Create a Watermark on PowerPoint Slides

Protect your brand through subtle use of watermarks

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Updated on June 14, 2019

Watermarks can be as simple as a company logo placed in a corner of the slide to brand it or can be a large image that is used as the background for the slide. In the case of a large image, the watermark is often faded so that it does not distract the audience from the content of your slides.

This article applies to PowerPoint 2019, 2016, 2013; PowerPoint for Microsoft 365, and PowerPoint for Mac.

Insert the Graphic or Picture on the Slide

Begin by adding the picture you want to use as the watermark. You have two options:

Insert your own picture that is stored on your computer. Select Insert > Pictures. In PowerPoint for Mac, select Insert > Picture > Picture from File.
Insert an online graphic. Select Insert > Online Pictures.

Place the watermark on the slide master to ensure that the picture appears on every slide. To access the slide master, select View > Slide Master.

A screenshot showing a graphic that will be used to create a watermark in PowerPoint

Move and Resize the Graphic or Picture

If the watermark is for a company logo, move it to a specific corner on the slide so that it doesn't interfere with the text on the slide. If the image is too big or too small, resize it.

To move a picture, select the image and drag it to the new location.

To resize a picture, drag a corner selection handle to enlarge or reduce the size of the photo. Use a corner selection handle to maintain the proper proportions of the picture.

A screenshot showing how to move and resize a watermark in PowerPoint

Format the Picture for a Watermark

To make the picture less distracting on the page, format it to fade the image.

Select the picture.
Select Picture Tools Format > Color to open a list of color variations.
Hover over a color variation to see a preview on the slide.
Choose Washout.

To find the Washout color choice in older PowerPoint versions, right-click the image and, under the Color setting, select Washout.

Send the Watermark to the Back

When your watermarked slide contains text, the watermark may appear on top of the text. If the watermark covers text, move the watermark behind the text.

Select the watermark.
Select Home > Arrange.
Select Send to Back.
The watermark picture moves behind the text and will stay behind any new elements that are added to the slide.