How to tear a picture into pieces

PowerPoint 365
For some reason can be informative to create several shapes with one background picture and move some of them apart. Moving shapes is easy, but how to keep the background image flowing through them all?
Picture into pieces in PowerPoint 365

If the repositioned shapes are simple, you can adjust the background image by changing the offset values. For more complex designs, see How to create a Jigsaw puzzle with the falling-out piece or How to add the effect of falling-out pieces of a Jigsaw puzzle.

To create an effect of tearing a picture into several pieces, do the following:

   1.   On the Insert tab, in the Illustrations group, click the Shapes button:

Shapes in PowerPoint 365

   2.   In the Shapes drop-down list, select and add to the PowerPoint slide any shapes that should contain a picture.

For example:

Several shapes in PowerPoint 365

   3.   Position shapes, for this example:

Several shapes and one in PowerPoint 365

   4.   Select and group all shapes except the moved one. To group selected shapes, do one of the following:

  • On the Home tab, in the Drawing group, select the Arrange drop-down list, then click the Group command:
    Group shapes in PowerPoint 365
  • On the Shape Format tab, in the Arrange group, click the Group command:
    Shape Format group in PowerPoint 365
  • Right-click one of the objects and choose Group -> Group from the popup menu:
    Popup group shapes in PowerPoint for Microsoft 365

PowerPoint puts a single box around all shapes instead of separate boxes around each one.

   5.   Right-click on the group and choose Format Shape... in the popup menu:

Format grouped shape in popup in PowerPoint 365

   6.   On the Format Shape pane, on the Shape Options tab, in the Fill & Line group, in the Fill section:

  • Choose Picture or texture fill,
  • Click on the Insert... button:
    Insert file in Format Picture pane PowerPoint 365
  • In the Insert Pictures dialog box, choose the picture location, select the picture file, and then click Open or Insert:
Insert picture in PowerPoint 365

PowerPoint shows a picture inside the grouped shapes:

Picture inside the grouped shapes in PowerPoint 365

   7.   Add the same picture to the distinguished shape (repeat steps 5-6 for this shape).

   8.   On the Format Shape pane, on the Shape Options tab, in the Fill & Line group, in the Fill section, select the appropriate values in the Offset fields.

For example:

  • For the grouped shapes:
    Offset fields in Format Picture pane PowerPoint 365
  • For the repositioned shape:
    Offset fields in Format Picture pane PowerPoint 365

Make any other adjustments you desire.

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