How to Add Pictures and Backgrounds in Google Slides

Photos and graphics are an important part of any presentation. Images break up the text and add viewer interest. It may be a cliché, but the old saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” is often true. A good picture can be more effective than words.

In this tutorial, you’ll learn what types of images you can use with Google Slides. You’ll also learn how to make an image a background in Google Slides. You’ll also learn some techniques to make your images stand out in your Google Slides presentation. 

Before you jump into this tutorial, browse through our best Google Slides templates, if you need a quick design jumpstart to your next presentation: 

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How to Select a Good Image

Before you can add pictures to your Google Slides presentation, start with a good image. A poor image only detracts from your presentation. 

Here are some basics to look for when selecting an image to use with your presentation: 

• Resolution. The image’s resolution should be high. Low-resolution Google Slides images won’t look good when projected.
• Size. If you use high-resolution images, the file size will be more significant. But Google Slides doesn’t support inserting an image of more than 50 MB.
• Aspect ratio. For images used as backgrounds for Google Slides, the aspect ratio should be the same as the slide’s aspect ratio.
• Focused. Avoid using blurry or out-of-focus pictures in your Google Slides presentation. They can make it seem unprofessional.
• File type. Make sure that the image you select is in a supported format for Google Slides. Stick to. PNG, JPG, or. GIF files.
• Subject matter. The content of the image should fit your topic. An image of clowns, for example, wouldn’t fit with a financial presentation.
• Available. Not all Google Slides images that you find online can be freely used. Make sure you select an image that’s royalty-free, from Envato Elements, or that you own.

How to Insert a Picture Into Google Slides

You’ve found the perfect image. You’re ready to insert it into your presentation. Here’s what to do next:

1. Use a Template

In this tutorial, we’ll use the Magazine Google Slides premium template from Envato Elements. This template has twenty creative slides that come in high definition. Also, it comes with icons that you can use to add some visual interest to your slides.

2. Download a Template.

Before you add an image to your slide or add Google Slides background images, you need to download a template that you want to use. (You need to be an Envato Elements subscription to download a template.) After finding a template, you want to use, click on the red Download button.

3. Open Your Google Slides Presentation.

Drag your presentation file into Google Drive. Once you see your presentation in Google Drive double-click on it. It’ll open in Google Slides. For more information on Google Slides, read this tutorial:

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4. Add Your Image

To add an image, click on the Insert option above the ribbon first. Next, click on the Image option from the menu that drops down.

As you can see, there are six options to use to import an image into your Google Slides presentation:

1. Upload from computer. Upload an image stored on your computer. This is the default option.
2. Search the web. Allows you to look for an image from Google search.
3. Drive. Insert an image stored in your Google Drive.
4. Photos. Use an image from your Google Photos account.
5. By URL. Enter a URL where your image is located.
6. Camera. Use your webcam to take a photo to use in your presentation.

Click the option you wish to use to download your image. For this example, we’ll focus on the upload option.

From the menu, click Upload from computer. This opens File Finder. Find the image and double-click. The image is added to your slide. In this tutorial, we’ll be using an image from Envato Elements.

5. Adjust Your Image

After you’ve added your image to your slide, you’ll need to adjust your image. To make your image smaller or larger, drag the blue handles around your image. Click on one of the handles to select it. Hold and drag the border up or down to adjust the size of the image. If you select one of the corner handles and drag it diagonally, the image retains its original proportions.

Once your image is properly sized, click on the center of the image and drag it to the correct location on the slide.

Now that you understand how to insert an image into your Google Slides presentation, you’re ready to learn how to use an image as a background to a slide or change the color of a slide’s background.

How to Change Your Slide Background

You can control backgrounds for Google Slides. There are two aspects of your Google Slides background to change. You can:

1. Change the background color.
2. Add background images for Google Slides.

In this section, we’ll explain how to do both.

As with inserting an image, start by opening the slide where you want to change the background. Then, click the Background option on the toolbar.

The Background dialog box displays:

Let’s take a quick look at how to change the background color first.

How to Change the Slide Background Color

To change the background color of a slide, click the down arrow to the right of the Color option in the dialog box. A color palette displays:

Click on the color you’d like to apply to the background. Then click the Done button. Finally, the color you selected is applied to the slide:

It really doesn’t matter what format of slide you use. The process works with all slide types. If the background is colored or there’s already an image, your new selection replaces the current background.

How to Add an Image to Your Slide Background

To add an image a background in Google Slides start with the Background dialog box. Click on the Choose image option in the box. This opens an Insert Background Image box.

As you can see, it’s very like the Insert Image screen, with the same six options. For this tutorial, we’re going to use the Upload option.

Drag your image file into the box. After you click the yellow Done button, your image is added to your slides background. The image is now the background of your slide:

Also, because the image is being used as a background, you can’t resize it or move it on the slide.

How to Undo Slide Background Changes

If you find you don’t like the changes you made, you can revert to the default settings from the Background dialog box:

Next to the Reset to theme option, click Reset. Then click Done. The slide returns to its default settings.

How to Transform an Imported Image

There are several creative ways to transform an image within a Google Slides presentation exist. In this tutorial, we’ll explain how to do four image transformations:

1. Make an image transparent.
2. Recolor the image.
3. Add an image in a mask.
4. Add borders to an image.

Let’s get started. First, you’ll need to select the slide that’s got the image you want to transform. Don’t use a slide that’s got a background image.

For our example, we’ll work with this slide again:

We’ll look at making the image transparent first.

1. Make an Image Transparent in Google Slides

First, click on the image to select it. With the image selected, click Format. Then, from the menu that appears, click on Format Options. The Image Options sidebar displays to right of the slide:

Click on the arrow next to Adjustments to expand it.

Below the transparency option on the Adjustments section in the sidebar is a slider. It’s difficult to see because the slider is clear, but it’ll become visible when you select it:

Moving the slider to the right makes the image more transparent. You’ll also see percentages as you move the slider. For example, here’s what the image looks like with the slider at about 56%:

Notice how the image has faded. If there’s text on the slide, you can see it through the image.

2. Change an Image’s Colors in Google Slides

Use the Format options sidebar to change the colors of an image. For example, you could make one color stand out more or change the colors to black and white.

To change an image’s colors, click the down arrow next to No Color under the Recolor option. In addition, the system displays thumbnails of various Google Slides recolor image options:

Use the scroll bar to the right of the thumbnails to scroll through the various color options. When you find a color option you like, click on it to apply it to your image. In the example below, I selected the thumbnail on the top left to make the image black and white:

3. Add an Image in a Mask in Google Slides

Another creative touch to add to your images is to put them inside a shape. Here’s how:

Start with the slide open with the image you want to embed in a mask. Click on the image to select it. Next, click on the down arrow next to the Crop tool in the Tools menu across the top of the screen. A sub-menu with various types of shapes appears:

Click the arrow to the right of the shape option you want to explore. Various shaped image masks appear. Click on a shape to select it and apply it to your image. For example, in the image below, I selected an oval shape:

4. Add Borders to an Image in Google Slides

Another way to enhance images is to add a border. Start by selecting your image. Three icons on the tool icon let you to add an attractive border to your image:

1. border color
2. border weight
3. border dash

Here’s where you find the tools:

1. Select a Border Color

The first thing you want to do when creating a border is to select a color. Click the down arrow to the right of the Border color icon. A color palette displays. Click on a color to select it. This will be the color of your border.

When selecting a border color, choosing a color that complements or contrasts with the colors in your image is a good idea. In the example illustrations shown in Steps 2 and 3 below, I selected blue because that complements the tones in the image.

2. Select a Border Weight

The next step when choosing a border is to select the border weight. The border weight defines how thick your border is.

To select a border weight, click the down arrow to the right of the Border weight icon. A sub-menu displays:

Click on a border weight to apply it to your image.

3. Apply a Border Dash (Optional)

to further enhance your border by selecting a dashed pattern. To open the Border dash sub-menu, click the arrow to the right of the border dash icon. You’ll see various pattern options:

Click on a pattern to apply it to your image. For example, here’s our completed border using a dashed pattern:

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Start Using Google Slides Background Images Today!

You’ve just learned how to add a picture to Google Slides. By adding images, your presentation will be more interesting and effective. Transform your imported images quickly by cropping, adding a mask, or borders. You can even replace the background of your slide with an image of your choice. 

Using images are just one way to create an effective Google Slides presentation, discover more helpful techniques in our Google Slides tutorials on Envato Tuts+.

Editorial Note: This post was originally published by Laura Spencer in July of 2017. It’s been completely updated for accuracy with help from Sarah Joy.