Are you searching for a wow factor to showcase your creative work? I'll take you through how to make a collage in PowerPoint that'll immediately capture your audience's attention!
When it comes to your presentation, text matters. But text is just one part of your presentation. Visuals like photos are another essential part of your PowerPoint slide deck.
If you want to spice up your presentation, using a PowerPoint photo collage template is a good idea. In this tutorial, I’ll explain how to make a collage in PowerPoint and its benefits. We’ll also share some quick tips on how to make a photo slideshow in PowerPoint.
How to Quickly Make Great Photo Collage Presentations With PowerPoint Templates (Video)
Do you want to create a PowerPoint photo collage for your next presentation? I've got a quick video that'll help you find out what you need to know about how to make a collage in PowerPoint:
Keep reading for even more tips and ideas about PowerPoint picture collages. I'll cover much more in the rest of the tutorial.
Jump to content in this section:
Why Use Collage Layouts in Your Presentation?
In my experience, collage layouts are a creative way to add many images to your slides. But how do you make a photo slideshow in PowerPoint?
Add several photos to the slide to create a slideshow or collage PowerPoint layout. Then, organize them like you would with a paper collage or a scrapbook. I prefer to save time using a premium pre-made PowerPoint photo collage template.
Using PowerPoint collage layouts can make presentations more visually appealing. This effortlessly creates a dynamic feel, keeping your audience interested and engaged.
Plus, a PowerPoint collage template makes your presentation stand out. Most of your peers will stick to a more traditional slide layout of an image next to a text block.
I've seen photo collage PowerPoint layouts often come in handy for creative professionals. Here are a few examples:
- when presenting past projects such as design or illustrative work
- when showcasing photos from an event
- when sharing photos of different products or services
How to Create Collage Layouts in PowerPoint
As I mentioned, a PowerPoint picture collage is a great way to add many images with minimal slides. Let's examine how to create a collage layout in PowerPoint quickly.
For this tutorial, I’ll be using the Mouve PowerPoint template from Envato Elements.
This is a clean modern PowerPoint template that's suitable for all kinds of presentations. Let's get started:
1. Create a New Blank Slide
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First things first. Open your PowerPoint template. Then click on the Insert tab. Select New Slide, and from the drop-down menu, choose a blank slide.
This gives you a clean slate to start with.
2. Load Your Images
Next, load all the images you want to use in your photo collage into your PowerPoint template.
On the Insert tab, select Pictures > Picture From File. Locate the folder with the pictures on your computer. Press Control-A to select all the images in that folder, and then press Insert.
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You can also open the folder containing all the images. Press Control-A to select them all and drag them onto your PowerPoint slide.
3. Make the Photo Collage
With all your images loaded, it’s time to make your PowerPoint picture collage. First, resize the images so that they all fit nicely onto the slide. Resize the images—drag the corner Anchor Points that appear when the image is selected.
Then, select an individual image and drag the middle to position it on the slide.
How you position the images on the slide is entirely up to you, but here are some of my go-to ideas to get you started:
- Put them side by side if you prefer a classic layout.
- Experiment with overlaying images for a more creative layout.
- Mix horizontal and vertical images for a dynamic look and feel.
- Use a combination of photos and shapes to create a layered collage look.
Once you’ve arranged the photos as you want them, you can adjust which photo should be on top.
Right-click on a photo and select Bring to Front to position it on the top. Or select Send to Back to place it behind a different image. Then, repeat this process for any other image on the slide.
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4. Crop Images to a Shape
Do you want to add more photos to your collage but don't have enough room on the slide? Consider cropping some images to a shape. This is also an excellent way to get even more creative with the collage layout.
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Select the image you want to crop and click the Picture Format tab. Click the Crop icon and select the Crop to Shape option from the drop-down menu. Then, select the shape you want.
In this example, I’ve selected the Oval shape.
5. Adjust the Image Crop
Sometimes, you may want to adjust the image's crop so that the desired portion shows up. To do this, select the image and click on the Picture Format tab. Then click the Crop icon and adjust the crop.
You can also move the image around to reposition it within the crop marks.
6. Play With Colors
This is my favorite part. Make some images stand out more by adding a color overlay. To do this, click the Picture Format tab and the Color options. You can then play with the saturation and tone or add a color overlay.
7. Adding Final Touches
Are you done arranging and cropping your images? Take a few minutes and step away from your presentation. Take a short break and return to see the PowerPoint collage design with fresh eyes.
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You can then add more images if there are any blank spots or experiment with a different layout.
Consider duplicating the existing slide first to have a copy of the original layout. You can do this by right-clicking on a slide and selecting Duplicate Slide. This allows you to change the design as much as you want while having a backup.
5 PowerPoint Image Trends
We've covered how to make a photo slideshow in PowerPoint. Let's explore some of the latest image trends in 2024. Following trends helps me avoid unintentionally creating slides that look dated.
Here are my top five image trends for 2024:
1. Create Depth With Gradients
Gradient backgrounds in PPT are a common trend that can applied to images too. Seamlessly blend hues and tones to create depth. This trend elevates the aesthetic of your presentation and will impress your audience.
Gradient Minimal Template is an example of a quick and easy way to create gradient images. Using a gradient overlay on black-and-white photo collages creates a unique style.
2. Create Fluid Custom Shapes
Are you bored of squares, rectangles, and circles? Photo masks apply custom shapes to your images, giving your slides a unique edge.
Doodle Creative PPT is a professional yet fun presentation. It includes a mix of creative doodles and custom-shaped photo collages.
3. Keep It Clean With Geometric Shapes
If you like the idea of custom shapes but don't like non-fluid shapes, geometric shapes are perfect. In my experience, you can't go wrong with a slide like Geometric Infographics. It's clean, professional, and super fun!
4. Stand Out With Color
If you're a pro at changing the background colors of images, you'll have fun with this colorful image trend. Let your images be the main design element of your slides. The example below showcases when minimalism meets color to create a professionally designed presentation.
5. Neutral, Organic, and Beige
In a loud, colorful design world, this unique trend creates calm and warmth. Neutral, earthy tones create a sense of sophistication and credibility for your brand. If you're looking to leave your audience with a sense of comfort and trust, this trend is for you.
Organic Aesthetic Minimalist PPT effortlessly creates this sense of comfort and trust. The images are minimalist, artistic, and earthy. The PPT template is elegant in beige with black fonts.
5 Quick Tips for Making Collage Photo Layouts
Once you've got the perfect PowerPoint template, it’s time to add your collage. Here are five quick tips to help you create unique photo collage layouts:
1. Pair Photos That Are Similar in Tone and Style
I find that photo collages look best if you pair similar photos. For example, pair light photos with light photos instead of mixing light and dark photos.
2. Combine Similar Shapes
If you want your images to look more creative, cropping them into shapes is a nice touch. To keep things consistent and cohesive, combine similar shapes, e.g. circles with ovals and rectangles with squares. This will look more aesthetically pleasing.
3. Pair Images With Color Blocks
You don’t always have to combine images to create a PowerPoint collage look. You can also pair images with shapes used as color blocks to achieve the same effect. This method can give your images an elegant border.
4. Keep Text to a Minimum
A PowerPoint photo collage presents a lot of information. If you've got to use text with your photo collage, keep it to a minimum. Doing so allows your photos to be the main focus of each slide and will stop your text from distracting your audience.
5. Alternate Photos and Text
If you want a minimalist collage look, consider alternating photos and text. This gives your presentation photo collage a dynamic look and feel. It's even a workaround if you've got a limited number of photos to work with.
Find PowerPoint Templates With Collage Layouts on Envato Elements
If you’re looking for the best collage PPT templates, Envato Elements has got you covered. Envato Elements is a subscription-based marketplace with a unique offer.
You'll get access to thousands of PPT templates and other digital assets for a low monthly price. Download unlimited:
- stock photos
- icons
- web templates
- and more
Envato Elements is a top choice for creative professionals who want to work smart. It gives you the best bang for your buck if you need creative assets on an ongoing basis.
But wait! I have something that'll help streamline your search for creative assets even more.
Find what you need faster with Envato Elements' powerful new AI-driven search assistant. Simply describe your creative project in a few words. And you'll receive a curated collection of digital assets to choose from.
It's a creative professional's dream come true!
5 Amazing Photo Collage PowerPoint Templates
Now that you know what PowerPoint collage layouts are and why you should use them, what's next? You’ll need a great PowerPoint template as a starting point. Let’s take a look at some of the best PowerPoint templates from Envato Elements:
1. Chime Photo Montage PowerPoint Template
First up, we've got the Chime presentation template from Envato Elements. This PowerPoint collage template has a clean but colorful design. It offers 110+ unique slides, some of which have built-in collage layouts.
This PowerPoint collage template helps make a collage quickly. Besides that, the template includes:
- infographics
- charts
- break slides
- minimalist slide transitions
2. Art Gallery PowerPoint Photo Collage Template
The Art Gallery template has a multipurpose creative design. Its focus on typography and creative image-based slides helps your content stand out.
The template includes 25 unique slides designed in 16:9 widescreen resolution. It also comes with image placeholders, free fonts, and editable graphics.
3. Porto & Profile Photo Montage PowerPoint
Try Porto & Profile if you want a minimalist photo montage PowerPoint template. It also comes with plenty of collage layouts built in.
This modern PowerPoint collage template includes 28+ unique slide layouts. Thanks to image placeholders, the template is also easy to edit. You'll also find subtle slide transitions.
4. Haluiva Pitch Deck PowerPoint Template
The Haluiva Pitch Deck template can be used as a pitch deck and for any other business presentation. The template includes several image slides with clean collage layouts. You'll also find drag-and-drop image placeholders for easy editing.
The PowerPoint collage template comes with:
- icon variations
- 2 theme variations
- 30 unique slides
- image placeholders with slide master
5. Shabil Business PowerPoint Template
The Shabil template is a business PowerPoint template with an elegant design. The template is a great starting point for quickly making photo collage layouts.
It has 30 slides with master slides and drag-and-drop image placeholders. The slides were designed in widescreen resolution.
Learn More About Making Great PowerPoint Presentations in 2024
Use a PowerPoint slide deck to create a great first impression for your creative brand. Let's show your audience how creative you can get.
Here are my top picks from the Ultimate PowerPoint Tutorial Guide. That'll help bring any presentation to life.
Add a Photo Collage to Your PowerPoint Presentation
Adding photo collage layouts to your presentation makes them more appealing. And helps your creative work stand out. Now that you've read this article, you're all set to make great photo collage layouts. It's time to present your creative projects in style.
Do you still need a starting point for your presentation? Check out our top collage layouts with built-in PPT templates on Envato Elements. They'll save you from going through all the steps of how to make a photo slideshow in PowerPoint. You’ll also find other digital assets that are perfect for all your creative projects.
Editorial Note: This post was originally published in September 2021. It's been comprehensively revised to make it current, accurate, and up-to-date by our staff—with special help from Barni Rajah. Also, we've added a short video from Andrew Childress to help you get started quickly.
