Using Powerpoint to Remove Backgrounds

I love Powerpoint (yes you heard right).  Once you start playing with the page dimensions it is amazing what you can come up with.  I use it mainly now for designing and making comics rather than presentations.  One great feature with I love on the 2010 PowerPoint is the Remove Background option. When you insert an image and select Picture Tools you will see this tool bar.

Select Remove Background.  The background will appear purple.  Just move the selected area until the image you want to keep has no purple on it.

When you are happy with your selection, click on Keep Changes and …..



By cropping an image or yourself out of a photo it allows you to create some great learning activities which can apply to a range of contexts such as,

• Paste face on to animals, creatures or avatars
• Go on a Virtual field trip: place yourself into images from around the world
• Time travel: place yourself into images from history
• Personalise a story: students can place themselves into a story

• Experiment with scale: make an object look larger or smaller than real life by placing it next to another object. Here is an example from http://www.worth1000.com/