Text with Bites in PowerPoint

Want to make your PowerPoint slides pop like popcorn in a microwave? Try adding a “text with bites” effect—it makes your words look like a snack that’s already been snacked on. Think of it like your letters went one round with a hungry Pac-Man.

Yes, it takes a smidge of extra time, but no worries—it’s not like carving Mount Rushmore. You’ll only want to use this effect for a few titles or text boxes anyway, just enough to spice things up without turning your deck into a buffet of chewed typography.

Still wondering what “text with bites” looks like? Look at Figure 1, below, for the before-and-after text. It’s the design equivalent of “once bitten, twice stylish.”

Figure 1: Before and after bites

Although the figures and the steps use a newer version of PowerPoint, you can totally pull this off in versions as old as PowerPoint 97, too. That’s right—the same year Titanic hit theaters, and Tamagotchis ruled playgrounds, this trick was already within your reach.

Let us continue with the full step-by-step instructions:

1. Create a new slide, and apply the Blank slide layout.
2. To do so, create a new presentation based on a theme or template, and then make sure that the Home tab of the Ribbon is active. Click the Layout option to bring up the Layout gallery. You can choose from various layouts. We chose the Blank layout, as shown in Figure 2, below.
3. Alternatively, skip steps 1 and 2, and download the source presentation here.
4. 
   Figure 2: Change slide layout

5. Blank Layout has no Title

   Think of the Blank slide as a digital sketchpad with no lines and no labels—just room to swirl those spirals without bumping into a text box begging for a title. The idea of a “blank canvas” dates back centuries to artists priming their boards before painting. Even Picasso had to start with a bare surface—so you’re in good company.

   Sure, that Blank layout in PowerPoint is like the rebel of the slide family—no title, no placeholders, just a wide-open dance floor. But here's a little secret: even when you don't want a title box cramping your design, it's still smart to include a title behind the scenes. Yes, there is merit in all slides having a title, especially for accessibility reasons, even if it is not visible on the slide itself. To know more, read our Hiding Slide Titles in PowerPoint tutorial.

2. Access the Insert tab of the Ribbon, and click the Text Box option, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 3, below. Then, click on the slide to insert a new text box, as shown highlighted in green within Figure 3.
3. 
   Figure 3: Insert a text box
3. Type in a somewhat large word. We typed CHALLENGE, and changed the font to Arial, 88 pt., as shown highlighted in red within Figure 4, below.
4. 
   Figure 4: Change the font to Arial
4. Head over to the Insert tab of the Ribbon—it’s like the top drawer of your PowerPoint toolkit. Once you're there, click the Shapes button, highlighted in red within Figure 5, below. Picture it as opening your grandma’s cookie tin... except instead of biscuits, you get a colorful gallery of geometric goodies.
5. 
   Figure 5: Select the Rectangle shape
6. Now, pick the Rectangle shape, highlighted in green within Figure 5, above.

   Fun Fact: Rectangle

   The word “rectangle” comes from Latin—rectus meaning “right” and angulus meaning “angle.” So, you’re literally drawing a “right-angle” box. See? You’re not just designing—you’re getting linguistic bragging rights.

5. Now, draw a small rectangle anywhere on the slide, as shown in Figure 6, below. It doesn’t have to be fancy—just plop it down like a puzzle piece that’ll make sense later.
6. 
   Figure 6: Place a small rectangle
6. Okay, you’ve got your trusty rectangle ready, like a slice of digital cheese on your slide sandwich. Now it’s time to shave off the crust—aka the outline. First, make sure the rectangle is selected (give it a polite click). Then, head to the Drawing Tools Format tab of the Ribbon—think of it as your design command center. Next, tap on Shape Outline, highlighted in red within Figure 7, below. Doing so opens a little fly-out menu.
7. 
   Figure 7: No outline for the rectangle
8. Within this flyout menu, select No Outline, as shown highlighted in green within Figure 7, above. Boom—just like that, your rectangle’s gone from loud tourist tee to sleek invisible ink, as shown highlighted in blue within Figure 7.
7. Now, take that little rectangle and plop it onto your text—kind of like placing a cookie cutter on top of dough, as shown in Figure 8, below. Right now, your “bite-rectangle” is a totally different color as of now and may not look like a bite. Yes, it might look like it crashed the party in a completely different outfit—bright, loud, and nowhere near snack-shaped. That’s totally fine. It’s a behind-the-scenes hero for now. We'll tweak its look and make it blend in and bitey soon enough.
8. 
   Figure 8: Bitey enough for now

9. Fun Fact: Negative Space

   Ever heard of “negative space” in design? That’s where the real magic hides. Artists use it to suggest shapes without drawing them—like a sneaky design optical illusion. You’re about to do the same with your rectangle bite!

8. Now that you’ve got your first bite in place, it’s time to multiply the munchies. With the rectangle still selected, hit Ctrl + D on your keyboard, or ⌘ + D if you are using a Mac. That’s the PowerPoint shortcut for “duplicate, but make it snappy.” Think of it like stamping cookies out of dough: one shape, multiple bites. Resize each duplicate however you like—tiny nibbles, big chomps, artistic snacks—and place them playfully across your text like a digital Pac-Man went rogue, as shown in Figure 9, below.
9. 
   Figure 9: Place bites all over
10. We also placed large bites covering the entire top and bottom areas of the text, as shown in Figure 9, above.
11. 

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9. Alright, it’s time to make your bites disappear into the background like sneaky ninjas. First, gather all your bite-rectangles—just the bites, no innocent bystanders (like text or other shapes), or things might get messy. This is like selecting only raisins from trail mix: precision is key. With all bites selected, as shown in Figure 9, above, give them a gentle right-click. From the menu that pops up, choose Format Object, as shown highlighted in green within Figure 10, below. Think of it as sending your rectangles to wardrobe for a costume change.
10. 
    Figure 10: Choose Format Object
10. Now, the Format Shape Task pane appears—basically PowerPoint’s makeover studio. Access Fill options and choose Slide background fill, highlighted in red within Figure 11, below, so the bites blend right into the slide like chameleons at a paint store.
11. 
    Figure 11: Change to Slide background fill
11. Now’s the moment you’ve been building toward—your slide has officially gone from “meh” to “whoa!” Just check out Figure 12, below, for the grand glow-up. It’s like giving your text a designer haircut and showing off the Instagram-worthy result.
12. 
    Figure 12: Transparent bites
12. So far, we’ve been snacking on text using good ol’ rectangles. They’re classic, reliable—like using a butter knife to spread jam. But hey, your creative license isn’t limited to straight edges! You can totally swap in a circle (oval), triangle, or even a funky star if you’re feeling extra artsy. Why nibble conventionally when you can chomp with flair?
13. Figure 13, below, shows the results of using ovals in PowerPoint rather than rectangles. Compare with Figure 12, above, that used rectangles rather than ovals.
14. 
    Figure 13: Rounded chomps in text
15. Feel free to mix it up—use a triangle here, a circle there, maybe even layer different shapes over the same word like you’re playing design Tetris. It’s your visual buffet—go ahead and load up the plate!