How to Change Background in PowerPoint: Colour, Picture, Gradient

The default white slide is fine for a quick internal update, but it does nothing for your brand. A background in your business colours, or a soft photo behind a section title, makes a deck feel like yours rather than a template everyone's seen.

PowerPoint keeps all of this in one place, the Format Background pane. The trick is knowing that it only changes the slide you're on unless you tell it otherwise. Here's how to use it on Windows, Mac and the web, and how to undo it.

Changing the slide background colour in PowerPoint for Windows

1. Select the slide you want to change.
2. On the Design tab, select Format Background at the far right.
3. In the pane that opens, choose Solid fill under Fill.
4. Pick a colour from the Color menu.
5. Leave it there for this slide only, or select Apply to All at the bottom of the pane for every slide.

Microsoft says changes apply to the current slide by default. That's handy when you want one dark section divider in a light deck, but it's the reason people think the setting didn't work on the rest of their slides.

PowerPoint background fill types and when to use them

Fill type	What it gives you	Good for
Solid fill	One flat colour	Brand colours and clean, readable slides
Gradient fill	A blend between colours	Title slides and a softer look
Picture or texture fill	A photo or texture behind everything	Section headers and event decks
Pattern fill	A repeating pattern	Subtle texture, used sparingly

Want an exact colour from your logo? Microsoft's Eyedropper tool lets you match a colour that's already on your slide, and you can then select Apply to All in the Format Background pane to use it everywhere.

Using a picture as your PowerPoint slide background

1. Right-click the empty margin of the slide and select Format Background.
2. Choose Picture or texture fill.
3. Under Picture source, select Insert.
4. Choose where the image comes from: From a File, Stock Images, Online Pictures, From Icons, or Clipboard if you've just copied a picture.
5. Drag the Transparency bar to the right to lighten the picture so your text stands out.
6. Select Apply to All if you want it on every slide, or close the pane to keep it on this one.

That Transparency bar is the secret to readable photo backgrounds. Microsoft says sliding it right raises the picture's lightness, so a busy photo turns into a gentle wash behind your words.

Changing the background in PowerPoint for Mac

1. Select Design, then Customize, then Format Background.
2. Under Fill, choose Solid, Gradient, Picture or Texture, or Pattern.
3. Select Apply to All to cover every slide.

To change only certain slides on a Mac, go to View, then Normal, select those slides in the navigation pane, and then format them.

Changing the background in PowerPoint for the web

In the browser, select Design, then Background. Under Solid Fill pick a colour, or select Insert Picture and choose From Device or Stock Pictures. Apply to All works here too.

The web version is more limited. Microsoft says it doesn't support gradient fills for slide backgrounds, picture transparency or removing a picture's background. If you need any of those, open the file in the desktop app.

Setting one background for every layout with the Slide Master

Apply to All changes your existing slides. If you want every new slide you add to pick up the same background, set it on the Slide Master instead. Microsoft's help explains that using Format Background in Slide Master view fills the master and all the layout masters below it.

Go to View, then Slide Master, click the top thumbnail in the left-hand pane, then open Format Background and choose your fill. Close Master View when you're done. This is how I'd set up a reusable template for a small business, so every proposal and training deck starts on-brand.

Removing a custom background in PowerPoint

• Windows: in Normal view select the slide, go to Design, Format Background, choose Solid Fill and pick white from the Color menu. Select Apply to All to clear other slides too.
• Mac: select Solid fill, choose Automatic from the Theme Colors pop-up, then select Apply All.
• Web: select Solid Fill, then White, Background 1.

If your PowerPoint background won't change

• Only one slide changed: you didn't select Apply to All.
• New slides still look the same as before: the old background is on the Slide Master, so change it there.
• Text is hard to read on a photo: increase the picture's Transparency in the desktop app.
• No gradient option in the browser: the web version doesn't offer gradients for backgrounds.
• Theme graphics still show over your background: they're likely part of the slide layout, so check the layout in Slide Master view.

Preparing background images for PowerPoint

A background picture works best when it's simple and not too detailed. If you want your own product photo or headshot on a coloured slide rather than as a full background, cut it out first. My guide to removing an image background in Canva does that in a couple of clicks, and saving the result as a PNG with a transparent background means it sits neatly on whatever colour you've chosen in PowerPoint.

Frequently asked questions

How do I change the background on all slides in PowerPoint?

Open Design, then Format Background, choose your fill and select Apply to All at the bottom of the pane. Without that, Microsoft says changes only apply to the current slide.

How do I use a picture as a PowerPoint background?

Right-click the slide margin, choose Format Background, select Picture or texture fill, then Insert under Picture source and pick your image.

How do I make a background picture lighter?

Drag the Transparency bar in the Format Background pane to the right. Microsoft says this raises the picture's lightness.

Why can't I use a gradient background in PowerPoint for the web?

Microsoft says PowerPoint for the web doesn't support gradient fills for slide backgrounds. Use the desktop app for gradients.

How do I remove a background in PowerPoint?

Go to Design, Format Background, choose Solid Fill and pick white, then select Apply to All. On the web, choose Solid Fill, then White, Background 1.