Make a picture transparant in PPT 2013 (method 2)

In my previous article I showed you how to make a picture transparent using a shape background.

There is an alternative to make a picture transparent.

If your picture is already in your presentation you can copy the picture to the Clipboard to get the shape background transparent.

Draw your shape covering the original picture.

Move the shape.

Select your picture and copy it.
Remove the picture.
Select the shape.
Right click it and choose Format Shape.

Choose Picture or texture fill.
Click the Clipboard button, set the transparency using the slider. Your done.

Make a picture transparant in PPT 2013

There is no such thing as picture transparency in PPT 2013 and previous versions. Here's a workaround.

Place your picture on the slide in the appropriate dimensions.
Draw a rectangle that overlaps your picture.

The shape covers the picture completely once you have released the mouse button.

Select the shape, right click it and choose Format Shape.

Choose Picture or texture fill, click File and select your picture, finally click Insert.

Change the transparancy using the slider:

All that remains is to remove the original picture which is behind the shape. Click on your slide so that nothing is selected. Press the tab key, when you see the Format tab under Picture tools you can delete the picture. (alternative: use the selection pane).

Original picture - Transparent picture

Attention
In PPT 365 you now can make a picture transparent. Microsoft added a tansparency button on the Picture tools format tab. If you click the transparency button you will be presented with presets from 15 to 95 %.

If you have PPT 2019 this is still not available.

Transparency when dragging picture over another gone?

In PPT 2007-2010 when one dragged a picture on top of another it became transparent, allowing to position it accurately.

In PPT 2013 this seems no longer the case. Luckily you can use the ctrl-key to get a transparent picture. So hold the ctrl-key and drag your picture over the other one, just be sure to release the ctrl-key first once the picture is correctly positioned otherwise you will have a duplicate.

PPT 2013 - dragging

PPT 2013 - ctrl+drag