Inserting a Clip from a File

If you have an image stored on your computer that you would like to place on a slide, you can insert the picture directly from the file. This means that you don't have to use the Clip Art task pane to search for and then insert the image.

To place a graphical image on a slide directly from a file, follow these steps:

1. Select the slide on which the image will be placed.

2. Select the Insert menu, point at Picture , and then select From File . The Insert Picture dialog box appears (see Figure 9.5).

   Figure 9.5. Use the Insert Picture dialog box to place images on a slide.

   

3. Select the picture you want to use. You can view all the picture files in a particular location as thumbnails. Select the Views button, and then select Thumbnails on the menu that appears.

4. Click Insert to place the image on the slide.

If the picture is too big or too small, you can drag the selection handles (the small squares) around the edge of the image to resize it. Hold down the Shift key to proportionally resize the image (this maintains the height/width ratio of the image so that you cannot stretch or distort it). See Lesson 11, "Working with PowerPoint Objects," for more details about resizing and cropping images and other objects on a slide.

Link It Up You can link a graphic to the presentation so that whenever the original changes, the version in the presentation changes, too. Just open the drop-down list on the Insert button in the Insert Picture dialog box (refer to Figure 9.5) and choose Link to File .