How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint

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...
Method 1 of 2:

Using Windows

  1. How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 1How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 1
    Open a PowerPoint presentation on your computer. You can open a new slide show presentation or a saved document from your files.
  2. How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 2How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 2
    Click the Insert tab at the top. This button is above the toolbar panel at the top of the app window. It will open your Insert tools on the toolbar.
  3. How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 3How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 3
    Click Shapes
    How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 4How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 4
    on the Insert toolbar. This button looks like a circle, a square, and a diamond in the "Models" section of the Insert panel. It will open a drop-down menu of shapes.
  4. How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 5How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 5
    Select the shape you want to insert. This will allow you to add the selected shape to your current slide in any size and proportion.
    1. 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.
  5. How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 6How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 6
    Click, hold, and drag your mouse on the presentation slide. This will create and add your new shape to the slide.
    1. Make sure the shape is proportional to the picture you're inserting. Otherwise, your image may become skewed.
    2. After creating the shape, you can adjust its size and proportions. Just click and drag the white dots on the shape's selection outline.
  6. How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 7How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 7
    Click the Format tab on the toolbar. You can find this tab above the toolbar panel when the shape is selected.
    1. If the shape is not selected, just click on it in the slide.
  7. How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 8How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 8
    Click Shape Fill on the Format panel. It's listed next to a paint bucket icon in the "Shape Styles" section of the Format toolbar. This will open a drop-down menu of color and fill options.
  8. How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 9How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 9
    Select Picture on the Shape Fill menu. You can find it towards the bottom of the drop-down menu. It will open your picture options in a new pop-up.
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    Select From a File in the pop-up. This option will allow you to select an image file from your computer, and add it to your slide.
    1. Inserting the picture as a shape fill will allow you to adjust its transparency as you like.
    2. Alternatively, you can select Online Pictures here to insert an image from a web link.
  10. How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 11How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 11
    Select the picture you want to add. Click the picture in the File Explorer window, and click Insert or Open on the bottom-right. This will insert the selected picture inside the selected shape.
    1. You can adjust the shape from the white dots on its outline.
  11. How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 12How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 12
    Right-click the picture in the shape. This will open your right-click options on a drop-down menu.
  12. How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 13How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 13
    Select Format Picture on the right-click menu. This will open your formatting options on the right-hand side of the app window.
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    Click the paint bucket icon on the "Format Picture" menu. You can find this button near the upper-left corner of the Format Picture panel on the right-hand side.
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    Find the Transparency slider under the "Fill" heading. If you don't see this option, click the
    How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 16How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 16
    icon next to "Fill" to expand your options.
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    Click and drag the Transparency slider. This will allow you to manually adjust the transparency level of the selected shape and picture.
    1. Alternatively, you can manually type in a transparency percentage in the box here.
  16. How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 18How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 18
    Right-click the picture in the slide. Your options will pop up.
  17. How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 19How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 19
    Select Outline in your pop-up options. This button pops up on a separate toolbar panel at the top of the right-click menu when you right-click. You can find it next to "Style" and "Fill."
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    Select No Outline on the menu. This will delete the shape outline around the edges of your picture.
Method 2 of 2:

Using Mac

  1. How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 21How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 21
    Open a PowerPoint presentation on your computer. You can open a new slide show, or a saved presentation file.
  2. How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 22How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 22
    Select the picture or shape you want to make transparent. Just click on the picture or shape to select it.
  3. How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 23How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 23
    Click the Picture Format or Shape Format tab. You can find this button on the tab bar above the toolbar panel at the top. It will open your formatting options.
  4. How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 24How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 24
    Click Transparency on the formatting toolbar. This button looks like a picture icon with a dashed, vertical line in the middle. It will open a drop-down panel of your transparency options.
  5. How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 25How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 25
    Click a transparency preset on the Transparency menu. This will instantly change your picture's transparency to the selected preset level.
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    Click Picture Transparency Options on the Transparency menu. You can find it at the bottom of the Transparency drop-down. This will open the picture formatting menu.
  7. How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 27How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 27
    Find the Picture Transparency option on the formatting menu. If it's not extended, click the
    How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 28How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 28
    icon next to it, and expand your transparency tools.
  8. How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 29How to Change Transparency in PowerPoint Picture 29
    Click and drag the Transparency slider. You can manually adjust the transparency level of the selected shape and picture in your presentation here.
    1. Alternatively, you can type in a transparency percentage in the box, or use the up and down arrows here.
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