How to remove the background of a picture on powerpoint

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PowerPoint Remove Picture Background

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How to Remove Picture Background in PowerPoint
Insert a Screenshot
Remove a Background
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About This Article
This article is from the book:
About the book author:
This article can be found in the category:
How do I make a picture background transparent in PowerPoint?
How do I remove the background from a picture slide?
Can you change the background of a picture in PowerPoint?

How to Remove Picture Background in PowerPoint

Insert a Screenshot

A screenshot is a snapshot of an area on your screen that you can use as an image in your presentation.

Click the Insert tab.
Expand the Images group if necessary.
Click the Screenshot button.
Select a screenshot method:
- Available Windows: Inserts an image of an open application window. This option will not work if the window is minimized.
- Screen Clipping: Lets you capture a selected area of your computer screen.

To cancel a screen clipping, press Esc when the screen clipping mode is active.

Remove a Background

You can remove the background of any screenshot, picture, or graphic in your presentation.

Select the picture with a background you want to remove.
Click Remove Background on the Format tab.
A new tab appears on the ribbon, and the picture is highlighted with a bright magenta color. Any magenta areas will be removed.
Click and drag the box around what you want to keep.
Click a Mark Areas button in the Refine group:
- Mark Areas to Keep: Draw lines over the areas of a picture you want to keep.
- Mark Areas to Remove: Draw lines over the areas of a picture you want to remove.
Click and drag over a section of the picture to either add or remove it.
Click Keep Changes.

To restore the background, select the image, click the Remove Background button, and click Discard All Changes.

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Microsoft PowerPoint 2019 provides a bit of picture editing wizardry in the capability to remove the background from a picture. For example, the following image shows a picture of my dog Lucy with the background removed. (Background removal works best with picture that have a clear high-contrast distinction between the picture’s subject and the background.)

Lucy with the background removed.

To accomplish this bit of photo-editing magic, follow these steps:

1. Select the picture whose background you want to remove.

2. On the Picture Tools → Format tab, click the Remove Background button (found in the Adjust group).

When you do, PowerPoint attempts to determine which part of your picture is the subject of the picture and which part is the background. PowerPoint creates a bounding rectangle that contains what it believes to be the subject of the picture. Then it analyzes the colors in the picture to determine what it believes to be the background portions of the picture. The background is then displayed in purple. In addition, a special Background Removal tab appears on the Ribbon.

This figure shows PowerPoint’s initial attempt at removing the background from the picture of Lucy. As you can see, PowerPoint has found most of Lucy’s head but managed to cut off the top of her head, her nose, and her right eye. The result is a little disconcerting.

PowerPoint’s initial attempt at removing the background.

3. If necessary, resize the bounding rectangle to properly enclose the subject.

This figure shows the results after I resized the bounding rectangle to include all of Lucy’s head.

Background removal after fiddling with the bounding rectangle and marking areas to keep and remove.

4. If necessary, use the Mark Areas to Keep and Mark Areas to Remove buttons to refine the location of the picture’s background.

For example, if an area that’s part of the subject is shown as background, click the Mark Areas to Keep button. Then, either click in the area you want included or click and drag a line across a large portion of the area to be included. PowerPoint will attempt to discern which part of the picture you marked and include that area in the picture’s subject. Note that you don’t have to circle the area you want to include, nor do you have to be too precise. PowerPoint will do its best to figure out which portions of the image to include based on your mark.

Similarly, if PowerPoint has mistaken part of the background for the subject, click the Mark Areas to Remove button and click or draw a line within the area that should be removed.

If PowerPoint misinterprets your mark, press Ctrl+Z to undo your action. Or, click the Delete Mark button and then click the mark you want to delete.

5. Repeat Step 4 until you’ve successfully removed the picture’s background.

6. Click the Keep Changes button.

The slide returns to normal, with the background of your picture removed.

About This Article

This article is from the book:

PowerPoint 2019 For Dummies ,

About the book author:

Doug Lowe is a master at demystifying technology. The 50+ technology books he's written include more than 30 For Dummies books, including Networking All-in-One For Dummies. Doug has been managing networks at publishing companies and nonprofit organizations for more than 20 years and is presently IT director for a civil engineering firm.

This article can be found in the category:

PowerPoint ,

How do I make a picture background transparent in PowerPoint?

Change the transparency of a picture or fill color Select the Picture Format or Shape Format tab, and then select Transparency . A gallery of preset transparency options for the picture appears. Select one of the preset options, or select Picture Transparency Options at the bottom for more detailed choices.

How do I remove the background from a picture slide?

Click Format Background. In the Format Background pane, under Fill, click Solid Fill. Click the Color button and select white, or any other color you like. If you want to remove the background from all slides, click Apply to All.

Can you change the background of a picture in PowerPoint?

Open the PowerPoint document, choose the slide you want to change the background and click on the Design section in the top menu. Then click on the Format Background tab. A new section will open on the right side. There, select the Picture or Texture Fill - Insert option.