Images are virtually indispensable in presentations. Often, images can convey more than text alone , so choosing to use images in your PowerPoint presentation is definitely the right decision.
During preparation, you may occasionally need to crop your chosen PowerPoint image. You can do this without external programs; our instructions will show you how to crop images directly in Microsoft PowerPoint.
Why images are so important for presentations
A picture is worth a thousand words. You've probably heard that saying before. And it also applies to PowerPoint presentations. Images often visualize content better than text alone. They also visually break up your slides, make them more varied, and, not to be forgotten, evoke emotions. Generating emotions is especially important if you have a specific goal in mind with your presentation.
When selecting images, always use professional photos that will make your presentation unique. Also, be careful not to overload your slides with images. Use images sparingly and thoughtfully .
We will now show you how to crop images correctly to appear even more professional and achieve your goals.
How to crop a PowerPoint image: here's how!
- To crop a PowerPoint image, insert the desired image into your presentation via the "Insert" tab and "Pictures" . You can select the source from which you want to insert the image using the drop-down menu. (Tip: Insert images even faster with the Scan & Paste app/PowerPoint add-in; more information can be found in this article .)
2. Right-click on the image you want to crop. A pop-up menu with two buttons will appear.
3. Select the "Crop" option from the pop-up menu. Black crop points will now appear at the edge of your image.
4. Hold down the left mouse button and drag the desired crop point into the image as far as you want to crop it . The gray area will show you which area you have cropped.
In this view, you can also undo the already cropped area . Clicking next to the image will apply the change.
Pro tip : Want to crop multiple sides of your PowerPoint image at once ? No problem, just hold down CTRL and...
a) Drag the trim points on the side inwards to trim parallel sides .
b) Drag one of the corner trim points inwards to trim all four sides at once .
Pro tip 2: Don't like the selected crop and have already clicked outside the image, so the section is no longer visible? In the "Image format" tab, using the "Reset image" and "Reset image and size" options, you can restore the image to its original state.
Are you using a Mac ? Then the editing process is slightly different:
- Insert an image as described above.
- Click on the image and then on the "Image Format" tab that opens.
- On the Image Format tab, select the "Crop" option.
- Now the black cropping points appear as described above. Crop the image as described in step 4 above.
Do you find that your image file is still too large even after cropping? Then you can compress your image. This article explains how .
How to crop PowerPoint images: How to skillfully highlight image sections!
For many images, it's important to choose the crop skillfully . Especially with pictures of people, which evoke a lot of emotion, you should pay attention to choosing the right section of the image when cropping, thus emphasizing the meaning of your picture.
Microsoft Office PowerPoint offers a simple way to crop PowerPoint images or test different cropping styles . The following bullet points explain how.
- Select your image and upload it in the "Insert" and "Images" tabs.
2. Click on the image. The "Image Format" tab will open. Select "Crop". In the drop-down menu that appears, select the "Crop to Shape" option.
3. Now select the desired shape , e.g., a rectangle with rounded corners. Click on it, and your image will take on the selected shape. The wide variety of shapes allows you to experiment to find the perfect crop for your image.
4. You will also see the cropping points and the cropped area of the image . Adjust the image to the cropping points as desired, as described above . The image itself remains unchanged; it will not be distorted .
5. Once you have cropped your image to the desired shape, click outside the image on the slide and the image will automatically be cropped as desired.
Pro tip: If you don't like the selected crop afterwards, you can undo it with CTRL+Z and crop it again.
PowerPoint - Crop images: Crop images without distortion
Especially when inserting images into shapes using a fill effect, distortions can occur due to mismatched aspect ratios . To correct the distorted image, proceed as follows:
Right-click on the image . The pop-up menu described above will open, containing two buttons. You can correct distortions using the commands "Crop" - "Fill" and "Crop" - "Fit ".
- Draw a rectangle using the "Insert" tab and then "Shapes" . Leave the rectangle selected.
2. On the "Shape Format" tab, select the "Fill Effect" option. From the drop-down menu, select the "Fill Effect" option.
3. PowerPoint will now insert your image. If the image's proportions do not match the shape, PowerPoint will distort the image.
4. Click on the image. The "Image Format" tab will open. Here, select the "Crop" option.
5. Using the "Fill" and "Fit" options in the drop-down menu, you can now adjust your distorted image. To do this, move your image until it fits within the placeholder.
Here you can see the "Fit" function:
And here is the image with the "Fill" function:
Cropping PowerPoint images: The newspaper clipping effect – an eye-catcher for your presentation!
The cropping option in PowerPoint lets you not only crop PowerPoint images, but also create a great design for your images, such as the newspaper clipping effect . This effect is particularly useful when you want to highlight a quote or an important passage .
You can create the newspaper clipping effect in three easy steps :
- Insert your image as usual via the "Insert" tab and "Pictures" .
2. On the "Home" tab, under the "Draw" option, select "Freehand Shape: Shape" .
Then, at the bottom of the picture, draw a zigzag shape .
3. Now merge the tear-off edge and the image. To do this, select the "Merge Shapes" option in the "Shape Formatting" tab. In the drop-down menu, select "Subtract".
4. If desired, you can also add a shadow effect . To do this, select the "Shape Effects" option in the "Shape Format" tab . In the drop-down menu, select "Shadow". For the newspaper effect, the "Outside" or "Offset: Bottom" option is optimal.
The finished newspaper clipping looks like this:
Conclusion: Easily and quickly crop your PowerPoint image!
Cropping images to fit your presentation is easy . With just a few clicks, your image is perfectly adjusted, without needing to install any external image editing software.
Thanks to the wide selection of shapes, you can experiment with your image cropping and create design effects, such as the newspaper clipping effect . Try it out today!
Do you have questions about cropping PowerPoint images or about PowerPoint in general? Then please contact us by email at becker@presentationload.de . We're happy to help!
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