How to Make a Picture Transparent in Microsoft PowerPoint

 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 a single section of an image. We'll take a look!

Changing the Opacity of an Image or Object

If you want to make an entire object or picture more transparent, open PowerPoint and insert a picture by clicking Insert > Pictures. When the photo is on a slide, select it and a border will appear around it.

Next, right-click on the image and select “Format Image”.

The “Format Picture” pane will appear on the right; click the Picture icon.

Here you will see a few options. Click the arrow next to "Image 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 set ours at 50%.

Below you can see what our selected object now looks like.

When you're happy with the level of transparency you've set, close the "Image Format" pane.

Coming Soon: How to Change a Color Image to Black and White in PowerPoint

Change the opacity of part of an image or object

Before moving on to changing the opacity of part of an image, it's important to note that this feature only works on objects inserted as an image. So, if you insert an image inside a shape, this option will not be available.

With that in mind, click “Insert” and then select “Images” from the “Images” group. From the drop-down menu, choose whether you want to insert an image from an online source or from your device.

Navigate to the image you want to use, select it, then click "Insert".

Once the image is inserted, make sure it is selected, then click “Format Image”.

In the “Adjust” group, click on “Color”.

Select “Set Transparent Color” at the bottom of the menu.

Your cursor changes, as shown below. Use it to click on the color of the image you want to make transparent.

Once you've selected a color, every instance of it in the image will become fully transparent and take on the color of the slide background.

Unfortunately, this is an all-or-nothing tool. The part of the image you select will either become completely transparent or remain completely opaque.

Also note that if you print your presentation, the transparent areas of the images will be white on the hard copy.

Coming Soon: How to Blur an Image in PowerPoint

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