Fill Autoshapes with Photos or Backgrounds with in PowerPoint
PowerPoint has built in drawing tools that offer many ways to customize your presentation quickly.
This tutorial series deals with using custom shapes with background fills. It’s an easy way to make your slides stand out from the crowd!
Use autoshapes and fill them with background designs or photos. Just insert the background or photo using
Insert/Picture.
Draw the autoshape you want to use. Crop the picture to the size of the shape. Save the cropped picture. Use Format/Autoshape/Fill Effects to select the picture and it will fill your shape. You can select to have the picture rotate with the shape if you wish.
We suggest that you select the effects you add to a presentation
conservatively. A professional look is just as often the result of editing, not adding.
1
Select the shape and the background or photo you want to combine.
Insert the image file and draw the autoshape. You’ll have both on the screen, make sure the autoshape is on top.
2
Select the picture. Then choose the crop tool from the Picture Tool Bar. Draw the tool over the picture and then drag
the handles to the size you need. Just big enough to fill the autoshape you chose.
Note If the Picture toolbar is not visible, click Toolbars on the View menu, and then click Picture.
3
Right click on the picture and choose “Save as Picture”. When you have finished saving, just delete the picture from the slide.
If you are using PowerPoint 2007, you can just choose cut and the image will be in your clipboard for the next steps.
4
Now you are ready to format the Autoshape.
Choose Format/AutoShape/Colors and Lines. Using the drop down menu, choose Fill Effects. The Picture Tab will allow you to navigate to the saved cropped picture. (If you are using PowerPoint 2007, you can select use clipboard).
5
Your autoshape will now be filled with the background or photo you selected.
When you apply the selection, you can choose to have the picture rotate with the shape if you wish.
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