To remove the background from a picture in PowerPoint, select the picture and choose Remove Background on the Picture Format tab. PowerPoint makes a first guess and colors everything it plans to remove magenta; you correct that guess with Mark Areas to Keep and Mark Areas to Remove, then select Keep Changes. The cutout stays on your slide, and Save as Picture turns it into a PNG you can use anywhere. Menu names follow Microsoft's help for current desktop versions of PowerPoint on Windows and Mac; depending on your version, a tab or button may be labeled a little differently.
Where to find Remove Background
The command appears only while a picture is selected:
- Windows: Picture Format > Remove Background. Some versions call the tab Format.
- Mac: the Picture Format tab of the ribbon, then Remove Background.
Once you start, the two marking tools, Mark Areas to Keep and Mark Areas to Remove, are on the Background Removal tab.
Correcting the magenta preview
PowerPoint's first pass is automatic. Read it by color: everything magenta will be removed, and everything in its natural colors stays. Where the guess is wrong:
- Mark Areas to Keep brings back parts of the subject that were marked for removal, such as a hand, the top of a head or a thin strap. Draw over them with the pencil.
- Mark Areas to Remove takes away background that was left in, such as the gap between an arm and the body.
Zoom in on the slide for small areas, and fix the big mistakes before the small ones. If the marks get out of hand, Discard All Changes leaves the picture as it was. The first guess has the easiest job when the subject stands out clearly from its background; fine hair, fur and glass are hard for any background remover. Once you keep the changes, Microsoft notes you can also add picture effects or an artistic effect to what remains.
The newer Edit Image editor
Microsoft is also rolling out a separate image editor in PowerPoint. In a March 2026 post on the Microsoft 365 Insider blog, the PowerPoint team describes an Edit Image button, the first button from the left on the Picture Format tab and also in the picture's right-click menu, that opens actions including Remove background, Erase, Upscale and Auto enhance. You preview a change and select Update to apply it to the slide. The post, written for Microsoft 365 Insiders, lists PowerPoint for the web, Windows Version 2510 or later and Mac Version 16.104 or later, and notes that features roll out over time and may be adjusted or removed. If you don't see Edit Image, use Remove Background as described here.
Saving the cutout as a PNG
On the slide, the cutout is ready to use: move it, resize it or place it over a colored background. To use it in another app, Save as Picture writes it to its own file, and the same command also saves shapes, charts and SmartArt as images. PNG is the format that keeps a transparent background; Microsoft describes it as one in which parts of the image can be transparent. Recent versions also list SVG, but a photo cutout is made of pixels, so PNG is the better fit. Keep your original photo too, in case you want to redo the cutout later.
Doing it in the browser instead
For hair, fur or a busy background that needs a lot of marking, or when Remove Background isn't available where you're working, Background Remover PNG makes the cutout in your browser for free, with no signup, and the picture is processed on your own device rather than uploaded. You download a full-size transparent PNG with no watermark and insert it on your slide like any other picture. If the picture is a logo, see how to remove the background from a logo with crisp edges and transparent holes.
How to remove a picture's background in PowerPoint
- Select the picture on your slide. To add one first, go to Insert > Pictures > This Device (Picture from File on a Mac), choose the file and select Insert.
- On the Picture Format tab, select Remove Background. If you don't see the tab, double-click the picture.
- Check the preview. The area PowerPoint will remove is colored magenta, and the part it keeps shows in its natural colors.
- If part of the subject is magenta, select Mark Areas to Keep and draw over it with the pencil. To take away more background, select Mark Areas to Remove and draw over that instead.
- Select Keep Changes.
- Right-click the picture (Control-click on a Mac), select Save as Picture, choose PNG in the Save as type list, name the file and select Save.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Remove Background grayed out in PowerPoint?
Microsoft says background removal isn't possible for vector graphics, such as SVG, AI, WMF and DRW files, so the button is grayed out for them. It works on photos and other pixel-based pictures, so check which kind of image you selected.
What is the difference between Remove Background and Transparency?
Remove Background takes away the area around the subject. Transparency, also on the Picture Format tab, fades the whole picture instead, with presets from 0% to 95%, and Picture Transparency Options lets you set any value from 0 (fully opaque) to 100% (fully transparent).
Can I remove a background in PowerPoint for the web?
Microsoft's Remove Background instructions are for the desktop apps on Windows and Mac. On the web, look for the Edit Image editor described above, which Microsoft announced for PowerPoint for the web with a Remove background action. Setting picture transparency isn't currently possible in Microsoft 365 for the web.
Why does my saved picture have a white background?
It was most likely saved as a JPEG, which can't store transparency, so the removed area gets filled with a solid color. Use Save as Picture again and choose PNG in the Save as type list.
Why is the saved PNG smaller than my original photo?
Office can compress pictures, which reduces their dimensions as well as their file size, and Microsoft 365's default picture resolution is 220 ppi. On Windows, turn on Do not compress images in file under File > Options > Advanced > Image Size and Quality, then insert the original photo again. Microsoft notes this improves picture quality but can make files very large.
Does my presentation still contain the original picture?
Microsoft says information about the changes you make to a picture is stored in the file, which is what lets you undo them. On Windows, Discard editing data under File > Options > Advanced > Image Size and Quality deletes that information; after that, undoing an edit means inserting the picture again. Another option is to replace the edited picture with the PNG you saved.