How to Remove a Picture Background in PowerPoint (No Extra Software)
You don't need Photoshop to cut a person or a product out of a photo. PowerPoint has a surprisingly good background remover built in, and it only takes a minute.
Quick reference
| What you want | How |
|---|---|
| Remove the background | Select the picture → Picture Format → Remove Background |
| Keep a bit it removed | Mark Areas to Keep and draw over it |
| Remove a bit it kept | Mark Areas to Remove and draw over it |
| Finish | Keep Changes or click outside the picture |
| Save the cut-out | Right-click → Save as Picture (PNG) |
1. Remove the background
1. Click the picture.
2. Go to Picture Format → Remove Background.
3. PowerPoint guesses what to keep and colours the rest magenta. Magenta means "this will go".
4. If the guess is right, click Keep Changes. Done.
2. Go to Picture Format → Remove Background.
3. PowerPoint guesses what to keep and colours the rest magenta. Magenta means "this will go".
4. If the guess is right, click Keep Changes. Done.
2. Fix the guess
The guess is rarely perfect first time. On the Background Removal tab:
• Mark Areas to Keep — draw a line across anything coloured magenta that should stay (a bit of hair, a shoulder).
• Mark Areas to Remove — draw across anything it kept that should go.
• Zoom in with the slider at the bottom right for fiddly edges.
• Mark Areas to Remove — draw across anything it kept that should go.
• Zoom in with the slider at the bottom right for fiddly edges.
Keep drawing short lines until the magenta covers only the background, then click Keep Changes.
3. Soften the edges
If the cut-out looks a little jagged, click Picture Format → Picture Effects → Soft Edges → 1 point. It hides the rough bits without looking blurred.
4. Save the cut-out as a picture
Right-click the picture → Save as Picture and choose PNG. PNG keeps the transparency, so you can use the cut-out in Word, on a website or in another slide deck.
5. Start again
Made a mess? Click Remove Background again and then Discard All Changes, or just press Ctrl + Z a few times.
Troubleshooting
Remove Background is greyed out. The picture is inside a placeholder or is a vector graphic (SVG). Copy it and paste it as a plain picture, or convert the SVG first with Graphics Format → Convert to Shape.
The edges have a halo. The original photo was on a similar colour to the subject. Mark the halo with Mark Areas to Remove, then add a small soft edge.
It works badly on busy photos. The tool is best on a subject that stands out from its background. Crop in close before you start — it gives the tool less to guess about.
Wrapping up
Picture Format → Remove Background, tidy with Keep and Remove, click Keep Changes. Save as a PNG and you've got a reusable cut-out, no extra software needed.
