To remove the background from an image in PowerPoint, select the picture, then go to Picture Format and choose Remove Background. PowerPoint colours the part it plans to remove in magenta. Use Mark Areas to Keep or Mark Areas to Remove to fix any mistakes, then select Keep Changes.
A product photo on a cluttered kitchen worktop, a headshot against a busy office wall: removing the background lets the subject sit cleanly on your slide's own colour. PowerPoint has a built-in tool for it, so you don't need separate photo software. It does most of the work automatically, and you touch up the edges with a drawing pencil.
Remove a picture's background step by step
- Click the picture on your slide to select it. Double-click it if the Picture Format tab doesn't appear.
- On the Picture Format tab, select Remove Background. On a Mac you may see Format, then Remove Background.
- PowerPoint shades the area it plans to remove in magenta. The parts in natural colour will stay.
- If bits you want are magenta, select Mark Areas to Keep and draw over them with the pencil.
- If bits you don't want are still showing, select Mark Areas to Remove and draw over those.
- Select Keep Changes. Or select Discard All Changes to start again.
Mark Areas to Keep and Mark Areas to Remove
| Tool | Use it when | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Remove Background | Starting the job | Select the picture first or the button won't show |
| Mark Areas to Keep | Parts of your subject are shaded magenta | Draw short lines over the missing part |
| Mark Areas to Remove | Bits of background are still in natural colour | Draw over the leftover background |
| Keep Changes | You're happy with the result | Check the edges at full size first |
| Discard All Changes | It's gone wrong | Returns the original picture |
You don't need to trace the whole outline. A few quick strokes across an area usually tells PowerPoint what you mean, and it updates the magenta shading straight away. Zoom in on the slide for fiddly edges like hair or the handle of a mug.
Why Remove Background is greyed out
This catches out a lot of people. Microsoft says background removal isn't possible for vector graphic files, such as SVG, Adobe Illustrator (AI), Windows Metafile (WMF) and Vector Drawing (DRW) files, so the button is greyed out for those. Icons are often SVG files, which is why the option vanishes on them. Use a photo format like JPG or PNG instead.
The other reason is simpler: you haven't selected a picture. Microsoft suggests double-clicking the image to select it and open the Picture Format tab.
Pictures that work best
- A clear subject with good contrast against the background.
- Even lighting, without heavy shadows merging into the background.
- A reasonably sharp photo; blurry edges are harder for the tool to read.
- Simple backgrounds, like a wall or a table, rather than a busy street.
Product shots on a plain surface come out beautifully. A photo of you in front of a bookshelf will need more touching up, and fine detail like flyaway hair may never be perfect. If a picture matters, like your main headshot on a sales deck, a clean original photo always beats a lot of pencil work.
Design ideas once the background's gone
A cut-out picture opens up layouts that a rectangular photo can't. A few I like for business decks:
- Product on brand colour. Set the slide background to your brand colour and drop the cut-out product on top.
- Headshot beside a quote. A cut-out of you next to a client testimonial looks far more polished than a boxed photo.
- Overlapping shapes. Put a coloured circle behind the subject so it pops forward.
- Before and after. Two cut-outs side by side make comparisons easy to read.
Keep the style consistent across the deck. If one product has a soft shadow, give them all the same shadow, so the slides feel like they belong together rather than borrowed from different places.
Save the cut-out to reuse elsewhere
Once the background's gone, you can use the image outside PowerPoint too. Right-click it and choose Save as Picture to save it as a separate file. That's a quick way to make a cut-out product image for social posts or your website without opening any other app. Microsoft also notes you can add artistic or picture effects to what's left, such as a shadow to lift it off the slide.
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When the image isn't in PowerPoint
Microsoft points out that if your image isn't in an Office file, you can use a similar process in Windows Paint 3D or Microsoft Designer. Don't confuse removing a picture's background with changing the slide's own background colour or image; that's a separate job, covered in my guide on how to change the background in PowerPoint. And if a deck full of photos has become slow to email, it's worth learning how to compress a PowerPoint before you send it.
My verdict
Select the picture, Picture Format, Remove Background, then tidy the magenta with the two pencils and Keep Changes. It's brilliant for product shots on plain backgrounds and decent for headshots. If the button's greyed out, you're probably on an SVG icon. Save the result as a picture and you've got a cut-out you can use everywhere.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Remove Background in PowerPoint?
Select the picture, then on the Picture Format tab select Remove Background.
What does the magenta area mean?
It's the part PowerPoint has marked for removal. The naturally coloured parts will stay.
Why is Remove Background greyed out?
Background removal isn't possible for vector files such as SVG, AI, WMF and DRW, or no picture is selected.
How do I fix parts that were removed by mistake?
Select Mark Areas to Keep and draw over them with the pencil, then select Keep Changes.
Can I save the cut-out image?
Yes. Right-click it and select Save as Picture to save a separate file.
