To make a picture transparent in PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 or PowerPoint 2024 on Windows or Mac, select the picture, open Picture Format > Transparency, and choose a preset. Higher percentages make more of the slide show through the picture. You can also enter an exact percentage.
That setting fades the entire image, including its subject and background. To keep the subject solid while making its background transparent, use a background removal tool instead.
The short version
- Fade the whole image: In the desktop versions above, select Picture Format > Transparency and choose a preset.
- Choose an exact amount: Open Picture Transparency Options and enter a percentage from 0% to 100%.
- Keep the subject solid: Use the classic Remove Background tool where available, or Set Transparent Color for a flat color in Microsoft 365 on Windows.
- Use the result elsewhere: After removing a background, save the picture as a PNG for later use.
| Method | What it does | Where to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency presets | Fade the entire picture quickly | Microsoft 365 and PowerPoint 2024 on Windows and Mac |
| Picture Transparency Options | Set an exact percentage | Microsoft 365 and PowerPoint 2024 on Windows and Mac |
| Picture Transparency pane | Adjust transparency from the picture icon | Microsoft 365 for Mac |
| Picture fill transparency | Fade a picture inside a shape or create a watermark | Microsoft 365 and PowerPoint 2024 on Windows |
| Format Background | Make a slide background translucent | Microsoft 365 and PowerPoint 2024 on Windows and Mac |
| Master or layout background | Apply a translucent background to associated slides | Microsoft 365 and PowerPoint 2024 on Mac |
| Set Transparent Color | Remove one matching color throughout the picture | Microsoft 365 on Windows |
| Classic Remove Background | Remove a photographic background and refine the selection | Microsoft 365 and PowerPoint 2024 desktop apps with the tool |
| Edit Picture | Remove a background in the newer editor | PowerPoint installations exposing that editor |
| Open in Desktop App | Edit transparency from a browser presentation | Web users with licensed desktop PowerPoint installed |
| Paint background removal | Prepare a transparent PNG | Updated Paint on Windows 11 |
| Adobe Express background removal | Prepare a transparent PNG in a browser | Adobe Express web editor |
| Transparent PNG insertion | Use an image with transparency already applied | Desktop and web PowerPoint apps |
| Save as Picture | Export a picture after removing its background | Microsoft 365 and PowerPoint 2024 on Windows and Mac |
Fade the whole picture
Start by selecting the picture on your slide. In PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 or PowerPoint 2024 on Windows or Mac, select Picture Format > Transparency. Choose 0%, 15%, 30%, 50%, 65%, 80%, or 95% from the preset gallery.
A higher percentage makes the picture more transparent. Use this adjustment when you want the subject and everything around it to fade together.
Set an exact transparency percentage
In the same desktop versions, select the picture and open Picture Format > Transparency > Picture Transparency Options. In the Format Picture pane, move the Transparency slider or enter a percentage. The range runs from 0%, fully opaque, to 100%, fully transparent.
On Mac, the controls are in the Picture Transparency section. In Microsoft 365 for Mac, you can also select the picture, open Format Picture, select the picture icon, and expand Picture Transparency. Choose a preset, move the slider, or enter a value there.
Use a picture inside a shape
You can adjust picture fill transparency in PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 and PowerPoint 2024 on Windows. Select Insert > Shapes and draw a shape that matches your picture’s proportions. Right-click the shape and select Format Shape.
Under Fill, choose Picture or texture fill. Under Picture source, select Insert and insert your image, then adjust Transparency. To remove the shape’s border, right-click it and select Outline > No Outline.
For a repeating watermark, first select View > Slide Master and select the top master thumbnail. Create the picture-filled shape there using the same steps, adjust its transparency, then exit Slide Master.
Make a slide background translucent
Use a background fill when you want the picture to become the slide’s background. In PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 or PowerPoint 2024 on Windows or Mac, select Design > Format Background. Under Fill, select Picture or texture fill.
Under Picture Source, select Insert, choose the image source, select the picture, and select Insert again. Adjust Transparency to control how strongly the picture shows. Select Apply to All when you want that background throughout the presentation.
On Windows, you can also right-click the slide margin and select Format Background. On Mac, you can target a master or selected layouts through View > Slide Master. Select the top master thumbnail for all associated slides, or select particular layout thumbnails.
On Mac, continue through Slide Master > Background Styles > Format Background > Picture or texture fill. Under Picture Source, select Insert, choose the picture, and select Insert. Alternatively, select Clipboard for a picture you have already copied, then adjust Transparency.
Make one background color transparent
For a simple image with a flat-color background, use Set Transparent Color in PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 on Windows. Select the picture, then choose Picture Format > Color in the Adjust group. Scroll to the bottom of the gallery and select Set Transparent Color.
Click the color in the picture that you want to disappear. Matching pixels become transparent throughout the image, including matching pixels inside the subject. Choose background removal instead when you need to separate a subject from a photograph.
Remove a photographic background
In PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 and PowerPoint 2024 on Windows and Mac with the classic tool, select the picture and choose Picture Format > Remove Background. Some interfaces use Format > Remove Background. Review the magenta mask, which marks the areas selected for removal.
Under Background Removal, select Mark Areas to Keep and draw over parts of the subject that should remain. Select Mark Areas to Remove and draw over unwanted areas, then select Keep Changes. For more help refining the selection, follow the steps to remove a background in PowerPoint. Choose Discard All Changes to cancel the removal.
If your PowerPoint installation exposes the newer Edit Picture editor, select the picture and choose Picture Format > Edit Picture. Alternatively, right-click the picture and select Edit Picture from the floating toolbar. In the editor, select Remove background, then select Update to apply the result.
Prepare transparent pictures for the web
PowerPoint for the web lacks the ordinary picture-transparency control. If you have a licensed desktop PowerPoint app installed, select Editing > Open in Desktop App at the top of the ribbon. In desktop PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 or PowerPoint 2024, use Picture Format > Transparency to choose a preset or custom percentage, then save the presentation.
You can also prepare a transparent PNG for PowerPoint on the web. On Windows 11, access updated Paint through Microsoft’s official Paint page, then open or paste your picture. Optionally, use the rectangular selection tool to restrict the operation before selecting Remove background. Save the result as a PNG.
For a browser alternative, open a design containing your image in Adobe Express. Select the image and choose Remove Background in the Image panel, then click outside the canvas and select Background > No fill. Select Download and choose Transparent PNG as the file format. An Adobe account and the applicable feature entitlement may be required.
In PowerPoint for the web, select Insert > Pictures > This Device, choose the PNG, and select Open.
Save the transparent picture for reuse
After removing the background, you can save the picture as a separate file in PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 or PowerPoint 2024 on Windows and Mac. Right-click the picture on Windows, or hold Control and click it on Mac, then select Save as Picture. In Save as type, choose PNG, enter a filename, choose a destination, and select Save.
To reuse the file in desktop PowerPoint on Windows, select Insert > Pictures > This Device, choose the file, and select Insert. On Mac, select Insert > Picture > Picture From File, choose the file, and select Insert.
Fix transparency problems
If your picture disappears after you enter 100%, lower the Transparency value to make it visible again. If the subject fades when you only wanted its surroundings removed, use a background removal method instead of whole-picture transparency.
If your exported PNG still has a solid background, remove that background before exporting again. PNG supports transparent areas, but choosing the format alone does not remove an opaque background.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you remove a picture background with Mac Preview first?
Yes, in current Preview versions with the control, open the image and click Remove Background, then click Convert if requested. For manual extraction, select Show Markup Toolbar > Selection Tools > Smart Lasso, trace the subject, and close the selection. Select Edit > Copy, then paste the extracted image into your presentation. For file-based transfer, preserve the result as PNG and insert that file.
Why can’t the classic background remover edit an SVG?
The classic background removal tool is unavailable for SVG, AI, WMF, and DRW vector formats. You can insert an externally prepared transparent PNG instead.
Can you open the newer picture editor with the keyboard?
Yes, in Windows PowerPoint with the newer editor and English ribbon KeyTips, select the picture, press Alt + J, then P, then E, then 1. Use Tab and the arrow keys to reach Remove background, then press Enter. Use Tab to reach Update and press Enter.
Does Windows Transparency effects make PowerPoint pictures transparent?
No, Windows Transparency effects changes interface surfaces rather than the picture saved in your presentation. Adjust picture transparency inside PowerPoint to change the image itself.