How to Lock an Image in PowerPoint?

Locking the position of an image or shape can prevent mishaps during editing. When you have overlapping images, moving or editing images can become tricky. You might want to fix the position of an image to avoid unwanted edits.

In the latest versions of PowerPoint, locking an image is quite easy. If you haven’t used this editing feature yet, follow these steps to learn how to lock an image in PowerPoint. You can also view or hide certain elements from the PowerPoint slide by using the same method.

Why Lock an Image in PowerPoint?

The lock tool is not just for images but for shapes, text boxes, charts, or other similar elements in the slide. Everyone has different editing plans and requirements, and unlocked images can make the editing process complicated.

Here are some reasons why you might want to learn how to lock an image in PowerPoint:

• Ensure your layout stays consistent when editing other elements
• Keeps images in the exact position, especially for templates or branded slides
• Stops background images or decorative graphics from being edited or deleted
• Focus on text and other content without worrying about shifting visuals
• Helps maintain uniformity in design for multi-slide presentations
• Prevents other contributors from unintentionally altering key visuals
• Avoid layout issues that can occur when copying or rearranging slides

Is locking an image, shape, or object in PowerPoint complicated? With our described method, you can lock any image or object in PowerPoint with a single click.

Locking an Image in PowerPoint

Users can lock one or multiple images or objects on a single slide. There are two options to lock images in PowerPoint. The first one is the simplest method but offers limited controls; the other method has some additional controls related to the selected object or image.

Method 1: Lock Image via Right-Click Menu

In the given example, we have two images on the side: a PowerPoint image and a Google Slides icon. With the icon overlapping the image, we want to lock the Google Slides icon so that it remains fixed and does not move.

To lock this image in PowerPoint, right-click the desired image from the menu, select the Lock option, and your image will be locked and won’t move during editing.

Your image is locked now. A PowerPoint image can be moved, while the Google Slides icon will remain fixed at its position. To unlock the object, right-click on the object and select the Unlock option.

Method 2: Lock an Image via Selection Pane

The selection pane is a useful tool for more controls for slides with lots of images and objects. Selecting the desired image sometimes gets complicated.

With the selection pane, you can view, hide, loc, and unlock any object or image.  Follow these steps to lock an image in PowerPoint with the selection pane.

Step 1: View Selection Pane

Go to the Home tab and in the Editing section, click Select to view more options. Click on Selection Pane, and a dedicated pane will appear on the right side of the slide preview screen, as shown in the image below.

Step 2: Lock any Image or Object

Selecting any image on the slide will highlight that image in the Selection Pane. This way, you can easily identify which object to lock.

Once you have identified the target image, click on the lock/unlock button in the selection pane to lock the image.

Hide an Image in PowerPoint

The PowerPoint image on the slide is Picture 8. Let’s say we want to hide that image for some time. From the selection pane, click the Eye icon, and it will change to a hidden icon, and you won’t see the PowerPoint image on the slide. Uncheck it to redisplay the image on the slide.

There are two buttons: Show All and Hide All. Use these buttons to apply any change or action to all objects in the slide.

Can I Lock Shapes and Objects in PowerPoint?

Yes, users can lock shapes and objects in PowerPoint by following the same method. The steps to lock or unlock any object, shape, video, or image in PowerPoint are the same. Always use the Selection Pane to find out which objects and shapes are hidden or locked in your PowerPoint slides.

How to Master PowerPoint as a Beginner?

Locking images, shapes, or objects in PowerPoint is easy, but most users don’t know how to access these simple tools and features. If you are also one of those users who want to make professional PowerPoint presentations without spending hours on editing, Twistly is the best AI presentation maker for you.

What is Twistly?

Twistly is developed to help professionals and beginners make attractive presentations in PowerPoint without any manual editing or designing. It works just like ChatGPT for PowerPoint, and users can input a topic, text, document, or AI prompt to generate attractive slides.

From writing text for the slides to adding images, text boxes, charts, lists, and other elements, Twistly does everything automatically. For professionals, native PowerPoint tools are still there, so you don’t have to worry about any type of limitations.

Conclusion

Locking an image via the Selection Pane offers more controls, but the right-click menu can also be used to lock any object or image in PowerPoint. If you find these tools and options complicated, then try Twistly to supercharge your PowerPoint experience with AI.

For a trouble-free experience, download Twistly now to claim your limited-time free trial. Once you are fully satisfied with the features and AI capabilities of the tools, upgrade to the premium version for a competitive price to unlock the true potential of ChatGPT for PowerPoint.

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