How to Create a PowerPoint Template using a JPG Image Background

Last updated on August 31st, 2023

Sometimes, we want to create a PPT template from scratch using our own custom images, for example, if you have your company visual identity and the designer provides you the slide designs as a JPG image (for the cover slide, the internal slide, and any other custom slide layout).

How to Create a PowerPoint Template using a JPG Image Background
How to make your own PowerPoint Template with a picture

Here we will see how to prepare a simple PowerPoint template using custom background images in a few simple steps.

First, we will start a new presentation. You can choose the Design -> Page Layout to adjust the desired resolution; for example you can choose the 4:3 resolution that was widely used for PowerPoint presentations or a modern 16:9 aspect ratio for your presentations with a widescreen style. Make sure you select the proper aspect ratio based on your background images.

Then, go to View -> Slide Master; here, you will see the Master layout and the other layouts for the presentation. Assuming we have three different slide backgrounds (for the cover slide, the internal slide with a title on top, and another secondary internal slide with a vertical sidebar), what we will do to make a custom PowerPoint template with a picture is:

  • Setup the internal slide as a background for the master layout
  • Setup the background for the cover slide layout
  • Duplicate the title+content layout and then setup the background with vertical sidebar

The figure below illustrates what are the key layouts we will change background for the PowerPoint presentation.

Background for PowerPoint presentations

Having the files in our local file system, first we go to the Master slide layout and configure the default background for the slides. In our case, we will use the layout design with a white background and top cloud with bills and money.

Internal slide example in PowerPoint

Then we are ready to change the cover slide so we move to the second thumbnail in the list and then select the Format Background options and then Fill the background with the image/picture.

Format background in PowerPoint

Then we choose Fill -> Picture or texture fill and then Insert from File.

Format background with images while creating a PowerPoint template with a picture in the background

Here is an example showing the cover slide design once it is inserted in the layout.

Finance PowerPoint template with a picture in the presentation background

Now we can duplicate one of the slide layouts and create another variant with the vertical sidebar. We will change the background for this layout in PowerPoint and choose the other slide design we have created.

Example of a just created PowerPoint Template with a picture
Example of a just created PowerPoint Template with a picture

Now we can close the Slide Master view and go to the Normal view. Here is where you prepare your final presentation. You can add more slides (with a blank template it will look with white background but now that we have configured the Master layout with a background the slide will be inserted with the pre-configured background). You can change the default layout and reset the layout to keep the same styles you have configured in the Slide Master view.

We hope this tutorial help you to create custom PowerPoint presentations with custom background images that you or any other designer can create in Photoshop and save as JPG or PNG format. Beyond this post you can do more things for example to insert the company logo in every slide design or you can change the footer and header of the PowerPoint presentations. Moreover, you can insert animations and effects in the master view so your final presentations have an animation.

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