How to Change Background Image and Color in PowerPoint

How to Change Background Image and Color in PowerPoint | Quick Tips & Tutorial for your presentations

When creating a presentation, the background image takes on special relevance, as it is able to convey different emotions, as well as it can play an important role in the readability of the text. That is why this aspect must be taken care of as much as the content itself.

In this post we are going to show you step by step how to add a background image and color in PowerPoint.

How to change a background image in PowerPoint

Putting a picture as a background on your PowerPoint presentation helps to give it a more personal style that can serve to reinforce the content of your presentation.

The first thing to do is to choose which image you want to use. Think about what you need to convey to find a matching photo, and keep in mind the overall style of the presentation, so that everything goes in harmony. You should also pay attention to the content, so that it does not lose visibility. For example, we have chosen a picture related to nature, with green tones, to add to the background of this zero waste cardboard background template.

zero waste cardboard background

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. Choose From a File to insert the image from your own pc or select any of the different options that appear, and you're done!

Insert or change a background image in PowerPoint.
Insert or change a background image in PowerPoint.

Among the options that will appear in the window on the right, you will find one to add transparency to the background image. In addition, whenever you want or need to revert the changes, you can click the Reset Background button to return to the original. 

Apply transparency to an image and restore background.
Apply transparency to an image and restore background.

On the other hand, if you want to apply the new photo to the whole presentation, just click on the bottom button Apply to All in the menu on the right. With this option, the background will also appear by default on the new slides you create.

Apply background image to all slides.
Apply background image to all slides.

As you can see, in just a couple of clicks you can set a background image in PowerPoint. And if you need inspiration to choose the right one, we invite you to read this post, in which we give you some tips to captivate your audience with the photographs in your presentation.

Pro Tip: Try to generate contrast by using dark text and light colored images, or vice versa. And always use good quality photos, so they don't pixelate.

How to change the background color in PowerPoint

Another option you can use to customize your presentation is to add a background color to a slide, as we are going to do below in the watercolor texture template. To do this, just click on the top menu Design - Format Background. A menu will open on the right. Choose the Solid Fill option and select the color of your choice (we recommend using the theme colors included in the template, to maintain visual harmony). As with the background image, here you can also click Apply to All to change it in the slide set.

Change the background color in PowerPoint.
Change the background color in PowerPoint.

There are other options that can help you add a different touch to your presentation, such as Gradient or Pattern, which you will also see in the right menu mentioned above.

Apply gradients and patterns in PowerPoint.
Apply gradients and patterns in PowerPoint.

If you need more information we recommend you also read this post on how to change colors in a PowerPoint presentation.

Now you know how to change the background in PowerPoint, test your creativity and impress everyone with your presentations. If you need more ideas, Slidesgo offers you a wide variety of templates in different colors, which you can edit and customize according to your needs.

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