Merge text and shapes in PPT 2019

Text can be merged with shapes.

You can merge in 5 different ways: unite, combine, fragment, intersect, subtract.

After selecting the overlapping shapes, you can merge them by clicking on the Format tab under Drawing Tools, Insert Shapes group, Merge Shapes button.

In the following two examples I used two objects a text box and a shape. You can of course use more objects.

All methods to merge have the same result, with unify, combine, intersect and subtract you get one freeform. Or multiple freeforms if you use fragment.

The merged shapes obtain the colour of the first selected shape.

The tables below show the result of overlapping or non overlapping shapes.

With overlapping objects only subtract gives a different outcome. With fragmenting I changed the colour and tickness of the outline and selected the fragments to show you get several freeform objects.

With non overlapping shapes only fragmenting makes any sense, the other options can be accomplished using the group function.

Overlapping shapes

Non overlapping shapes