There are many ways to place an image onto a slide behind the text. Let's
just run thru them, quickly.
1) Insert a Master Slide Background
If you are using PowerPoint 2002 or newer and the background will be used
for more than one slide, you can create a master slide with the background.
To do this, open the master slide view (View => Master ... => Slide Master)
create a new master slide (Insert => New Slide Master) and make the master
slide background the picture (format => Background => Use the small pulldown
under the fill section => Select Filll Effects => Picture tab => Select
Picture => Navigate to the pictures location and select the picture =>
select Insert => Select OK => Select Apply (not 'apply to all') => Close
Master View => (you are back on the normal slide view) Click Format => Slide
Design = Locate your new master (should be near the top of the list) and
click on the pulldown next to it => select 'apply to selected slides'
2) Insert an individual slide background
You can also follow the individual method for inserting a background for a
single slide. From the normal edit view, click on Format => Background =>
(this is similar to the above method) The fill pulldown => Fill effects =>
Picture => Select Picture => Navigate => Select Insert => Select OK =>
Select Apply
3) Insert a filled shape on the master
Determine which master slide applies to your slide. Then go to that master
slide and insert a rectangle. Move the rectangle to behind everything. Use
the shape Fill effects => Picture method to add a picture behind the text of
the master slide
4) Insert a filled shape on the slide
Same as 3. Insert a filled shape on the master, but on the individual slide
5) Add a picture to the master
Open the master and select Insert Picture => Picture from file => Navigate
to the image file => Insert => Ok out of everything, then move the picture
to the back by selecting Draw => Order send to back
6) Add a picture to the slide
Same as 5. Add a Picture to the master, but on the individual slide
Which of these methods is best depends on 2 factors. The first is how many
slides will the background be used for. If it is a single slide, than
perhaps the easiest method (#6) is the best. However, if the background
will be used for more than a single slide, it may be better to use the top
method.
The second consideration is if the picture will need to be modified in any
way from within PowerPoint. If the answer is yes, than you do not want to
use the background or filled shape options. Options 1 thru 4 can not use
the image adjustment tools within PowerPoint, so therefore can not be
cropped, brightened or such.
Let me know if any of the directions are confusing or you have additional
questions.
--
Bill Dilworth
A proud member of the Microsoft PPT MVP Team
Users helping fellow users.
http://billdilworth.mvps.org
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yahoo2@ Please read the PowerPoint FAQ pages.
yahoo. They answer most of our questions.
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