also interest you:
- Grid Design: How to Showcase Your Images in Presentations
- Optimize Images in Your Presentations
- Create Professional Layouts with Large Pictures
- Editing Images that Jump out of the Frame

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- What is a slide master? Article
- Add, rearrange, duplicate, and delete slides in PowerPoint Article
- Apply a slide layout Article
- Add color and design to your slides with Themes Article
- Start with a template Article
- Get design ideas for slides Article
- Customize a slide master Article
- Change the page orientation in PowerPoint between landscape and portrait Article
- Organize your PowerPoint slides into sections Article
- Add a DRAFT watermark to the background of slides Article
- Create, merge, and group objects on a slide Article
- Guides for arranging things on a slide in PowerPoint Article
- Change the order in which stacked objects, placeholders, or shapes appear on a slide Article
- Rotate or flip an object Article
Customize a slide master
Use a slide master to add consistency to your colors, fonts, headings, logos, and other styles, and to help unify the form of your presentation.
You can change a slide master's colors, fonts, or effects. You can hide or show placeholders.

Change the slide master
Select View > Slide Master .
Make the text, color, and alignment changes you want.
If you want to use a predefined theme , select that first by clicking Themes on the Slide Master tab. Then proceed with selecting Colors , Fonts , Effects , and Background Styles .
When you're done, select Close Master View .
To learn about slide masters, see What is a slide master?
To add or change placeholders in a Master Layout, see Add a placeholder to a layout
To change text attributes, see Change text alignment, indentation, and spacing .
To use more than one slide master in a presentation, see Use multiple slide masters in one presentation
Create and customize one or more slide masters
On the View tab, click Slide Master .

When you open Slide Master view, a blank slide-master with the default, associated layouts appears. If you want to add another slide master, do the following:
Click a location in the slide thumbnail pane where you want the new slide master to appear.
On the Slide Master tab, click Insert Slide Master .
Note: In the slide thumbnail pane, the slide master is the larger slide image, and the associated layouts are positioned beneath the slide master.
Do any of the following:
To create one or more custom layouts or to modify existing layouts, see Apply or change a slide layout .
To remove any of the built-in slide layouts that accompany the default slide master, in the slide thumbnail pane, click each slide layout that you want to delete, and then on the Slide Master tab, click Delete .
To apply a design or theme-based colors, fonts, effects and backgrounds, see Create your own theme in PowerPoint .
To set the page orientation for all of the slides in your presentation, on the Slide Master tab, click Slide Size > Page Setup . Under Orientation, click the orientation you want.

To add text that will appear as a footer at the bottom of all of the pages in your presentation, on the Slide Master tab, click Slide Size > Page Setup > Header/Footer .
After you make your changes, on the Slide Master tab, click Close Master .
If you want to save this as a template to reuse again, click File > Save as Template , type a file name, and click Save .
Learn more about slide masters
Learn more about slide layouts
Learn more about themes
Create or change slide layouts in PowerPoint for Mac
Add a transparent picture (watermark) to your slides in PowerPoint for Mac
Add a logo, company name, or header or footer text to handouts
Add page numbers, the date and time, or footer text to all slides in PowerPoint for Mac
Change footer formatting on all slides in PowerPoint for Mac

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How to Make a Picture Transparent in PowerPoint (3 Ways to Change Image Opacity)

Make a Picture Semi-Transparent in PowerPoint
by Avantix Learning Team | Updated May 16, 2022
Applies to: Microsoft ® PowerPoint ® 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021 and 365 (Windows)
You can make a picture transparent or semi-transparent in PowerPoint in 3 ways. If you want to change the opacity of an image in newer versions of PowerPoint, you can use the Transparency command in the Ribbon or the Format Picture task pane to apply transparency. In older versions, you'll need to fill a shape with a picture and then make the shape transparent.
Note: Buttons and Ribbon tabs may display in a different way (with or without text) depending on your version of PowerPoint, the size of your screen and your Control Panel settings. For PowerPoint 365 users, Ribbon tabs may appear with different names. For example, the Picture Tools Format tab may appear as Picture Format and the Drawing Tools Format tab may appear as Drawing Format or Shape Format.
Recommended article: How to Change Picture Brightness or Contrast in PowerPoint
Do you want to learn more about PowerPoint? Check out our virtual classroom or live classroom PowerPoint courses >
Make a picture semi-transparent using the Ribbon
In PowerPoint 2019, 2021 or 365, a Transparency command appears on the Picture Tools Format or Picture Format tab in the Ribbon when a picture is selected.
To make a picture transparent or semi-transparent in PowerPoint 2019, 2021 or 365:
- Select a picture on a slide in Normal View (you can also adjust a picture in Slide Master View).
- Click the Picture Tools Format or Picture Format tab in the Ribbon.
- In the Adjust group, click Transparency. A drop-down menu appears.
- Hover over the thumbnails to preview the effect and when you find the setting you want, click the thumbnail.
The Transparency drop-down menu appears as follows in the Ribbon:

Making a picture semi-transparent using the Format Picture task pane
You can use the Format Picture task pane for more control over transparency settings.
To make a picture transparent or semi-transparent using the Format Picture task pane in PowerPoint 2019, 2021 or 365:
- Select the picture you want to adjust.
- Click More Picture Transparency Options. The Format Picture task pane appears. At the top of the task pane, the Picture icon should be selected.
- Click the arrow beside Picture Transparency to expand the area (if necessary).
- Drag the slider beside Transparency to change the settings. You can also enter a number in the box next to the slider.
The Format Picture task pane appears as follows:

Make a picture semi-transparent by filling a shape with a picture
To make a picture transparent or semi-transparent in PowerPoint 2013 or 2016, you will need to create a shape, fill it with an image and then change its transparency settings. You will typically encounter an issue if you resize the shape as you may distort the picture. The following method will help prevent distorting or skewing the picture in the shape.
To make a picture transparent or semi-transparent in PowerPoint 2013 or 2016:
- Click the Insert tab in the Ribbon and then click Shapes. A drop-down menu appears.
- Select a shape (such as a rectangle) and drag on the slide to create the shape. Make sure the shape is the exact size of the picture.
- Click the rectangle or shape and click the Drawing Tools Format, Drawing Format or Shape Format tab.
- Click the picture and press Ctrl + X to cut it. It will be placed in the Clipboard.
- Right-click the rectangle or shape and choose Format Shape. The Format Shape task pane appears.
- Click Fill & Line at the top of the task pane.
- Click the arrow beside Fill to expand it.
- Select Picture or texture fill.
- Click Clipboard. The image you cut will be placed in the shape.
- In the task pane, drag the Transparency slider to change the transparency settings. You can also click the up or down arrows to the right of the Transparency slider to increase or decrease the transparency or you can type directly in the Transparency value box.
- You may want to click Line in the task pane and select No Line.
- Click Size & Properties at the top of the task pane.
- Click the arrow beside Size to expand the area.
- Select Lock Aspect Ratio to lock the aspect ratio of the image to prevent distortion. The aspect ratio will be maintained if you drag a corner handle of the shape. This does not prevent users from dragging a side handle and distorting the picture. It's usually a good idea to get into the habit of holding down Shift and dragging a corner handle in case this setting has not been applied.
Below is the Format Picture task pane in PowerPoint 2013 and 2016 with Fill & Line selected:

This article was first published on May 19, 2018 and has been updated for clarity and content.
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More resources
How to Highlight Text in PowerPoint (5 Ways)
How to Make an Object Appear and Disappear in PowerPoint
10 Ways to Compress PowerPoint Presentations to Reduce File Size
How to Remove the Background of a Picture in PowerPoint (2 Ways)
Change the Background of PowerPoint Slides to a Color, Gradient or Picture
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PPT to PNG with transparent background
I have a PowerPoint .ppt file and I have to create an image for every slide.
I'm trying to use the integrated PowerPoint "export as .png". It works but the images have all a opaque background, I need a transparent one.
Anyone knows if is it possible and how to do it? (If not via standard export, also with a macro is fine)
- transparent
- 10 Skip past the "it can't be done" accepted answer to the next one. It can be done. The caveats are well worth the pain of trying to make the opaque background transparent on a slide exported to an image where the background remained opaque (quite difficult to do correctly because of aliasing). – user334911 Apr 14, 2014 at 9:21
- 3 See Justin Mitchell's answer (which somehow appeared at the bottom for me). The chosen answer was of no use to me. – user1825083 Nov 24, 2015 at 5:10
- Or see my answer - which is what I now prefer most. – user1825083 Nov 24, 2015 at 5:29
10 Answers 10
You can select the shapes within a slide (Word Art also) and right click on the selection and choose "Save As Picture". It will save as a transparent PNG.
- 3 Works very nicely in PowerPoint 2010! – Richard Ev Feb 17, 2012 at 10:31
- 2 Works in powerpoint 2013 as well. To get the image size you want you may want to put a border around each slide, as it appears to fit the image it creates to the selected objects. But excellent solution! – user334911 Apr 14, 2014 at 9:18
- 1 This is such a useful feature! Thanks for pointing it out. +1 – Josh B. Jan 30, 2018 at 3:02
- Still useful in 2023. Thanks! – Inisheer Jan 8 at 13:03
It can't be done, either manually or progamatically. This is because the color behind every slide master is white. If you set your background to 100% transparent, it will print as white.
The best you could do is design your slide with all the stuff you want, group everything you want to appear in the transparent image and then right-click/save as picture/.PNG (or you could do that with a macro as well). In this way you would retain transparency.
Here's an example of how to export all slides' shapes to seperate PNG files. Note:
- This does not get any background shapes on the Slide Master.
- Resulting PNGs will not be the same size as each other, depending on where the shapes are located on each slide.
This uses a depreciated function, namely Shape.Export . This means that while the function is still available up to PowerPoint 2010, it may be removed from PowerPoint VBA later.
- Thanks for the reply, could you address me to a macro that for every slide it does a "select all" -> "save as .png"? – Riccardo Apr 21, 2011 at 7:03
- all objects on the slide (and for every slide like this) or just save the slides as .png in which case any "background transparency would be lost)? – Todd Main Apr 21, 2011 at 7:17
- 1 To avoid the loss of transparency, I was looking for a "go in 1st slide, select all, export to .png all selected" then "go in 2nd slide, select all, export to .png all selected" and so on – Riccardo May 2, 2011 at 15:38
- 1 Excellent answer. But could you not say "it can't be done!" as the first sentence? I almost missed the rest of it if I were in a hurry. – KFL Nov 24, 2015 at 22:05
- Confirmed that this still works in PowerPoint 365 for Windows, but not in PowerPoint 365 for Mac, using a modified path (ap.Path & "/Slide" & sl.SlideIndex & ".png"). To make sure I was doing things right on Mac, I tested the slide .Export method (sl.Export ap.Path & "/Slide" & sl.SlideIndex & ".png", FilterName:="png") and it exported a .png fine, but unfortunately that doesn't give a transparent background – Tony M Apr 13, 2020 at 8:10
One workaround that I have done is:
- Ctrl + a to select everything in the slide
- Ctrl + c to copy it
- open GIMP (probably works in Photoshop or other software)
- make a new image with a transparent background
- Ctrl + v to paste all the vectors/text into the image
- Export the image to a PNG or whatever format
It looks pretty much exactly the same as in Powerpoint, and the vectors/text are very clean with their transparency edges.

Insert a coloured box the full size of the slide, set colour to white with 100% transparency. select all, right-click save as picture, select PNG and save.
copy/paste inserted colour box to each slide and repeat
I just tried to make a transparent image with powerpoint after failing miserably with other online systems. I was successful. Amazing.
First I used word art to give me typefaces which convert well to PNG or JPEG. The ordinary text in powerpoint does not convert well. It gets fuzzy. Anyway, I typed in my words in white (my choice of colour as i wanted it against a navy blue background), arranged it how i wanted, then right clicked and selected format shape to remove lines, then shadow to set the transparency.
I took the transparency to 100%. It came out fine. i then right clicked to save as png. Opened the image with MS Picture manager and resized the image to my suiting. It did not come out with the powerpoint white background at all. Once resized, i dropped the image against my navy blue background and it was like magic.

Here is my preferred quickest and easiest solution. Works well if all slides have the same background color that you want to remove.
Step 1. In Powerpoint, "Save As" (shortcut F12) PNG, "All Slides".
Now you have a folder full of these PNG images of all your slides. The problem is that they still have a background. So now:
Step 2. Batch remove background color of all the PNG images, for example by following the steps in this SE answer .
- 1 This was an underrated answer – João Antunes Sep 22, 2016 at 14:54
- @JoãoAntunes: Unfortunately the selected answer claims "It can't be done" and gives a complicated workaround, and that's the only thing most people will see. Mine was a late answer and so it was automatically put at the bottom. – user1825083 Sep 24, 2016 at 5:16
- Kenny LJ: Most of the times @Justin Mitchell's answer works perfectly if the shapes originated from Powerpoint. For the other cases, your solution was perfect! I was in a pinch to do a presentation and I had imagemagick installed and it worked awesomely, to the point that it didn't even blank out the letters in the image, just the background. – João Antunes Sep 24, 2016 at 9:54
I found a workaround.
- Export with a white background (or other color that will work with transparent graphics). This will be out "whitescreen" layer.
- Export with "bluescreen" background, or some terrible other color that will make it easy to select out the background from foreground.
- Open the bluescreen version as a layer on top of the white screen.
- Use the bluescreen layer to select out only the parts you want to use.
- Create a mask for the whitescreen layer with the selection made from the bluescreen layer.
This will get good results for edges and aliasing, whilst retaining a good color for the see-
Import To Google Slides
Select desired slide and set background to solid transparent
the click "File->Download as PNG"

- verified that this doesn't work, at least for me, since some ppt features get lost when importing into google slides – Tony M Apr 11, 2020 at 17:11
- Well I wish i had an another option but that is my only one... – CrandellWS Apr 13, 2020 at 0:19
I could do it like this
- Saved Powerpoint as PDF
- Opened PDF in Illustrator, removed background there and saved as PNG
- In your answer, Iluustrator is mandatory, is not installed by default on every workstation. – YLR Dec 18, 2020 at 13:35
- You can do it also with Illustrator alternatives, which open PDF. For example Inkscape – Madis Luik Dec 19, 2020 at 14:56
Depending on your application, you might be able to let the background color work for you! I needed the slides to overlay scripture on the lower third of our worship service video. I set the PPT background color to chromakey green and saved all of the slides as PNG files. The video system easily removed the chromakey green!
- As it’s currently written, your answer is unclear. Please edit to add additional details that will help others understand how this addresses the question asked. You can find more information on how to write good answers in the help center . – Community Bot Sep 14, 2021 at 1:14
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How to Make a Picture Transparent on PowerPoint

A picture is worth a thousand words. That's why, at Slidesgo, we believe that a presentation should contain images to make the information more visual and above all, to attract the audience's attention. To make the images in your Google Slides and PowerPoint presentations even more amazing, you can always add different effects to them, one of these you can use is to change the transparency of the image. Below, we are going to tell you in detail how to make an image transparent in PowerPoint .
How to make an image completely transparent in PowerPoint
How to apply gradients to an image in powerpoint.
- Select the image you want to edit. When you select it, the Picture Format menu will appear.
- Click on Transparency. PowerPoint will show you various degrees of transparency to apply to your image.
- However, if you select Picture Transparency Options, you can set the transparency percentage you need yourself.
- You're done! You now have your image with transparency. Now you can add a text box on top or another resource that will be clearly visible, thanks to the transparency of the image.
Important : These options are only available in the Office 365 version. If you are using a different version, see the next section.
The editing possibilities for image transparency do not end here. You can also apply transparencies only on a part of the image, which will give it a gradient effect.
- Starting from a shape, in this example, a rectangle, we are going to make the transparency gradient. Select Insert > Shapes and choose the rectangle.
- Before starting with the gradient, you must remove the outline of the shape. In the Format Shape menu, pull down the Shape Outline menu and check No outline.
- The next step is to edit the degree of transparency of the shape. To do this, right-click on the shape, select Format Shape, and in this menu, in the Fill drop-down, check Gradient Fill.
- Next, edit the gradient stops. Delete the center gradient points, as we will use the ones at the ends.
- Now, modify the gradient point on the right end. Click on it and change its color to white, as shown in the example. It is important that you check that the brightness is set to 0%. To finish this step, modify the transparency percentage to your liking.
- Finally, if you need to, you can add more gradient stops. Place it on the scale where you want. Remember to check that the brightness has a percentage of 0% and modify the transparency percentage.
- We're done! Adapt the size of the shape to increase or decrease the transparency and your transparency gradient is ready.
You can find many more tutorials about Google Slides in our blog.
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With the advance of technology, printing has become something that is no longer a necessity. Smartphones have made the paper format less and less frequent, but there are still certain cases in which having physical resources is much more convenient. Whether it's for taking notes, handing out assignments, making worksheets or handing out business cards or invitations, it's necessary to print your customized designs.From now on, in every Slidesgo printable presentation that you download, you will find the instructions for printing on the third slide. Depending on the style, colors or format of each presentation, we will tell you if you can...

How to Add Superscript and Subscript in Google Slides
Let’s take the most famous formula: E=mc^2, Einstein’s relativity equation. It wouldn’t be the same if it was E=mc2, right? Okay, yes, some people write it like that because it’s very famous and it won’t be misunderstood. But technically… It can! This is where the sophistication of superscript or subscript enters the room! Do you know how to write them in equations, copyright brands or even footnotes in your presentations? Let’s figure out how.

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Open a PowerPoint presentation on your computer. You can open a new slide show, or a saved presentation file. 2 Select the picture or shape you want to make transparent. Just click on the picture or shape to select it. 3 Click the Picture Format or Shape Format tab. You can find this button on the tab bar above the toolbar panel at the top.
You'll have to export slides as images then post-process them in PhotoShop or a similar image editor to get a transparent background. Here is a suggestion on the PowerPoint User Voice forum to which you can add your vote. This feedback helps Microsoft to decide what features to implement next: Export Transparent PNG
Open PowerPoint and go to the slide you want to edit. 2. Right-click on the slide and select "Format Background" from the drop-down menu. 3. In the "Format Background" window, select the "Solid fill" option. 4. Adjust the transparency of the slide by moving the slider under "Transparency". 5.
This trick is probably one of my favorites in PowerPoint…. how to save a powerpoint slide with a transparent background! This can actually help you to make your own clipart in PowerPoint! I'm really excited to blog about this fantastic idea that Mercedes over at Surfing to Success gave to me!
Step 1: Insert the image into your PowerPoint slide. Step 2: Tap the image, and the Image Format section will appear. Step 3: Select the option Transparency. Step 4: Choose the preview image that showcases the desired transparency level with a click. Step 5: Save your presentation. Method 2 Step 1: Open a blank PowerPoint slide.
To make a picture transparent in PowerPoint, select the picture and then select the Picture Format tab > Transparency. Select a preset transparency option or select Picture Transparency Options for more choices. How do I make a shape transparent in PowerPoint? To make a shape transparent in PowerPoint, right-click the shape and select Format Shape.
Since a PowerPoint slide never has a transparent background, this is unlikely to ever happen. If you select the elements on a slide, right-click on them and choose Save as Picture and choose PNG format, PowerPoint already does this. Author of "OOXML Hacking - Unlocking Microsoft Office's Secrets", ebook now out John Korchok, Production Manager
Click the arrow next to "Picture Transparency" to open its drop-down menu. Click and drag the "Transparency" slider to adjust the opacity of the image. The scale is: 0 percent: Fully opaque 100 percent: Fully transparent We've set ours to 50 percent. You can see below what our selected object looks like now.
First, insert a shape into a slide to match the size of the picture you want to add > select the shape > and choose Format > Shape > No Outline. Then right-click the shape and click Format Shape > Fill > Picture or texture fill > find the picture file > and choose Insert to fill the PowerPoint shape with an image.
3- In the drop-down menu, select the option Set Transparent Color. 4- Now all you have to do is click on the color you want gone! PowerPoint will immediately make all that same color transparent. Take into consideration that since this is a pretty automatic process, the results might not be a sharp as expected.
To create a transparent signature in PowerPoint, first insert a text box onto your slide. Then, click the text box, and click the Format tab. In the Format tab, click the Text Effects drop-down arrow, and click In Front Of Text. This will make your text box appear in front of your slide content.
Briefly, these are the four steps you need to take to make a shape transparent. 1. Insert a shape Insert a shape by navigating to Insert and then Shapes. Choose the shape you want to use and place it on your slide. 2. Format Shape Now right-click on the shape you just placed, and select Format Shape at the bottom.
Right-click the margin of the slide and then select Format Background. In the Format Background pane, choose Picture or texture fill. Under Insert picture from, choose where to get the picture from: To adjust the picture's relative lightness, slide the Transparency bar to the right.
Even gradients in PowerPoint can be made transparent with a few steps. Create a new rectangle under Insert and Shape and put it over the entire slide. Right click on the form and choose Format shape and a new window opens. Choose filling gradient. Now you can either select a preset gradient or define the type, direction, angle and color yourself.
Click on the mountain icon. 5. Click "Picture Transparency" from the listed options. From here, you can select a pre-set transparency gradient, type one in as a percentage (with higher percentages ...
Open PowerPoint and insert the image you want. Double-click it. Step 2: Click on the Picture Tools tab. Step 3: From the Adjust group, Select Color > Set Transparent Color. Step 4: When your mouse pointer changes, go to your image and click the color you want to make transparent.
Create or change slide layouts in PowerPoint for Mac. Add a transparent picture (watermark) to your slides in PowerPoint for Mac. Add a logo, company name, or header or footer text to handouts. Add page numbers, the date and time, or footer text to all slides in PowerPoint for Mac. Change footer formatting on all slides in PowerPoint for Mac
To make a picture transparent or semi-transparent in PowerPoint 2019, 2021 or 365: Select a picture on a slide in Normal View (you can also adjust a picture in Slide Master View). Click the Picture Tools Format or Picture Format tab in the Ribbon. In the Adjust group, click Transparency. A drop-down menu appears.
How to set Transparent Background Picture to All PowerPoint Slides#PowerPoint #BackgroundTransparentImage Facebook Page : https://www.facebook.com/MeMJTubeFo...
Ctrl + a to select everything in the slide. Ctrl + c to copy it. open GIMP (probably works in Photoshop or other software) make a new image with a transparent background. Ctrl + v to paste all the vectors/text into the image. Export the image to a PNG or whatever format.
Select Insert > Shapes and choose the rectangle. Before starting with the gradient, you must remove the outline of the shape. In the Format Shape menu, pull down the Shape Outline menu and check No outline. The next step is to edit the degree of transparency of the shape. To do this, right-click on the shape, select Format Shape, and in this ...