How to Remove Background in PowerPoint 2010

In PowerPoint you can remove the background of any image by using the background removal tool. This can be quite handy for anyone who want to integrate a particular photo with color background in the PowerPoint template with the corporate identity. In the following article we will explain how we can use Mark Areas feature in PowerPoint to control how to remove the desired background color without affecting the image or picture in the front.

How to Remove Background in PowerPoint 2010 using Markers

For this image we have used a free vector character available for download in VectorCharacters. From this website you can download free business characters to decorate your presentations with a unique style.

However, if you don’t have Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator and want to use a picture like the following businessman with a suit case over a white background, you will find that the background do not match with the dark texture used for the slide.

So we start using the Remove Background feature under Picture Tools -> Format. Then click Remove Background. You will notice that the menu will change its buttons and now you can choose between:

• Mark Areas to Keep. Use this tool to add markers over the area that you want to keep.
• Mark Areas to Remove. On the other hand, you can explicitly mark areas that you want to remove.
• Delete Mark. If you added a marker by mistake, you can use this tool to delete certain marks.
• Discard All Changes. Use this button to start over.
• Keep Changes. When you are ready with the selection, click here.

The trick here is to use Mark Areas to Keep and then begin clicking over the picture on these areas that you want to keep in your image. In the example you can see that by default the Background Removal tool will remove the teethes and that’s a bad idea.

Example without using Mark Areas to Keep.

And here is the same example but this time using markers.