Applies ToPowerPoint 2013
Your browser does not support video. Install Microsoft Silverlight, Adobe Flash Player, or Internet Explorer 9.

Use the crop tools in PowerPoint to trim and remove unwanted portions of pictures, or to crop a picture to fit a shape.

Crop a picture to fit a shape

If you want to change the outline of a picture and make it a shape (like a circle or a star), use the cropping tools on the FORMAT tab under PICTURE TOOLS.

  1. Select the picture (or pictures) that you want to crop. If you are cropping lots of pictures at once, you have to use the same shape for all of them. To crop to different shapes, crop each picture one at time.

  2. On the FORMAT tab under PICTURE TOOLS, click Crop > Crop to Shape, and then pick the shape you want.

Crop to fit or fill a shape

You can have a picture as the fill for a shape. Just click the shape to which you want to add a picture, then under DRAWING TOOLS, on the FORMAT tab, click Shape Styles > Shape Fill > Picture, and select the picture that you want.

  1. Click the picture that you want within the shape.

  2. Click PICTURE TOOLS > FORMAT > Size and click the arrow under Crop. If you don’t see the Picture Tools and Format tabs, make sure that you selected a picture.

  3. Click Fill or Fit.

    • Fill sets the picture size to match the shape’s height or width, whichever is greatest. This fills the shape with the picture.

    • Fit sets the picture size so that the picture’s height and width both match the shape’s boundaries. This fits as much of the picture into the shape as possible. Some areas of the shape might remain empty.

      Tips: 

      • You can drag the picture to change what area of it shows within the shape.

  4. When you are finished, press ESC.

Want more?

Crop a picture

Need more help?

Want more options?

Explore subscription benefits, browse training courses, learn how to secure your device, and more.