If you've gone looking for a "remove background" button in Google Slides, you're not missing it — at the time of writing, Slides doesn't have a one-click background remover like PowerPoint does. Its image options let you crop, recolour and adjust transparency, but transparency fades the whole picture rather than removing the background.
The workaround takes about thirty seconds.
The workaround
- Upload your image to a background remover.
- Leave the background transparent and download the PNG.
- In Slides, go to Insert → Image → Upload from computer and choose the PNG.
That's it. Slides respects transparency, so your cut-out sits cleanly on any slide colour or image.
Already have the image in Slides?
Right-click it, choose Save to Keep (or download it from Drive), run it through the background remover, then replace the original with Replace image. That keeps your size and position.
Make it look intentional
A cut-out on a plain slide can look a bit lonely. A few easy layouts:
- Circle behind the subject. Insert a shape, send it backward, and place the cut-out so it overlaps the edge.
- Big number + photo. Great for team slides: name, role, and a cut-out headshot on a brand colour.
- Product reveal. A dark slide, the product cut-out centred, a soft shadow below.
FAQ
Can I make an image partly transparent in Slides?
Yes, under Format options → Adjustments → Transparency. That fades the whole image, though — it doesn't remove the background.
Will the PNG stay transparent when I export to PDF?
Yes. The cut-out is exported against whatever is behind it on the slide.
