Developing template

[Peter C. Bogert]

I've seen templates for sale that use a photo for background image but wash
out a portion of it so that the text appears more clearly. Does anyone know
of any tools/processes that can be used to do this with photos I have?

 

[Bill Foley]

Depending on the type of image used, click "View", "Master", "Slide Master"
to go to the Slide Master. Click "Insert", "Picture", "From file". Browse
to and select your image. Once inserted (and sized), right-click it and
select "Format Picture". On the "Picture" TAB, click the "Color" image and
control dropdown and select "Washout". Close out of the Slide master and
save as a "Design template (*.pot)".

 

[Guest]

For the background image, JASC's Paint Shop Pro is a very good image editor. Adobe Photoshop, too, of course, will do this.

The template itself is created in PPT. For good information on how to create a template using an image as a background, see http://www.indezine.com/products/powerpoint/ppcreatemp.html

 

[Sonia]

One way or another you can use most image editors to get the effect you
describe. However, you can even do it in PowerPoint. What version are you
using? The steps differ between versions. One way would be to:

1. Go to View > Master > Slide Master, then to Format > Background and use
your photo for the background.
2. Create a rectangle the size of the slide, fill it with white and give it
the transparency you want so that the photo shows through. Experiment with
colors. For some images white might work best and will give you a light
background. For others you might want to use black or dark blue and the
results will be a dark background
3. Now insert your photo again (Insert > Picture > Picture from File) and
size it to cover the slide.
4. Crop the picture. For example, crop it so that only the left portion
remains. That will give you full resolution left border.

An image editor would allow a fancier version of the above with feathering
or blending, but PowerPoint gets you the basics.

 

[David M. Marcovitz]

You can do this easily within PowerPoint. Insert the picture into the
slide master. Click on the picture to select it. Reduce the contrast
and/or increase the brightness using the tools in the picture toolbar
(pops up automatically when a picture is selected) or by going to the
Format menu and choosing Picture... (which should be the last item).
Fancier picture editing tools like Adobe Photoshop can also be used, but
the built-in tools in PowerPoint will work just fine.
--David

--
David M. Marcovitz, Ph.D.
Director of Graduate Programs in Educational Technology
Loyola College in Maryland
Author of _Powerful PowerPoint for Educators_
http://www.loyola.edu/education/PowerfulPowerPoint/

 

[Kathy J]

If you are using PPT 2002 or 2003, you can do this by adjusting the color
and transparency settings fro the placeholders.
1) Set the picture as the background of the slide master
2) Select the two placeholders
3) From the right click menu, select Format Placeholder
4) On the Colors and Lines tab, change the color to something that
coordinates with the main color of your background. Set the transparency to
about 75%. Click preview. If you want the background less washed out, adjust
the transparency to a lower number. If you want it more washed out, adjust
the transparency to a higher number.
5) When the wash out is the way you want it, click ok.
6) If you want a title master to match, make the same changes on that master

Now, when you use those masters, you should get the effect you want.

--
Kathryn Jacobs, Microsoft MVP PowerPoint and OneNote
Get PowerPoint answers at http://www.powerpointanswers.com
Cook anything outdoors with http://www.outdoorcook.com
Get OneNote answers at http://www.onenoteanswers.com

I believe life is meant to be lived. But:
if we live without making a difference, it makes no difference that we lived

 

[Peter C. Bogert]

Your comments are all very helpful, and I am grateful for the quick
response.

I know that the tools in PowerPoint allow me to do brightness and contrast
changes as well as washouts. I guess what I am trying to end up with the
the image as background, with a certain area of it only washed out to handle
text placement.

I'll work on the techniques described in two of the posts and see what I can
do. Many thanks!