Picture Fills for Chart Series in PowerPoint 2010 for Windows

When you insert a new chart into your PowerPoint presentation, you will find that the chart’s fills and border types are based on the Theme of your presentation. You can change these fills and borders for charts as needed. Alternatively, you can always use pictures as fills. Imagine a chart that shows fruit exports, and each column of the chart is filled with pictures of a particular fruit type rather than the conventional solid color fills or geometric patterns. Also, if you wanted to show how the export of grapes has increased over the years, your column chart would have all columns filled with pictures of grapes stacked one over the other.

Follow these steps to apply picture fills to any chart series in PowerPoint 2010 for Windows:

1. To add a picture fill to chart series, you must start with an existing chart in your presentation. For this tutorial, we use a column chart, as shown in Figure 1, below.
2. 
   Figure 1: Column Chart selected within PowerPoint
2. Click on the data series for which you want to use a picture fill, as shown in Figure 2, below, and make sure that the Chart Tools Layout tab of the Ribbon is activated, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 2.
3. 
   Figure 2: Selected data series
3. Towards the extreme left of Chart Tools Layout tab, within the Chart Elements drop-down list, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 3, below. Make sure that the name of the selected data series is being displayed. Then, click the Format Selection button, as shown in Figure 3.
4. 
   Figure 3: Format Selection button to be clicked with the correct data series selected
4. This action summons the Format Data Series dialog box. Within this dialog box, select the Fill tab in the left pane. And in the right pane, select the Picture or texture fill radio button, as shown in Figure 4, below.
5. 
   Figure 4: Picture or texture fill option selected within the Format Data Series dialog box
5. With the Picture or texture fill radio button selected, click the File button within Insert from section, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 4, above.
6. Doing so brings up the Insert Picture window, as shown in Figure 5, below. Navigate to, and select the picture you want to use, and then click the Insert button, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 5.
7. 
   Figure 5: Insert Picture window

Linked Pictures?

The procedure to insert a picture explained above will not retain any relation between the picture in your folder and the picture on your chart. The picture on your slide is an independent copy that is contained within the presentation. If you want to link to the picture, check out our Insert and/or Link Pictures in PowerPoint 2010 tutorial.
7. As you can see in Figure 4, above, there are several other options available, as explained below:

1. Stretch

8. This option stretches the picture to fit within the series, as shown in Figure 6, below.
9. 
   Figure 6: Picture inserted with Stretch option selected

2. Stack

10. Creates copies of the picture in such a way that they can be placed on top of each other, Figure 7, below, shows how.
11. 
    Figure 7: Picture inserted with Stack option selected

3. Stack and Scale with units/picture

12. Here you can enter the number of units per picture, as shown in Figure 8, below, where we have used 2 as the number to stack and scale.
13. 
    Figure 8: Picture inserted with Stack and scale option selected
8. There are some other options also such as stretch offsets were you can set the placing of the picture, and apply Transparency. Please note that these options will be available only when Stretch option is selected.
9. When done, click Close to get back to the chart.
10. Save your presentation often.