Finalizing our text treatment series, another way to make text more visually interesting is to fill text with a picture. Here is the image used for the next styling effect. Note that the fire and ice are within the same image:

To fill the text with the image, on the ribbon go to SHAPE FORMAT (A), click TEXT FILL (B), select PICTURE (C)

PowerPoints default is to make the image fill the selected text. In this case the image is “squished” to fit. But we want to show only the fire portion of the image on the FIRE text. To adjust the image, work from the FORMAT SHAPE and TEXT OPTIONS pane. Note: We cannot use crop tool to adjust fill image size/position, we must use the legacy fill offset tools.

• Go to the TEXT FILL tab
• Select “Tile picture as texture”

Here is our image fill BEFORE checking “Tile picture as texture”

And here is our image AFTER checking “Tile picture as texture”

Now that the fire flames portion of the image is filling the entirety of the text, we have a few customizing refinements, but for the most part the default settings work:

• Check TILE PICTURE AS TEXTURE
• Set the Offset X & Y to 0 pt (default)
• Set the X & Y SCALE to 100% (default)
• Set the ALIGNMENT to TOP LEFT (default)

Similar adjustments for ICE:

• Check TILE PICTURE AS TEXTURE
• Set the Offset X & Y to 0 pt (default)
• Adjust the X SCALE (width) to 62% which let’s us see some black area of the image for more visual interest
• Set the Y SCALE (height) to 100% (default)
• Set the ALIGNMENT to RIGHT

Text is still editable in PowerPoint. Styling options such as drop shadows and beveling can also be applied – be creative! Download the sample slide Here.

Troy @ TLC

Continuing from the post with the Fire and Ice text using gradient fills, here styling effects applied for even more visually dynamic text.

This variation adds shadow and bevel effects to the text. The text remains editable, and the styling effects can be applied to any other text with the Format Painter tool! 

Here is the styling effects applied:

• Select the text.
• Go to SHAPE FORMAT (A) on the ribbon
• Select TEXT EFFECTS (B)
• The 6 customization options for text are: SHADOW (C), REFLECTION (D), GLOW (E), BEVEL (F), 3-D ROTATION (G), TRANSFORM (H)

• For all effects, PowerPoint has preset styling options (A) to quickly enhance your text.
• Each effect also has an OPTIONS (B) button to bring up the FORMAT SHAPE panel to the right of the artboard so you can customize the styling effects.

The FIRE text custom shadow settings:

• In the FORMA SHAPE pane, go to TEXT OPTIONS.
• Expand SHADOW
• (A) is the PRESETS (same options available direct from the ribbon)
• (B) COLOR. For the Fire text I used a hard edge dark orange and for the ICE text a super soft (fuzzy) dark blue.
• (C) TRANSPARENCY (not used on this text)
• (D) SIZE. 100% for FIRE and 101% for ICE.
• (E) BLUR. 0 for FIRE and 14 for ICE.
• (F) ANGLE. The default 45 degrees for FIRE and 55 degrees ICE.
• (G) DISTANCE. The default 3 points for both FIRE and ICE.

Next expand 3-D FORMAT

• (A) TOP BEVEL: minimal for FIRE and large (softer) for ICE
• (B) MATERIAL: FIRE = Dark Edge and ICE = Warm Matte
• (C) LIGHTING: FIRE = Glow and ICE = the default 3 Point
• (D) LIGHTING ANGLE: FIRE = 90° and ICE = 0°

Hopefully some text styling inspiration – all while keeping the text editable. Download the PowerPoint slide here.

Troy @ TLC