Background graphics in PowerPoint can be edited using various methods, be it for a readymade template, default designs offered by the PowerPoint app, or your own custom slide deck. You can edit your slide background in PowerPoint by using graphics, pictures, and patterns, and even choose to hide graphics for a more minimalist look.
Background Formatting Options in PowerPoint
To edit background graphics in PowerPoint, go to the Design tab and select Format Background. This will open a menu that will provide you with various options for editing your background.
Background with a Solid Fill
The Solid fill option makes the background solid with your chosen color. This option is for presenters looking for a minimalist look. When editing your slide design with a solid color, you can also adjust the transparency according to need.
Background with a Gradient Fill
To add more color to your slides, you can use the Gradient fill option to pick a color gradient to design your slides. This menu provides preset gradients that you can use and tweak and adjust the position, transparency, angle, brightness, and colors according to need.
Picture or Texture Fill Background
This menu has two major options, one is to use a texture from the available designs or a picture. The texture can also be adjusted using the Tile picture as texture menu.
To select a picture as your background, click Insert below Picture source in the same menu and select a source for your image. The available image sources include options to add an image from a file, stock images, online pictures, and icons.
The below screenshot shows an image inserted as a PowerPoint background via stock images offered by Microsoft for PowerPoint users.
Pattern Fill Background
While many people might not be fond of patterns as their PowerPoint backgrounds, this option allows you to create a custom pattern or use an existing one as your background design. The Pattern fill feature allows the option to choose between various patterns, background, and foreground colors, to create a custom design.
PowerPoint Designer
The Designer option in PowerPoint that is available via the Design tab can help you format your slides as you create them. It provides background design suggestions based on the content type, such as the words and images used. You also get a few basic design options even if you have no content in your slides.
Hide Background Graphics
Another feature in the Format background menu is the Hide background graphics option. This feature essentially hides all types of graphics, making the slide layout minimalist. Below is an example of a slide without this option enabled.
The following screenshot shows the same slide as above, with the Hide background graphics option enabled.
Edit Background Graphics in PowerPoint using Slide Master
Slide Master is a feature for advanced users that is meant to customize the very basic elements of a presentation deck. Accessible via the View tab, the Slide Master option provides the same features as the Design tab, with the utility to comprehensively adjust your slide layouts down to the font, background styles, and placeholders for each slide.
If your PowerPoint design skills are that of a beginner or you are an intermediate PowerPoint user, you might want to opt for a quick edit of your background via the Design tab features, such as the Format Background menu. However, advanced PowerPoint users can edit slides comprehensively by opting for Slide Master to control every aspect of their slide layouts for each slide they create.
