Video: Removing backgrounds in PowerPoint

Here is how to crack open a deck to remove backgrounds, which may include a theme change or removing backgrounds from the master slide.

Removing backgrounds

• If you can’t remove a background, it may be part of a theme. On the HOME Tab, click the Layout button to see what the slides look like.

• You can change a theme by going to the DESIGN tab and mousing over the different designs. The Office Theme is the simplest with a blank background.

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For our last video, we will talk about removing backgrounds in PowerPoint.

Most of the time when people want to remove backgrounds, it is because they were given a deck, or they inherited a deck, maybe.

Well in this example: this Charity Ball & Auction, let's say this is last year's deck. I am in-charge this year and I want to clean up the deck a little bit to give it a different look.

Now is this a background I can change?

It's not a solid background. Now one clue is, you look at the left-hand side. In all those slides, the backgrounds look the same with that stripe. And if I click under Layout, you can see all the slides. They are all themed, so this is a theme I am dealing with, not just a solid background.

So to change the theme, I go up to DESIGN.

And, really you could change it really quickly right here, you can. You see what you just put your mouse over each look.

You can see what it looks like. It changes everything. But, I am going to just use a blank presentation. So, let me do that.

And, use this one here, this Office Theme. It changes the fonts a bit, but it keeps the text, it keeps the pictures, and I can start with a fresh background. Now, pictures here.

Look, this main picture here that I want to change.

Now watch this when I click on it.

As soon as I click the picture, I get this box around it. That selects the picture.

So now, I can move it around, or I can just simply delete it.

I'll do that.

Now let me go down to this.

Let's say this company doesn't own us anymore.

So I want to get rid of this logo.

I click on it, but there is no box. Nothing happens.

The reason, and if you have been watching the videos you know, it is because this image is not on this slide. It is on the Slide Master.

So, I have to go in there to delete it. So let's go up to VIEW, and click Slide Master.

And now the left-hand side is no longer my presentation. There are all the Slide Masters.

And as you can see in the bottom right-hand corner, there is a logo in each one of those slides.

So let me go to the very top on this big master slide, and there it is.

So, let me click on that to select it. And now on the right-hand side, I am going to choose this.

Again, anything on this main slide will be on all the other slides.

So if I go down here to the logo and click it, I get the box.

So now, I have selected it and I can simply delete it.

In fact, let me show you that again.

If you look on the left-hand side of the thumbnails as soon as I delete it, it'll disappear from all the slides.

When I am done, click Close Master View, and now, I am back.

I have a very clean background and for me, I am ready to build the auction. The Charity Ball & Auction for this year, new backgrounds, new pictures, and you know what?

I'm going to invite you to come along.

So, you'll be going to the Charity Ball this year.

I can't believe I did the double thumb.