Create a photo slideshow in PowerPoint
Bryan Jones
- eLearning Development , Posts , PowerPoint
I recently created a photo slideshow (using PowerPoint) of my dad’s life-sized chess set sculpture that’s at Facebook (Go Dad!).
I found that PowerPoint was a surprisingly powerful slideshow creation tool.
And once I learned the basics, I was able to create my next slideshow in under 1 minute!
Below is what I learned, as well as some bonus lessons such as adding music, creating a custom title slide, saving the slideshow as YouTube video, and more.
Let’s go ahead and get started!
Video Tutorial
Here is a video that shows the entire process:
And if you want to watch the published version of the slideshow, you can watch it here:
Sculptures are by my dad, Hardy Jones , and sculpture photos in the source files are courtesy of my good friend Erin Bibeau .
Screenshot and Text Tutorial
The screenshot version of the lessons are below and are organized into these sections:
- Create slideshow in under 1 minute
- Create a custom title slide
- Set slide transitions
- Improve image quality
- Scale images to the edge of the slides
- Add pan and zoom “Ken Burns” effect
- Create scrolling credits
- Save the PowerPoint slideshow as a video that you can upload to YouTube
Create a PowerPoint Slideshow in Under 1 Minute
To watch this section as a YouTube video, click here .
0. Start with a new presentation open in MS Powerpoint.
Note: I’m working in PowerPoint 2016, but the steps are similar for 2013 and 2011.
1. Insert a photo album to your presentation
Go to “insert” → “photo album” → “new photo album”., click on “file disk”., select the photos from your computer.
Note: You can hold down Ctrl while clicking several photos to select them individually
Click “Insert”
Click “create”, 2. add transitions to your slideshow.
Next you want to add transitions to your new photo album.
Click the first slide, then hold Shift while clicking the last slide to select the whole range of slides.
Go to “transitions” → click on the arrow to open up more choices., click on “random”., 3. set the slides to advance automatically, from the “transitions” tab, check the “advance slide” “after” box., set it to 2 seconds (or whatever you want)., 4. set the slideshow to loop continuously, go to “slide show” → “set up show”., turn on “loop continuously until ‘esc’”, then click “ok”., 5. that’s it boom done in under 1 minute.
You’ve created a photo slideshow in PowerPoint in under 1 minute!
You can preview your slideshow with the preview button.
Advanced PowerPoint photo slideshow tips
The lesson above shows you how easy it is to create a photo slideshow in PowerPoint in under a minute.
But if you want to take it to the next level, you should continue reading below.
Advanced Tip 1: Create Custom Title Slide
The default title slide for a slideshow in PowerPoint is just a black slide with a text box.
I’d rather delete it than use the default view.
Or better yet, why not use an image from the slideshow with a text overlay? That’s what I’ll show you how to do below!
To watch this part of the lesson as a YouTube video, click here .
0. Start with the slideshow you created previously.
1. copy and paste a the template slide.
Note: You can download our free template here
The click the slide and using Ctrl + C to copy.
Then go to your own slide show, click on where you want to insert it, and hit Ctrl + V.
2. Click on the new slide to select it and customize it.
You can change the text as you please.
You can also change the image by right-clicking on the image → “Change Picture”.
Click on “Work offline”.
Then select a photo and click “Open”.
Click on the eye icons next to “text” in the “Selection” pane to hide the text.
Click on the box to select it → right-click → “Format Shape”.
Adjust the transparency depending on how bright or dark your background photo is.
Click on the eye icons for “text” again to show the text and see the effect.
Advanced Tip 2: Add Music
0. start with the slideshow you created in ms powerpoint., 1. insert the music.
Go to “Insert” → “Audio” → “Audio on My PC”.
Select a music file and click “Insert”.
2. Adjust the playback settings
Go to “Playback” → select “Automatically” for “Start” so that the music plays on its own.
Check the box for “Play Across Slides”.
To hide the audio icon on the slide during the show, click on it to select it, then go to “Playback” → “Hide During Show”.
You can loop the music if you want by checking the box for “Loop until Stopped”. This is optional.
3. Preview what it sounds like by clicking the preview button.
Advanced tip 3: transitions.
To watch the part of the tutorial as a YouTube video, click here.
0. Start with the slide show you created in MS Powerpoint.
1. select a slide to control the transition to it (from the slide before it)..
Go to “Transitions” → click the arrow for more choices.
Click on the transition style you want (this also previews them so you can see what they look like).
Advanced Tip 4: Image Quality
To watch this part of the tutorial as a YouTube video, click here.
1. Turn off the compression of images
Go to “File” → “Options”.
Then click on the “Advanced” tab and check the box for “Do not compress images in file”. (Directly beneath it, leave the “Default resolution” at “High fidelity” for good quality.) Turning off image compression helps a lot with zoom transitions of photos and when you enlarge photos, so that they don’t look pixelated.
Advanced Tip 5: Scaling Images
To watch this part of the tutorial as a YouTube video, click here .
Scaling photos will allow you to get rid of the empty spaces to the sides, like in the photo beneath.
1. Increase the size of the image to fill the workspace
Drag the image to the left (hold down left click on it) and align its left side with the edge.
Note: You may want to zoom out a little to make the next step easier.
Hold down shift and drag the lower right corner to resize it until it completely covers the empty space on the right. (Holding down shift keeps the image in proportion when resizing it.)
Click on the image and drag it up a bit to position it as you like.
Note: I like to use the thumbnails on the left pane to see what the positioning looks like.
If you’re a perfectionist, you can optionally also crop the overhanging part of the image if you wish by going to “Format” → “Crop”. It’s not really necessary, though.
2. Consider adding multiple photos for portrait oriented images
The image scaling method above is best suited to landscape pictures. If you have a portrait picture, you might wish to try using 2 or more pictures instead to cover up the empty spaces.
Advanced Tip 6: Add “Ken Burns” Pan Zoom Effect
A “Ken Burns” effect is adding some motion to the photos in a storytelling slide show. It’s an in-slide effect, unlike a transition. In this example, the slide starts zoomed in, then zooms out.
1. Create both a “grow/shrink” and a motion path effect to the image
Go to “Animations” → “Animation Pane”
In the Animation Pane, there are 2 things that need to be set up: a grow-shrink animation and a motion path. You then start them at the same time so they both move and grow. (See video linked in show notes on how to do this in detail as this takes some tweaking.)
The image will actually need to be much larger than the viewable area.
To compare the image size to viewable area, go to the Selection Pane and click the eye icon for the picture. This hides it.
You can now see the viewable area, which is quite small in comparison.
Advanced Tip 7: Add Scrolling Credits
Scrolling credits are the credits you list at the end of the video, auto-scrolling up.
1. Add a background color and a text box
Draw a black rectangle (or any color you wish) using the “Insert”->”Shape”->”Rectangle”
Create a text box with a contrasting color and insert your credits using “Insert”-> “Shape” -> “Textbox”
Move the text box below the entire slide
3. Add a line motion path animation to the text box
Note: Powerpoint actually has its own functionality for setting up credits, but it tends to stop in the middle if the credits are long. So it’s more reliable just using a the line motion path described below.
Click on the text box to select it. Then go to “Animations” → click on the arrow to expand the selection of animations.
Select “Lines” under “Motion Paths”.
3. Adjust the animation settings
The line will appear as a small vertical line with a green dot (where it starts) and red dot (where it ends).
You want it to travel up off the screen (scrolling up), so click on the red dot and drag it up above the slide.
Set the duration by going to “Animations” → “Duration”. The duration will depend on how long your credits are.
Remove the “smooth start” and “smooth end” by going to “Animations” → “Animation Pane”.
In the Animation Pane, click on the arrow for the text box → “Effect Options”.
Set “Smooth start” and “Smooth end” to 0 seconds. Click OK.
Advanced Tip 8: Save Slideshow As Video
One of the hidden features of PowerPoint is that you can save it out as a video. In my case, I wanted to save it as a video and upload it to YouTube. But you can also use it for other purposes as well.
1. Save your Powerpoint slideshow as a video
Go to “File” → “Save As” → “Browse”.
Under “Save as type”, change it from the default “PowerPoint Presentation” to “MPEG-4 Video”. (MP4 is a video format that’s compatible with Youtube.) Click “Save”.
You can track the progress for video conversion at the bottom. It usually takes a few minutes, but can take longer depending on the length of your video and the speed of your computer.
Once your video is complete, navigate back to the folder where you saved it.
Bonus Templates and Files
If you’ve made it this far, you’re a rockstar and you deserve something special. 🙂
Get 3 free slideshow templates:
Get your free download.
How to Make a Photo Slideshow on PowerPoint
PowerPoint is a powerful tool for presentations, but also for Photo Slideshows. Think of it like the live-still photo frames in Harry Potter . Indeed, they used PowerPoint as the software for that mystical moving frame.
This tutorial will walk you through How to Make A Photo Slideshow .
Go to the tools ribbon and click Insert . From the options under Insert, select Photo Album . Once clicked, a pop-up window will open, displaying all the settings for adjusting your Photo Album.
To insert our pictures, click on the button in the upper left corner labeled File/Disk . Select the photos you want to use from your computer. Once selected, the photos will all be displayed on this box labeled Pictures in Album.
The pictures are all numbered according to the order they are placed in the presentation. They also have boxes placed before them which you can select to adjust using specific settings, such as moving up or down, rotating the image, and changing its brightness and saturation.
For example, I want to move image number two to the first slide. I tick the box and click on the up button. If I want to rotate the image, I can easily use these rotate buttons on the side, and if I want to change the brightness, I also have some tools here for that. Under Album Layout , there are three tools you can use to adjust your slides and images. It has this Picture Layout option, allowing us to place more than one image on a slide as we see fit.
For example, if I want two images on each slide, I click on this button next to Picture Layout, which will give us a drop-down of options. From there, select the one that says two pictures, and it will automatically arrange the album to have two photos on each slide.
Under Picture, Layout is an option to change the Frame Shape . Clicking on the small V-shaped button shows us a drop-down of the frame options you can choose to reshape your images. I chose a rounded rectangle for this presentation.
We also have the option to select the theme for our slides. Once clicked, it will open a window showing a folder with all the themes we can use. For simplicity’s sake, we will use the default one.
For our final presentation, I wanted our slides to only have one picture on each slide, so I went back to Picture Layout and selected 1 Picture . Now that it’s back to this format give each image a caption below.
Go to Picture Options and click on the box that says Captions Below All Pictures . The images will be captioned with their default image names, but you can edit them once you have created the Photo Album.
Other options on this window include Insert text, with a button labeled New Text Box . It adds a textbox with a box you can check on to move up and down the order of slides and other adjustments.
We also have this box that says All Pictures Black and White , which, as its name suggests, will turn all the pictures black and white.
Now that I have adjusted my Picture Album, let’s click on create, and voila!
First, we are greeted by our initial slide, which has a default title of Photo Album and a subtitle that cites the author, which by default is the name of your computer.
We can easily edit this by clicking on the text box and typing in the title and name of your choice.
Now for the image slides, a text box displaying their default names is found beneath each picture. You can also easily change these by clicking on the text box and editing the name to your liking.
If you are not satisfied with the format of your slides, you can go back to the Insert tab and click Photo Album, where you can choose the Edit Photo Album button to reopen the pop-up window and readjust your presentation. Once satisfied, click Update, and you’re all set.
Now that you have the basics of your Photo Album, you can add some animations, transitions, and other cosmetics to make your presentation awesome.
I made this Photo Album as simple as possible to show you the basics. Now it’s time to check out what our Photo Album looks like as a slide show presentation.
This is how the presentation would look if we chose the two pictures in one slide option under Picture Layout.
For more spectacular tips on utilizing PowerPoint, follow us on YouTube or read about How to Use Slide Master and How to Add Pop-Up Text to your presentations.
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How to Create a Photo Slideshow with PowerPoint
Last Updated: February 6, 2023 References
wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 57 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 908,370 times. Learn more...
With so many fun and accessible ways to take photos, there is no wonder why everyone is so photo-happy these days. As easy as it may be to stock up on photos, it can be a challenge to keep them organized. One great way to keep your photos in a convenient place, that is easy to access when you want to reminisce on special memories, is by uploading them into PowerPoint. By doing this, you can create a slideshow that is a fun-filled way to back up the memories in your life.
Creating Photo Slideshows for PC Computers
- Remember to save your presentation after something that will help you to remember what pictures are in the file. This will help you to locate them later on.
- Select a layout that will accommodate your image, such as a slide with a title box and an image box, a slide with just an image box, or even a blank slide.
- Double-click inside the image box (or go to Insert > Picture > From File ), then browse to the desired image.
- Click "Okay" or "Insert" to add the image. If you don't like the way it looks, select the image and click on "Picture" to change it out for a different one. You can also select the image and hit "Delete" to remove the picture.
- Locate the "Slide Sorter" button near the bottom of the image pane. Then, click and drag the slides to the desired destinations.
- To add music, click on the movies and audio icon located under the "Insert" tab. First, go to "Audio from file", and then, click on "Music" to pull up your music. When you choose the song you want, click on the song, and press "Link to file" before pressing "Insert". [9] X Research source
- You can choose if the song plays for just one slide or the entire presentation by clicking on "Format Audio" next to the "Home" button, and then, clicking on "Play Across Slides" under "Audio Options". [10] X Research source
Creating Photo Slideshows for Mac Computers
- You can scroll through your photos and choose the ones you want to add to your slideshow by double-clicking on them.
- To add music, click on the movies and audio icon located at the top of the PowerPoint screen. Then, click on "Music" and all of your music should appear. When you choose the song you want, drag and drop the file onto one of your slides.
- You can choose if the song plays for just one slide or the entire presentation by clicking on "Format Audio" next to the "Home" button, and then, clicking on "Play Across Slides" under "Audio Options".
Sample Slideshow
Community Q&A
- Choose a theme for the photo slideshow. If the photos are from a summer vacation, choose a bright yellow background or upbeat music. ⧼thumbs_response⧽ Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
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- ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/create-a-presentation-in-powerpoint-422250f8-5721-4cea-92cc-202fa7b89617
- ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/save-your-presentation-file-34377c9c-a1e5-44e1-9c3f-e6e72ee6c541
- ↑ https://tsengcollege.csun.edu/sites/default/files/PDFs/forWindows/Slide_Titles_in_Microsoft_PowerPoint.pdf
- ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/add-rearrange-duplicate-and-delete-slides-in-powerpoint-e35a232d-3fd0-4ee1-abee-d7d4d6da92fc
- ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/insert-a-picture-in-powerpoint-5f7368d2-ee94-4b94-a6f2-a663646a07e1
- ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/add-transitions-between-slides-e89a076e-ed81-404e-9598-021a918fa1ba
- ↑ https://guides.lib.umich.edu/c.php?g=283149&p=1886370
- ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/play-music-across-multiple-slides-in-your-slide-show-b01ded6a-28c8-473a-971a-6dfa92cc9367
- ↑ http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/office/forum/officeversion_other-powerpoint/powerpoint-how-to-add-music-throughout-the/10a366a4-9727-4f78-aa06-e9f76c8a5269
- ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/add-rearrange-duplicate-and-delete-slides-in-powerpoint-e35a232d-3fd0-4ee1-abee-d7d4d6da92fc#OfficeVersion=macOS
- ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/insert-a-picture-in-powerpoint-5f7368d2-ee94-4b94-a6f2-a663646a07e1#OfficeVersion=macOS
- ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/play-music-across-multiple-slides-in-your-slide-show-b01ded6a-28c8-473a-971a-6dfa92cc9367#OfficeVersion=macOS
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Insert a picture in PowerPoint
Insert a picture from your computer on your slide
Depending on which version of PowerPoint you're using, you can insert pictures, photos, clip art, or other images to your slide show from your computer or from the Internet.
Tip: Microsoft 365 subscribers have access to thousands of royalty-free images and premium templates . See Insert premium images for more information.
Click where you want to insert the picture on the slide.
On the Insert tab, in the Images group, click Pictures and then click This Device .
In the dialog box that opens, browse to the picture that you want to insert, click that picture, and then click Insert .
Tip: If you want to insert multiple pictures at the same time, press and hold the Ctrl key while you select all the pictures you want to insert.
Insert stock images on your slide
On the Insert tab, in the Images group, click Pictures and then click Stock Images .
Type in what image you're looking for, then click on which images you want and click Insert .
Insert a picture from the web on your slide
On the Insert tab, in the Images group, click Pictures and then click Online Pictures .
If you see a message that "The service required to use this feature is turned off" you may need to check your privacy settings located at File > Account > Account Privacy and then click on Manage Settings . Check the Enable optional connected experiences box, click OK, and then restart PowerPoint.
If you don't have access to your privacy settings you may need to contact your administrator.
In the search box type in the image you're looking for and press enter.
Select all the images you want and then click Insert .
Tip: After you insert a picture, you can change its size and position. To do so, right-click the picture, and click Format Picture . You can then use the Format Picture tools that are on the right of your slide.
Insert a picture into the slide master
If you want a picture to appear on every slide of a specific type in your PowerPoint template, add it to the slide master. To learn more, see What is a slide master?
Insert a picture into the background
If you want a picture to appear as background without affecting all slides in a Master, change the background settings for the slide. Learn more at Add a picture as a slide background .
Create and share a photo album
Add a picture as slide background
Wrap text around a picture or other object in PowerPoint
Create and save a PowerPoint template
What is a slide master?
You can add single or multiple images onto a slide, the slide master, or to the background.
On the Insert tab, in the Images group, click Pictures .
On the Insert tab, in the Images group, click Online Pictures .
(PowerPoint 2013) In the Bing Image Search box, type what you are searching for, and press Enter.
(Newer versions) Ensure Bing is showing on the left in the drop-down list of sources to search. In the box, type what you are searching for, and press Enter.
Use the Size , Type , Color , Layout , and licensing filters to adjust the results according to your preferences.
Click the picture you want to insert, and click Insert .
Insert clip art
Unlike some earlier versions of PowerPoint, PowerPoint 2013 and newer versions don't have a clip art gallery. Instead, use Insert > Online Pictures to find and insert clip art using the Bing search tool.
For example, after you select Online Pictures , you might search for horse clip art and see a variety of images under a Creative Commons license.
Important: You are responsible for respecting copyright law , and the license filter in Bing can help you choose which images to use. Learn more at Add clip art to your file .
Add clip art to your file
You can add one or more images to a slide. Select the version of Office you're using to see specific instructions:
- Which version of Office for Mac are you using?
- Microsoft 365, 2021, or 2019
Insert a picture from your Mac, a network, or iCloud Drive
Open the slide you want to insert a picture on.
On the Insert menu, point at Picture , and then select Picture From File .
In the dialog box that opens, browse to the picture that you want to insert, select that picture, and then click Insert .
To insert multiple pictures at the same time, press and hold the Shift key while you select all the pictures you want to insert.
Insert a picture from your smartphone
If you've taken a picture on your smartphone, you can make it available to insert in PowerPoint for macOS by saving the image to iCloud Drive and then following the previous procedure on this page.
Microsoft 365 for Mac subscribers also can use the Continuity Camera feature to transfer a picture from a smartphone directly to a PowerPoint slide. See Add pictures to a file by using your mobile device for the details.
On the Insert menu, point at Picture , and then select Online Pictures .
The Online Pictures pane opens on the right side of the PowerPoint window.
In the Search Bing box at the top, type what you are looking for, and then press Enter.
Click a picture to select it, and then click Insert .
You may select more than one picture. The Insert button shows you how many pictures you've selected.
After the picture is on your slide, you can resize it and move it wherever you want.
Insert photos by using Photo Browser
The Photo Browser in Office helps you browse through existing photo sets on your computer, such as photos that you have in iPhoto or Photo Booth.
On the Insert menu, point at Picture , and then select Photo Browser .
In the dialog box that opens, browse to the picture that you want to insert, select that picture, and then drag it onto the slide.
To insert multiple pictures at the same time, press and hold the Shift key while you select all the pictures you want. Then drag them onto the slide.
Insert a picture from the web or your smartphone
Pictures from the web : We're sorry, but PowerPoint 2016 for Mac doesn't support inserting pictures from the web.
Pictures from your smartphone : If you've taken a picture on your smartphone, you can make it available to insert in PowerPoint 2016 for Mac by saving the image to iCloud Drive and then following the previous procedure on this page.
Insert a picture from your computer on a slide
Select the slide where you want to insert an image.
On the Insert tab, select Pictures > This Device .
Browse to the picture you want to insert, select it, and then click Open .
Drag a picture from File Explorer or Finder onto the slide
You can drag a picture from File Explorer (in Windows) or Finder (on macOS) and drop it onto a slide. The picture will be centered on the slide. Then you can move, resize, or style the picture as you like.
On the Insert tab, select Pictures > Bing pictures .
In the Search box at the top, type what you are looking for, and then press Enter.
Insert a picture from OneDrive for work or school on a slide
Microsoft 365 business subscribers can insert pictures stored on OneDrive for work or school or SharePoint in Microsoft 365. (This feature isn't available for pictures stored on OneDrive for your personal account (hotmail, Outlook.com, msn.com, or live.com).)
On the Insert tab, select Pictures > OneDrive .
Add style and formatting to a picture
When you insert a picture, PowerPoint for the web places the picture on your slide and puts a Picture tab on the ribbon.
With the picture selected, click the Picture tab.
Choose the Picture Styles option that you want to apply to the picture:
Click the down arrow at the right end of the gallery, as illustrated above, to see the complete gallery of style options.
The kinds of image files you can add to a slide in PowerPoint for the web
Image-file formats that PowerPoint for the web supports include:
.jpg and .jpeg
.tif and .tiff
.wmf and .emf
Use a background picture
See Change the background of your slides .
Take a picture and insert it
Open the slide you want to put the picture on.
On the floating ribbon, switch to Insert .
Tap Pictures > Camera .
Your device's camera is turned on.
If your presentation is horizontal, try turning your device sideways to take the picture.
Take a picture.
If you're satisfied, tap the check mark. To discard the picture and try again, tap the arrow.
Use the crop or zoom tool to adjust the picture if you like.
Tap the check mark to insert the picture on the slide.
Insert from your device or online storage
Tap Pictures > Photos .
Use the tools across the top of the window navigate to where the picture's stored.
Tap a picture to select and open it.
Make sure your device's camera is turned on.
Take the picture.
If you're satisfied with the picture, in the lower right, tap Use Photo to insert it in the slide. Otherwise, in the lower left, tap Retake .
In the Picture tab, use the tools to adjust the picture as you want or use the controls on the picture to resize or rotate it.
Navigate to where the picture is stored.
Tap the picture you want to insert it in the slide.
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Before You Begin
- Step-by-Step: Make a Slideshow on PowerPoint
- Play Music During the Slideshow
- Set up the Slideshow
- Add Timings to Each Slide
- Edit Timings on a Slide
- Create a Video Slideshow
- Save a Slideshow to a CD or Other Removeable Media
When you're ready to present your PowerPoint slides to others, look no further than PowerPoint's slideshow feature. Use this tool for all kinds of slides, but those containing photos work best for most viewers.
Instructions in this article apply to PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 , PowerPoint 2019, PowerPoint 2016, PowerPoint 2013, PowerPoint 2010, and PowerPoint for Mac.
Before you create slides for your slideshow presentation, decide how long to make the slideshow, how it should flow, and the pictures you’ll use.
- Length : A slideshow can be as long or as short as you need. The length of the slideshow should be appropriate for the topic and for your audience’s attention span.
- Outline : It’s always smart to start with an outline; it helps you visualize your slideshow. An outline can be as simple as the list of topics you want to cover.
- Pictures : Choose photos that are clear and tell a story.
With PowerPoint's Photo Album , select the pictures and PowerPoint creates the basic slideshow. Fill your slides with informative text and harmonizing background music, then turn your collection of slides into a self-running photo slideshow with music that can play as a video or be stored on a CD.
When you’re ready to make a photo slideshow with music, PowerPoint gets you up and running quickly. To get started, select Insert > Photo Album > New Photo Album .
Here’s how to add and format pictures for the slideshow using the Photo Album:
Add pictures
Select File/Disk and select the images you want in the picture slideshow.
Enhance photos
Place a checkmark next to the picture you want to enhance and change the orientation, contrast, and brightness. You’ll see the changes in the Preview window.
Add text boxes
To add a slide for text, select the image in the album list you want the text to follow and select New Text Box .
Rearrange slides
Place a checkmark next to the picture you want to move and select the Move Up or Move Down arrows.
Choose a picture layout
Select the Picture layout down arrow and choose how you want the pictures to appear in the slideshow.
Frame the pictures
Select the Frame shape down arrow and choose a frame style. You’ll see a preview in the Album Layout area. This option will not be selectable if the picture layout Fit to slide is enabled.
Select Create when you’re finished.
Your photo slideshow is created in a new file. Add text to the slides and change the look of each slide.
How to Play Music During the Slideshow
Play music in the background during your slideshow to offer an audio counterpoint to all the visuals. The background music starts automatically with the slideshow and plays during all the slides.
To add background music to your presentation, select Insert > Audio > Audio on My PC , choose a music file, then select OK .
The audio icon appears in the middle of the current slide. To move it, drag it to a different place on the slide. When the audio icon is selected, the Playback tab appears. Select Play in Background and make changes to the audio file . Here are some suggestions.
- Preview the music : Select Play to hear what the music will sound like during your slideshow.
- Shorten the duration : Select Trim Audio to remove parts of the beginning and end of the music file.
- Adjust the volume : Select Volume to make the background music louder or softer.
How to Set up the Slideshow
Once your slides are finished, it’s time to set up the slideshow. Start by deciding whether to show the slideshow in a window or full screen.
To set up the slideshow, select Slide Show > Set Up Slide Show and choose one of the following:
- Browsed by an individual (window) : Run the slideshow automatically and inside a window. This option works best when you save the slideshow to a CD.
- Browsed at a kiosk (full screen) : Run the slideshow automatically and at full-screen size. This option works best when you convert the slideshow to a video.
Select OK when you’re finished.
How to Add Timings to Each Slide in the Slideshow
Now it’s time to decide how long each slide will appear in the slideshow. To begin, select Slide Show > Rehearse Timings . The slideshow displays in full screen with a Recording toolbar and a timer.
While timing your presentation, use the Recording toolbar to advance through the presentation.
Select Next (arrow pointing to the right) to go to the next slide when the desired timing has been reached.
Select Pause to start and stop the timing.
Select Repeat to restart recording the time for the selected slide.
When you’re finished and have set the time for the last slide, close the Recording toolbar.
Select Yes to keep the recorded slide timings.
How to Edit Timings on a Slide
If you need to increase or decrease the time for your slideshow, change how long slides appear during the slideshow.
To change the timing for a slide:
Select View > Slide Sorter .
Select Transitions .
Select a slide.
In the Advance Slide After text box, enter how long the slide should appear in the slideshow before proceeding to the next slide, then press Enter .
The new timing applies to the slide.
How to Create a PowerPoint Video Slideshow
The easiest way to distribute and play your slideshow is in video format. This way, anyone can view your slideshow no matter what computer or device they use.
To convert a slideshow into a video:
Save the file.
Select File > Export .
Select Create a Video .
To force a smaller file size, select the Full HD drop-down list and choose a lower quality.
Select Create Video .
Select the destination folder and give the video a descriptive file name.
Select Save . It may take a few minutes to process the file and create the video.
How to Save a Slideshow to a CD or Other Removeable Media
To create a presentation that can be watched on any computer and can be stored on a CD or other removable media:
Select Package Presentation for CD > Package for CD .
Type a name for the CD.
Select Copy to Folder or Copy to CD and follow the on-screen directions.
When you’re finished, select Close .
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How to make a great photo slideshow
A picture tells a thousand words, so show off your pictures with a photo slideshow and tell your story.
A photo slideshow is one of the best ways to show off your pictures, whether it's your latest snaps from a holiday abroad, memories of your little ones growing up, or even your big day of wedding celebrations. It might seem daunting trying to create a photo gallery on your home computer, but have no fear because you can easily create a wonderful photo gallery with Microsoft PowerPoint.
Of course if you want to make something even fancier and add effects to your images, or edit them then you should check out the best photo slideshow software (opens in new tab) . And if you don't want to deal with the hassle of creating it yourself, or you'd prefer a physical photo album then you can turn to the best photo books (opens in new tab) .
Getting started
PowerPoint comes with an inbuilt slideshow creator called photo album, which saves a lot of time and effort in putting a slideshow together. With this feature, you don't need to keep inserting pictures into individual slides. This can be a lot of work, especially if you have lots of pictures you want to include in the album.
Below is a simple step-by-step guide you can follow to create your own slideshow. But, before you start, you want to move all of the photos you plan to use into one folder. This will shave off a lot of time and make your work much easier.
1. Open Microsoft PowerPoint
Open Microsoft PowerPoint and create a new presentation. Click the Insert button and choose Photo Album. The dropdown menu that appears has two options: "New Photo Album" and "Edit Photo Album." Unless you want to edit an existing slideshow, click "New Photo Album."
2. A dialogue box will pop up
Click the "File/Disk" button. This should open Windows Explorer, allowing you to navigate to the folder you will be choosing your pictures from.
3. Insert your pictures
Hopefully, you already have a folder containing all the needed pictures. If not, simply create a folder on your computer and copy all your photos into it. Navigate to this folder and start selecting specific pictures. You can hold down the "Ctrl" key on your keyboard and click to select pictures that are not contiguous (i.e., separated). Hold down the "Shift" key to quickly select pictures in a continuous line. If you need all the pictures in a folder, simply press "Ctrl+A."
Once you have all the pictures ready, click "Insert" to go back to the dialogue box. A list form shows all the selected photos. A small box on the right shows you a preview of the picture you have selected.
4. Removing unwanted images (Optional)
Use the arrows shown to cycle a selected picture either up and down. Click "Remove" to get rid of a selected picture.
5. Editing your picture gallery
Near the bottom of the dialogue box, there are a few options you can choose to modify your photo slideshow. Picture Layout allows you to choose what number of pictures show in a single slide and what shape the picture frame will be. You can also leave these options in their default mode.
6. Save your picture gallery
Click "Create" if you are satisfied with the pictures you've selected. This generates a presentation. You can then click on the slideshow tab to preview your photo slideshow.
All that remains now is to save the presentation and share it. You can also save and send it via email within PowerPoint. However, before you send it, see if you can make a few more improvements to your slideshow. Specifically, the theme. Click on the design tab and pick out a theme that pleases you and goes well with your photos.
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