How to Insert and Format Pictures in PowerPoint 2016

Edited 5 months ago by ExtremeHow Editorial Team

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Microsoft PowerPoint 2016 is a powerful tool used to create engaging and dynamic presentations. Pictures can play a vital role in enhancing the visual appeal of your presentation. They can demonstrate ideas, evoke emotions, or visually support your message. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the process of inserting and formatting pictures in PowerPoint 2016. By the end of this guide, you will become proficient at handling images in your presentations, making them more lively and communicable.

Inserting pictures into a PowerPoint presentation

To start inserting pictures into your PowerPoint presentation, you must first know the different ways you can insert pictures. PowerPoint 2016 provides several ways to insert pictures, which meet different needs such as pictures from your computer, online searches or formatted images from different programs.

1. Inserting pictures from your computer

This is the simplest way to insert pictures into your presentation:

1. Open your PowerPoint presentation where you want to add the picture.
2. Go to the slide where the image is to be inserted.
3. Click the "Insert" tab at the top of the PowerPoint window.
4. Look for the "Images" group and click the "Pictures" button.
5. A file dialog box will open. Navigate through the directories on your computer to find the picture file you want to insert.
6. Select the image file and click "Insert."
7. The picture will appear in your slide, and you can move or resize it as needed.

2. Inserting pictures online

PowerPoint 2016 also lets you search for pictures from the web and insert them directly into your presentation:

1. Go to the slide where you want to insert the online picture.
2. Click the "Insert" tab.
3. Click "Online Pictures" in the "Images" group.
4. The "Insert Picture" dialog box will open, giving you two search options: Bing Image Search and your OneDrive.
5. Type keywords into the Bing search bar to find the picture you're looking for.
6. Browse the results, click the picture you want, and select "Insert."
7. PowerPoint will now download the image and place it on your selected slide.

3. Insert a screenshot

If you need to insert a screenshot, PowerPoint 2016 makes the process easy:

1. Click on the slide where you want to add the screenshot.
2. Go to the "Insert" tab and click "Screenshot" in the "Images" group.
3. PowerPoint will show thumbnails of open windows. You can select a window to take a screenshot of or use "Screen Clipping" to manually select a portion of your screen.
4. Once selected, the screenshot will be inserted into your slide.

Formatting pictures in PowerPoint 2016

After you insert images, the ability to format them effectively is crucial for maintaining consistency and emphasizing the right parts of your images. PowerPoint 2016 provides a comprehensive set of tools for formatting your images, allowing you to significantly enhance the aesthetics of your presentation.

1. Resizing pictures

Resizing a picture adjusts how much space it takes up on your slide:

1. Click the photo you want to resize. This action activates the photo, and displays small squares or circles known as "handles" around its edges.
2. Click and drag the handles to resize the image. To maintain the proportions of the picture, drag the corner handles while holding down the "Shift" key. This approach prevents distortion.
3. Release the mouse button when you’re satisfied with the new size.

2. Crop the picture

Cropping allows you to remove unwanted outer areas of an image:

1. Select the picture you want to crop.
2. Go to the "Format" tab under "Picture Tools."
3. Click the Crop button in the Size group.
4. Black cropping handles will appear around the photo. Click and drag these handles to remove parts of the photo you don't need.
5. Press the "Esc" key or click outside the image after cropping is complete.

3. Rotating photos

Rotating the image can add dynamic angles or correct the orientation:

1. Select the picture you want to rotate. You will see a circular arrow at the top of the selected image.
2. Click and drag the circular arrow to rotate the image to the desired angle.
3. Release the mouse button to set the rotation.

4. Applying picture styles

Picture styles are predefined formatting options that give your image a polished look:

1. Click the image you want to apply the style to and go to the "Format" tab under "Picture Tools."
2. Look at the "Picture Styles" group, where various styles are presented as thumbnails.
3. Hover over different styles to see a live preview on your image. Click a style to apply it to the image.

5. Adjusting colors and effects

PowerPoint 2016 allows you to adjust the color, brightness, and contrast of a picture to better suit the color scheme or mood of your presentation:

1. Select a picture to adjust its color.
2. In the "Format" tab under "Picture Tools," explore the "Adjustments" group.
3. Click “Color” to change the saturation, tone or change the color of your image according to your need.
4. Use "Correction" to adjust brightness and contrast. Hover over the selections to preview the changes.
5. For more artistic effects, click "Artistic Effects" and choose the option that suits your design vision.

6. Add picture borders

Picture borders can effectively highlight an image or make it stand out:

1. Select the picture you want to add a border to.
2. Go to the "Format" tab on the top toolbar.
3. Select "Picture Border" in the "Picture Styles" group. A menu with color options will appear.
4. Choose a color for your border. This menu also allows you to adjust the weight (thickness) and style (dashed, solid, etc.) of the border.

Advanced formatting techniques

PowerPoint offers more advanced options for users who want to go beyond basic formatting. These options include using transparency, aligning multiple images, layering images, and using image animations to emphasize the visual aspects of a presentation.

1. Make the picture transparent

Making an image transparent can help overlay text or other graphics:

1. Select the picture to adjust the transparency.
2. In the "Format" tab, look for "Color" in the "Adjust" group.
3. Select "Set Color as Transparent" and click the color in your picture that you want to make transparent.

2. Aligning multiple images

Aligning images ensures a professional and clean presentation:

1. Select multiple images by holding the "Ctrl" key and clicking each image.
2. Go to the "Format" tab under "Picture Tools" and find the "Arrange" group.
3. Click "Align" and choose how you want to align the images (e.g., top, middle, bottom, etc.).

3. Layering images

Layering images can add depth to your presentation:

1. Select the image you want to move to the back or to the front.
2. In the "Format" tab, under "Arrange," use "Bring Forward" or "Send To Back" to change the order of pictures in relation to overlaid images.

4. Adding animation to images

Animated pictures can attract attention and emphasize parts of your presentation:

1. Select the image you want to animate.
2. Click the "Animations" tab at the top of PowerPoint.
3. In the "Animation" group, choose from a variety of entrance, emphasis, and exit animations.
4. For more animation options, click "Add Animation" and select from the available effects.

Conclusion

By mastering the process of inserting and formatting images in PowerPoint 2016, you can create presentations that are visually appealing and effective in communicating your message. Whether you are a student, teacher, or professional, strong images can enhance the quality of your presentation. This guide gives you a detailed method of improving your presentations through the effective use of images.

Remember, the key to a successful presentation lies not only in the words you use, but also in how you present your ideas. Experiment with different formats and techniques to present your message in the most effective way.

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