Image Editing in PowerPoint | Part 5/5

Bildbearbeitung in PowerPoint – Wissensstufe 5

Image editing in PowerPoint – Knowledge level 5

April 21, 2015|Tom Schweitzer

Simple images are boring during a presentation. Spice up your photos with lots of variety! Using photos often also means visualizing suitable locations using maps. Learn many unusual things in this blog post. Since enhancing photos is relatively easy with the standard functions, people often want to do even more. This is certainly possible, but it does require a certain amount of effort. This article will cover the following topics:

Create visually unusual images
Proper use of maps
More tips & tricks for image editing

Create visually unusual images

Present your photo in a Polaroid design

Although Polaroid technology is hardly used today, many people still remember it, and it can be used effectively as an eye-catcher. Design a rectangle with a square at the top and insert a photo. If it appears distorted, crop it to the desired square size beforehand. Then group the frame and the photo so that it can be easily moved, resized, and edited later.

If your foil background is a single color, the result with the white border of the Polaroid photo is usually sufficient. However, you can enhance the effect on a white background. Under > Drawing Tools > Format, you have many options in the > Shadows section . Vary the detailed settings here, such as > Size, > Blur, etc. Even a > Glow (right) can enhance the look of the Polaroid photo. A reflection is not recommended in this case, as the lower distance of the photo from the edge causes the reflection to duplicate the image, making it appear too far away.

You can also add a 3D layout to the group. Make sure the bevel value isn't too large, otherwise the photo won't look as realistic. Select the entire group; this will also apply the 3D effect to the photo itself—so, click again in the white area inside the frame. By the way, the empty space at the bottom is perfect for text. You can add further visual interest with 3D rotations. The overall effect can be enhanced with a suitable animation.

Another option – with partially similar results – is to copy the group to the clipboard and paste it as an image (PNG). You can then use the > Picture Styles again via > Picture Tools . However, not all of them are suitable for editing Polaroid photos (see the next image on the right).

Picture frames and photos

A classic picture frame works well in a presentation. The principle is as described in section 1.1. The picture frame consists of a line that has been given a 3D design to achieve a certain three-dimensionality. Furthermore, the line has been colored with a gradient to make it look as if the picture is illuminated from the left.

Postage stamp as an extreme solution

Unusual, but it will likely bring a smile to the viewer's face and thus attract attention. The basic stamp shape was created from various shapes using > Combine Shapes > Subtract Shapes . The text and photo were grouped together in separate objects and then re-inserted as PNGs. If you simply leave them as a group and then resize them, the text will not be resized proportionally.

These stamps are particularly effective against a darker, neutral background (left) or with appropriate shadow representation (right).

Working with maps

Display map sections

Representing geographical features of all kinds is always a bit of a challenge for every user, especially since digital media makes it easy for anyone to copy digital maps. Always be mindful of potential image rights! (The excerpts here are all from Google Maps). Tip: Since maps often have very fine details and can vary in scale, be sure to test their legibility beforehand in the (later) presentation room. It's often difficult to see everything clearly from the back seats. A (separately created) section of the map indicates that it's being enlarged.

Tip: The magnification looks realistic when animated. First, fade in the area, then show the four lines with a swipe (from left) , and after a short delay (with a shorter duration depending on the section), make the image appear on the right, also with a swipe .

Photos as map filler

Popular designs use a photo to represent the area of a map, which is relevant to the theme. You can create this design yourself quite quickly. The easiest way to digitize your desired outline on a scanned map is using > Shapes > Sketch . Once the shape is complete, you can fill it with a photo as usual (left).

A surprising variation can be seen in the image on the right. Here, the area is filled with text, and it's very easy to do. Simply type your text (in bold) in a regular font, repeating it as needed. When the text is repeated, slightly adjust the font's border to introduce some irregularity into the layout (middle image). Copy the text to the clipboard and paste it as an image. Copy it to the clipboard again and paste it into the map fill – done!

More tips & tricks for image editing

documents or forms

You often need to display forms or other documents in your presentations. You can visually improve these displays by using the image style templates provided here. Attention! Some templates have parts of the original image cropped at the edges. The original image is shown on the left. The images on the right are missing text at the top and bottom.

You can work around this with a trick: Place a second frame around the cutout (left, shown here in red) and copy both elements to the clipboard. Then proceed as described above and you will see that the border areas are present (right).

Shared photos

During a presentation, the audience should be surprised by unexpected actions. This can further captivate them. Standard animations already offer some pre-made effects, but with a simple solution, you have many new possibilities. Insert a photo twice and cut each piece exactly in the middle, slightly offset. You can then animate the two pieces, for example, so that one part disappears upwards and the other downwards, and (possibly) a new image or text appears behind it simultaneously (left image). Perhaps also try other exit effects that create a variety of impressions (right image, simultaneous > flying out to the left and right while > rotating ). The advantage over standard exit effects, such as > splitting, is that there is a clear boundary and the smooth rendering doesn't leave a somewhat blurred impression.