How to Add Pictures, Shapes, Icons, and Screenshots in PowerPoint

A good picture or a simple shape can explain in a glance what three bullets cannot. A stretched photo, a random clip-art icon, or a blurry screenshot does the opposite: it makes the whole deck look careless.

In this tutorial you will add visuals to the Video Calls Made Easy workshop deck: a photo, a three-step process made of shapes, a row of icons, and an annotated screenshot that shows exactly where to tap. Every visual has to earn its place by making the slide clearer.

Insert a picture

Select the slide, then go to Insert› then Images› then Pictures and choose where the picture comes from.

• This Device inserts a file from your computer. Use your own photos whenever you can; a real photo of the community center beats a generic stock one.
• Stock Images (Microsoft 365) opens a library of photos, icons, and illustrations you can use in your Office documents.
• Online Pictures searches the web. Results are not automatically free to reuse, so check the license before you use one.

If the slide has a content placeholder, you can also click the small Pictures icon inside it. The picture then lands in the placeholder's position, which keeps your layout tidy. The Picture with Caption and Two Content layouts are built for this.

Use high-resolution images. A small or blurry image looks worse when projected. A photo that looks sharp when it fills your laptop screen is usually fine. Avoid screenshots of thumbnails or images copied from a web search preview.

Resize without stretching

A selected picture has eight round handles: four at the corners and four on the sides.

• Corner handles resize the picture and keep its proportions (its aspect ratio).
• Side handles squash or stretch it in one direction. Faces get wide, circles become ovals, and everyone in the room notices.

So: always resize from a corner. Holding Shift while you drag a corner guarantees the proportions stay locked.

If a picture is already stretched, select it and choose Picture Format› then Adjust› then Reset Picture› then Reset Picture & Size. It returns to its original shape (and loses any formatting), and you can resize it again properly.

To set an exact size, type a value into Height or Width in Picture Format› then Size. As long as Lock aspect ratio is on (it is by default for pictures; check it with the small arrow at the bottom-right corner of the Size group), the other value updates to match.

Crop and fit pictures

Cropping cuts away the parts of a picture that do not support your point. It is the single best way to make a photo feel intentional.

Select the picture, then click Picture Format› then Size› then Crop. Black crop handles appear at the edges and corners.

1. Drag a crop handle inward to trim that edge. Drag a corner handle to trim two edges at once.
2. Drag the picture itself (inside the crop area) to change what shows.
3. Click Crop again, or press Esc, to finish.

The arrow under Crop gives you more options:

Cropped areas are only hidden, not deleted, so you can always recrop. If you want them gone for good (for example, to shrink file size), use Picture Format› then Adjust› then Compress Pictures and tick Delete cropped areas of pictures.

Draw shapes and simple callouts

Shapes are for highlighting, framing, and connecting ideas. Find them at Insert› then Illustrations› then Shapes.

The shapes beginners need:

• Rectangles (and rounded rectangles) for boxes, steps, and labels
• Lines and arrows to connect things or point at something
• Block Arrows (like the chevron) for a simple process
• Callouts, the speech-bubble shapes, for a short comment pointing at something

Drawing tips: click a shape, then drag on the slide. Hold Shift while dragging to get a perfect square or circle, or a perfectly straight line. To put text inside a shape, select it and start typing.

Formatting: select the shape and use the Shape Format tab: Shape Format› then Shape Styles› then Shape Fill sets the inside color, and Shape Outline sets the border color and weight. Pick one fill color from your theme and use it for every step so the shapes read as a set.

Build a three-step process: draw one rounded rectangle, type Find the link, and format it. Then press Ctrl+D twice to duplicate it, edit the text in the copies (Allow camera and mic, Say hello), and add arrows between them. Select all three boxes and use Shape Format› then Arrange› then Align to Align Middle and Distribute Horizontally.

Use icons that clarify, not decorate

Icons are small, simple symbols. Used well, they help people find and remember ideas. Used badly, they are clutter.

Insert them with Insert› then Illustrations› then Icons. Search for a word like microphone, select one or more icons, and click Insert. Icons arrive as scalable graphics, so they stay sharp at any size, and you can recolor them with Graphics Format› then Graphics Styles› then Graphics Fill.

Three rules for icons:

1. Each icon must mean something. A microphone icon next to "Unmute" helps. A random lightbulb next to "Tips" does not.
2. Keep one style. Do not mix outline icons with solid ones, or Microsoft icons with clip art from elsewhere. Use the same color and size for every icon in a row.
3. Pair icons with words. An icon alone can be misread. A short label underneath removes the guesswork.

Alt text. Screen reader users need a description of any icon or picture that carries meaning. Right-click it and choose View Alt Text (called Edit Alt Text in some versions), then write a short description, like "Microphone icon". If the icon is purely decorative because the label already says everything, tick Mark as decorative instead. Do the same for pictures.

Screenshots that show where to click

For a software lesson, a screenshot with a highlight box is often the clearest slide you can make.

1. Open the app or web page you want to show and get it into the right state (for example, the video-call screen with the buttons visible).
2. Back in PowerPoint, go to Insert› then Images› then Screenshot.
3. Click a thumbnail under Available Windows to insert the whole window, or choose Screen Clipping, then drag across just the area you need.
4. Crop to the relevant area with Picture Format› then Size› then Crop. A smaller, focused image is easier to read than a full screen shrunk down.
5. Add a highlight box: draw a rectangle over the button, set Shape Format› then Shape Styles› then Shape Fill› then No Fill, and give it a thick, bright Shape Outline (around 3 pt). Add an arrow or a short callout if needed.
6. Select the screenshot and the highlight box and press Ctrl+G to group them, so they move together.

Common visual mistakes

Practice