How to Crop a Picture in PowerPoint

When you crop a picture or graphic, you trim its horizontal and vertical sides. Cropping is useful when you only want to include a portion of a picture or graphic.

Crop

1. Select the picture.
2. Click the Format tab on the ribbon.
3. Click the Crop button.
   

   Crop handles appear around the border of the picture.

4. Click and drag the crop handles inward.

   To crop all four sides of a picture or graphic at once while maintaining the graphic’s proportions, press and hold down Ctrl as you drag the mouse.

5. Click the Crop button again to complete the crop.
   

Aspect Ratio

Sometimes you may want to crop to an aspect ratio to keep a picture's dimensions consistent.

1. With the picture selected, click the Crop button list arrow on the Format tab.
2. Select Aspect Ratio.
3. Select an aspect ratio option.
   
4. Click the Crop button again.
   

The aspect ratio is applied.

Crop as a Shape

You can also crop a picture into any shape, as if you were to cut it out with scissors.

1. With the picture selected, click the Crop button list arrow on the Format tab.
2. Select Crop to Shape.
3. Select a shape.