2-Minute Tips: Resize Images in PowerPoint the Right Way

In this issue of 2-Minute Tips, I’ll show you the easiest, tried-and-true way to resize images in PowerPoint and improve your presentation.

Microsoft® PowerPoint® is one of the most widely used presentation tools out there. Chances are, you’ve had to create one of these a time or two in your life. And, unless you’re a designer, you’ve probably been resizing the images all wrong. Your graphics or photos end up pixelated, stretched, smooshed, and just plain ugly. Not only that, your presentation now looks sloppy and unprofessional—and people notice.

You don’t need to be a designer to make your presentation look great. And, learning how to properly resize images in PowerPoint is an easy way to get an edge up on your presentation.

Watch this short video to see it in action.

5 Steps to Great-Looking PowerPoint Images

Step 1

Open up your PowerPoint document and choose the slide that includes your image.

The easiest way is to select a pre-formatted slide that gives you different options for uploading a file, image, chart, or other media.

Step 2

Click the “Insert Picture from File” icon.

Step 3

Locate and insert the image you want into the presentation.

Step 4

Next, double-click the image. A toolbox will open on the right. 

Select the “Size & Properties” tab.

Step 5

Check that the “Lock aspect ratio” and “Relative to original picture size” options are selected. These ensure the width and height scale equally when you resize.

Then, change the dimensions via width or height.

The original aspect ratio is protected, so you don’t have squished or odd-looking images.

And that’s it! Super simple, and you just learned how to resize images in PowerPoint to make your presentation look professional. Check out the visual difference when resizing the correct way.