PowerPoint is perhaps one of the most used programs when we have to create short papers, concept maps or slides to show in some congress or office, given its great ease of use and flexibility. If we are a beginner with the PC and with Office, we can make the slides truly unique in their kind by adding images to each slide (as a background or as a full image) or, to make everything even more engaging, we can also add videos, which will only play when we get to the specific slide. We see in this guide how to add images and videos to PowerPoint ; if we don't have the Office suite on our PC, we can remedy it by relying on LibreOffice, which offers a valid, completely free PowerPoint replacement program.
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How to add images on PowerPoint
To add simple images to a PowerPoint slide, open the program and the work we were doing, click on the Insert menu at the top and finally select the Images item.
The file manager page will open, with which we will be able to select the folder and the image to add to the selected slide.
The Format bar will open at the top, where we can view the various options available for the added image.
With the options that appear on the bar, we can remove part of the image, apply various types of options and effects, apply frames, choose new borders or a new layout, add text inside, cut out and move. In this way we can also create collages of images, accompanied on the side by descriptive text (very useful in scientific presentations or graduation theses).
To quickly change the proportions of the image with respect to the slide or rotate the image, simply select it and use one of the dots on the edges of the slide, so as to change the size on the fly or turn a slightly crooked image.
In addition to the images taken from the PC, we can also insert images taken directly from the Web; to add pictures online let's go back to the Insert menu and use the item Pictures online .
A search window will open and various categories of images ready to be added, we will only have to click on it to add to the slide. Through this menu we can also upload the images that we previously saved on the Microsoft cloud, or OneDrive.
If instead we want to apply an image as the background of the slide, we will have to follow a different procedure: we right-click on an empty point of the slide, then we open the Format Background menu.
A sidebar will open on the right, where you can select the Fill with image or theme . After activating the item, we can add any image on the PC by clicking on the File button; if instead we want to upload an image taken from the Internet, simply click on the item Online .
Once the preferred background has been inserted, we can use the various items in the bar to adjust the intensity and transparency effect, so as to make the image suitable for the type of text or content that we are going to load on the slide.
How to add videos on PowerPoint
Instead of images we want to add a nice video to our slide ">The program will let us choose whether we want to upload a video taken from the Internet or to upload a video saved on our PC.
In the first case, we open the entry Video online and use the integrated YouTube search engine to find the right video to insert on the slide.
If the video is not present on YouTube, we can still insert it on the slide by retrieving the embed code from the video page and inserting it in the appropriate field. At the end of the process, the video will be ready and positioned inside the slide, with the freedom to move the preview window where we consider it appropriate (as if it were an image). When we play the slide, it will also start the video at the right time, according to the order of execution set.
In the second case (ie the video saved on the computer) we click on Video in personal PC, so we can open the file manager and take us to the path where the video is saved; let's load it inside PowerPoint and place it as already seen for online videos (the behavior is identical). In this case, to send the presentation containing the video to someone, it is necessary to insert the video file and the Powerpoint pptx file in the same folder, then create a compressed .zip file of this folder and send the presentation via the zip file.
How to add images and videos on LibreOffice
PowerPoint is one of the programs present within the Microsoft Office suite, and as such it is paid.If we are busy enough, we are in a hurry and we cannot buy a valid license for Office, instead of jumping into piracy we can download on our PC a free office suite like the one offered by LibreOffice .
After installing this suite on our computer, to add images and videos to the slides we open the LibreOffice Impress program, the free PowerPoint fee. Once the program is open, we create our project with the slides and, at the moment in which to add an image, we click on the Insert image button, present in the upper bar.
The file manager will open as usual, where you can select the folder and the image to add to the slide.
The added image can be managed thanks to the right sidebar, where we can find all the options to be able to edit, enlarge, improve and apply effects.
If, on the other hand, we want to apply a personal image as the background of the slide, we right-click on a free point of the slide, then select the Properties item. In the new window, go to the Background tab, select Bitmap and finally click on the Add / Import button.
The file manager with which to upload the personal image will open; once chosen, we will be asked to give a name to this background; at the end we will see the image appear in the list on the left, ready to be used as a background.
If we want to upload a video to the slide instead, we click Insert audio or video at the top .
In the window that appears, go to the folder that holds the video and select it, so as to insert it inside the slide.
If we fear that the slide file will become too heavy, we can also activate the Link item when adding the video: in this way only a preview will be shown on the slide and, at the moment of playback, the external file will be started.
It goes without saying that with this solution the slide file and the various videos you add must be saved in the same folder, so that they can be started correctly.
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