How to Make an Image Circular in Google Slides

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When designing presentations on Google Slides, you might want to change the look of an image by giving it a look similar to shapes in a presentation app, such as PowerPoint shapes. If you’re wondering how to make an image circular in Google Slides, see the tips below to get design ideas.

What are the Benefits of Making an Image Circular for a Presentation?

Making a presentation image circular can have various benefits. It can help add visual appeal, enable better adherence to design consistency and branding needs, make the slide content look easy on the eyes, and provide better focus on the subject.

Visual Appeal

By making an image circular, you can add visual appeal to the presentation design and a touch of uniqueness to avoid monotony.

Focus on Subject

By making a central image circular in design, you can improve emphasis and draw your audience’s attention to a particular image in the slide. This can be a great way to grab their attention and direct them toward a specific topic tied to the image.

Design Consistency

If your presentation has a circular design, using similar images can help maintain design consistency.

Branding Needs

Some brands have circular designs, and circular images complement the design. Hence, a circular image in a presentation can also be added to account for branding-related requirements.

Easy on the Eyes

Circular images can be easy on the eyes, provided the concept is well executed in the design and not affected by flashy supporting visuals. Circles are commonly used for making visual designs and along with pictures such as headshots. Smart use of circular designs can make the slides appear easy on the eyes.

Better use of Space

Slides with circular image designs can help save space, improving the utilization of slide space. This can help add more elements to a slide without giving it a crowded look.

How to Make a Picture Circular in Google Slides

Crop Image to Circular Shape in Google Slides

You can use the Crop to Shape option to make an image circular in Google Slides. This can be a convenient method when editing Google Slides templates or PowerPoint templates in Google Slides to create circular shapes from images or even circular diagrams. To do this, upload an image from your computer via the web, Google Drive, Google Photos, URL, or camera using the Insert menu.

How to upload an image to Google Slides
Inserting an image in Google Slides

Select the image, go to the Mask image drop-down menu next to the crop icon in Google Slides, and select circular shape via the Shapes menu. A simple path to this menu in Google Slides is Mask image (next to crop icon) -> Shapes.

Using Google Slides shapes to crop an image to a circle
Crop to Shape in Google Slides

This will crop the image to your selected circular shape. You can also use this method to crop pictures to other shape types. Other options in this menu enable cropping images to arrows, callouts, and equations.

Making a circular shaped crop in Google Slides
Oval-shaped crop in Google Slides

Once the picture is cropped to the shape, you can also go to Format Options from the toolbar or via the right-click menu for further adjustments. One of these options is the ability to adjust the image’s size and rotate it via the Size and Rotation menu in Format Options.

Using size and rotation options for image crop in Google Slides
Size & Rotation options for the cropped shape

Similarly, you can adjust the position of the picture on the slide via the Position option by placing it in a specific location (e.g., top or center). This option also provides an X and Y menu for precise adjustments to the picture on the slide.

Adjusting photo position in shape crop Google Slides
Editing the Position of the picture in the crop

Other features in Format Options enable recoloring the image to an artistic effect to add a surreal filter to the original picture.

How to apply recolor effect in Google Slides
Recoloring options in Google Slides

The Adjustments option in Format Options allows you to adjust the image’s opacity, brightness, and contrast.

Photo edit in Google Slides
Basic photo editing adjustments

You can also add a drop shadow or reflection for the added image to further refine the look of your cropped circular image.

Apply drop shadow and reflection effects in Google Slides
Format effects for the circular image

How to Reset Cropped Image in Google Slides

If you want to restore the image to its original form, simply click the image and select Reset image from the Google Slides toolbar.

Reset image option in Google Slides
How to reset cropped image to original in Google Slides

How to Make a Picture Circular for Google Slides using PowerPoint

Another method for creating a circular image for Google Slides is to convert it to a circular shape in PowerPoint. Once the image with the circular shape is created, you can upload the PowerPoint file to Google Slides for use or save the circular image to your device via the right-click menu and upload it to Google Slides.

Add a Circular Picture Frame to PowerPoint

After importing an image in PowerPoint, select a circular picture frame via Picture Format -> Picture Styles.

Using PowerPoint Picture Format crop
Selecting oval crop in Picture Format

Crop Image to Circular Shape in PowerPoint

Another method to create circular images in PowerPoint is to crop the image to a circular shape via Picture Format -> Crop -> Crop to Shape.

Using PowerPoint's Crop to Shape for circular format
Crop to Shape in PowerPoint

How to Make a Picture Circular for Google Slides using Online Tools

Several online tools like Fotor and Canva provide comprehensive picture editing features, including circular frames and cropping features to make images circular. You can use any of these tools to upload an image and add a circular picture frame. Once you are satisfied with the design, download the image for use with Google Slides.

AI Photo editor app
Fotor photo editing app

By editing an image using a third-party image manipulation tool and importing it into Google Slides, you can create different circular variations for images for your Google Slides presentations.

Inserted circular-shaped picture from Fotor
Final result from Fotor

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change images to specific shapes in Google Slides?

Yes, you can change the shape of an image in Google Slides by cropping it to a specific shape.

How do you make an image circular in Google Slides?

To make an image circular in Google Slides, select the image, go to Mask image -> Shapes, and select a circular image, such as an oval.

Does Google Slides have a crop-to-shape feature?

Yes, Google Slides has a crop-to-shape feature that is accessible via the Mask image dropdown menu next to the crop icon.

What third-party tools can be used to create circular images for Google Slides?

Various third-party tools, including PowerPoint, Fotor, Canva, Adobe Photoshop, Inkscape, and CorelDraw, can be used to create circular images for import in Google Slides.

Does cropping an image to shape reduce its quality in Google Slides?

No, cropping and image shape do not reduce image quality in Google Slides.

Can images cropped to a circular shape be adjusted in Google Slides?

Yes, images cropped to a circular shape can be adjusted in Google Slides via Format Options. This includes the option to adjust image size, rotate the image, and adjust its position on the slide. The option to recolor the image to an artistic filter and to adjust its opacity, brightness, and contrast, as well as the option to add a drop shadow and reflection, is also available.

How many shapes can I apply to an image in Google Slides?

To mask an image in Google Slides, you can apply only one image at a time. To apply more than one shape to different parts of the image, consider using advanced image editing software like Adobe Photoshop, CorelDraw, or Inkscape.

Can you revert an image after giving it a circular shape in Google Slides?

Yes, the Reset image option instantly enables the image to be reverted to its original form in Google Slides.

Can I animate an image cropped to shape in Google Slides?

Yes, you can select and animate an image cropped to a shape in Google Slides via the Animate menu.

Can I apply different themes to cropped images?

Yes, you can change the theme for cropped images in Google Slides.

How can I change the background of cropped images in Google Slides?

You can change the backgrounds of cropped images in Google Slides by changing the layout, theme, or background from the options available via the Google Slides toolbar.

Final Words

By masking an image, frames, or cropping images to circular shapes, you can create visually appealing designs and even circular diagram slides by using a touch of your creativity. Images can be given a circular look in Google Slides by cropping them into a circular shape. You can also perform this task in Google Slides by either cropping the image to shape or adding a picture frame using Picture Styles. Additionally, you can edit images with a circular look using third-party online tools or advanced image editing tools like Photoshop, Inkscape, or CorelDraw. These edited images can then be imported into Google Slides.

Once an image is given a circular design, it can be used to make collages, picture slides, infographics, circular diagrams, and other exciting presentation layouts in Google Slides. When designing slides, you can also opt for cropping multiple shapes into different images. Besides shapes, Google Slides also enables cropping images to arrows, callouts, and equations.

Google Slides, Images
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