circular images in powerpoint graphic

How to Crop a Picture into a Circle in PowerPoint 

Sometimes a rectangle just won’t cut it. You’ve got a square photo, a round logo idea and the feeling that your slide would just look better if that image were a circle. We get it. The good news is, we can easily show you how to crop a picture into a circle in PowerPoint. Once you know how, you’ll see just how easy it is.  

So, without further ado, let’s crop it like it’s hot. Here is how to go about it step by step. 

  1. Click on the picture you want to crop. 
  2. Go to the Picture Format tab in the ribbon. 
  3. Click the Crop dropdown (in the Size group). 
  4. Hover over Crop to Shape. 
  5. Select the Oval shape. 
  6. For a perfect circle, click Crop again and adjust the aspect ratio by holding Shift while dragging the crop box. 
  7. Press Enter or click outside the image to apply. 

There! That’s how to make a picture a circle in PowerPoint.  

Adding a Picture to a Shape in PowerPoint 

But, there is an alternative method as well, which can be useful if you are starting with a shape and want to add a picture to fill the shape. Let’s take a look at how that’s done. 

  1. Drag your shape onto the picture you want cropped. If you don’t have the shape insert, select Insert and select the shape you want. 
  2. In the case of a circle, hold the Shift key and drag to form a perfect circle. Then drag it on top of the picture where you’d like it cropped. 
  3. Select the shape. 
  4. Click the Merge Shapes button, then select Intersect. 

You can see both methods demonstrated in the video below.

Unfortunately, neither of these methods work in PowerPoint online. They will only work in the PowerPoint desktop app. If you’re working solely online, your best bet is to crop into a circle outside of PowerPoint before inserting it into your slide. 

Why You Might Want a Circular Image 

Let’s be honest… circular images just kind of look cooler. They are more interesting to look at. And in fact, there are a few reasons why you might want to use a circular image instead of the typical square or rectangle. 

  • Adds visual interest to your slide 
  • Makes headshots and logos feel more modern 
  • Helps images blend with circular design elements 
  • Is more forgiving when your image edges are poor quality 

[Read more: How to Compress Your Images in PowerPoint, and Why You Should] 

Cropping Images into Other Shapes in PowerPoint 

Cropping into a circle is great, but PowerPoint’s Crop to Shape feature works with more than just ovals. You can crop your image into stars, hearts, lightning bolts and all sorts of shapes. All you need to do is follow the same steps… Picture Format > Crop > Crop to Shape, and pick the one that fits your presentation’s vibe. 

In fact, here’s a fun idea: Use different shapes for a team slide where each person has a unique shape around their photo. Instant visual interest, no design degree required. The one person who brings all the energy to meetings? They can be the lightning bolt. The person who is always watching out for the team and willing to help out? They can be the heart.  

Common Mistakes When Cropping into a Circle 

Unfortunately, there are mistakes that can be made with this process, as easy as it may seem. Here are a few things you’ll want to watch out for. 

  • Cropping a rectangle and expecting a circle: Resize your image to a square first for a perfect circle. Or do some extra resizing of the image after the crop. 
  • Not using the Shift key: When resizing, holding Shift keeps your image from turning into an oval. 
  • Blurry results: If your image is low-res, cropping it into a circle might expose some rough pixels. Use high-quality photos when possible. 
  • Overusing the circle crop: Circles are great, just don’t overdo it. Not every image needs to be a circle. Use this trick where it makes sense. 

Frustrated Designing Slides Yourself? Twistly’s Got You 

If you want to go beyond circles and ovals, or you’re just exhausted with trying to design slides on your own, we can help with that. We know that slide design can be time consuming, and if you aren’t well-versed in it, it can make PowerPoint creation a real chore. That’s why we created an AI add-in to do it all for you. 

With Twistly, you can use one of several modern and professional templates and allow AI to insert images where it makes sense, regardless of shape. You provide the prompt or presentation information, and Twistly will determine the best slide design for each section. What might take you days to put together can be completed by Twistly in just a minute or two. 

Create PowerPoint
Slides with AI

Build AI-powered presentations from
any prompt, doc, or video

Start for free
Key statistics illustrating the driving factors behind the 2015 strategy for organizational growth and development.
A visual representation of Ray-Ban's sales strategy, featuring graphs and charts illustrating market trends and consumer behavior.
Infographic displaying key statistics that influence the development of smart cities, including technology and infrastructure data.
A professional presentation slide displaying key insights and challenges in the corporate consulting industry.

Cropping a picture into a circle in PowerPoint is one of those skills that seems small but can seriously level up your design game. It’s clean, modern and surprisingly fun to do once you get the hang of it. So give it a go, and remember that if it gets to be too much manual effort, you can also rely on Twistly for quick, easy and professional slide design.