how to make a shape on powerpoint transparent

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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 108,658 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.

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• ↑ 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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Apply transparency to a shape

You can easily add transparency to a Visio shape. Here's how.

Select the shape or shapes that you want to make transparent.

Right-click, and on the context menu, select Format Shape .

In the Format Shape pane, set the Transparency slider to the percentage of transparency that you want.

Note:  You can also make individual shape attributes transparent by setting transparency in the Text and Line dialog boxes.

Format a shape in Visio 

Select, move, resize, and rotate shapes

On the Shape tab, select Shape Fill > Transparency , then select the percentage you want.

Tip:  If you need more precise control of the degree of transparency, right-click the shape, then select Format Options . Then, in the Format Options pane, under Fill , you can set the transparency in one-percent increments.

Change the size, rotation, and order of a shape

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How To Make A Shape Transparent In Powerpoint

Usually, shapes in PowerPoint have a solid color fill by default. But you may want to make a shape transparent so that it does not obscure other shapes or images behind it. This article will show you how to make a shape transparent in PowerPoint.

1. Open your PowerPoint presentation.

2. Select the shape that you want to make transparent.

3. Right-click the Shape and click “Format Shape.”

4. In the Format Shape pane, expand the “Fill” tab and drag the “Transparency” slider . The further you drag the slider to the right, the more transparent the shape will become.

You can also enter a value between 0 and 100% next to the “Transparency” slider. A value of 0 means that the shape is completely opaque, while a value of 100 means that the shape is completely transparent.

You can now make any shape transparent in PowerPoint by following the steps above. This can be useful if you want to create layered effects or make shapes stand out more. Experiment with different levels of transparency to find the perfect balance for your presentation.

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