Using Custom Textures as Fill for Text in PowerPoint 2013

When you consider using textures to fill up your text, you need not limit yourself to the default textures that PowerPoint offers. You can always explore some third party custom textures including our own Scribble Custom Textures that provide your text with an organic look, as if someone scribbled lines with a pencil to fill them! You can also try some more custom textures from our Ppted Background Texture Collection. In this tutorial you will learn how to use custom textures as fills for your text in PowerPoint 2013:

1. Select text to which you want to apply a texture fill. Alternatively, if you just want to follow this tutorial step-by-step, insert a text box on a blank slide and type some text in it -- also change the text font to something blockier, such as Arial Black (see Figure 1). Select the text, or the entire text box to bring up the Drawing Tools Format tab on the Ribbon as shown highlighted in red within Figure 1.
   
   
   Figure 1: Drawing Tools Format tab of the Ribbon
   
   
   Note: The Drawing Tools Format tab is a Contextual tab. These Contextual tabs are special tabs in the Ribbon that are not visible all the time -- they only make an appearance when you are working with a particular slide object which can be edited using special options within these tabs.
   
   
   
2. Within the Drawing Tools Format tab, locate the Text Fill button and click the down-arrow, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 2.
   
   
   Figure 2: Text Fill button
   
   
3. This opens the Text Fill drop-down gallery -- in this drop-down gallery, select the Texture option (highlighted in red within Figure 3) to open Texture sub-gallery as shown in Figure 3 (highlighted in blue).
   
   
   Figure 3: Texture sub-gallery
   
   
4. You have already learned about how to select PowerPoint's default textures (highlighted in blue within Figure 3) for your text fill in our Texture Fill for Text in PowerPoint 2013 tutorial. Now, to select a Custom Texture for your text fill, click the More Textures option that can be found right below all the texture previews (highlighted in green within Figure 3).
   
   
5. This opens the Format Shape Task Pane, as shown in Figure 4. Make sure that the Text Options tab is selected, as highlighted in red within Figure 4. Make sure to select the Text Fill & Outline button - then select the Picture or texture fill radio button as shown highlighted in blue within Figure 4. And then click the File button, highlighted in green.
   
   
   Figure 4: Format Shape Task Pane
   
   
6. This opens the Insert Picture dialog box as shown in Figure 5 . Navigate to the folder where you have saved textures to be used as text fills, and select a texture. After selecting the texture in the Insert Picture dialog box, click the Insert button.
   
   
   Figure 5: Insert Picture dialog box
   
   
7. This takes you back to the In the Format Shape Task Pane (shown in Figure 4). Here, make sure you select the Tile picture as texture check-box (highlighted in orange within Figure 4, earlier on this page). You'll also find several Tiling options -- these are explained in our Tiling Options tutorial. Although the linked tutorial pertains to shapes, the concepts are similar enough.
   
   
8. Optionally, you can set the transparency value of the texture fill using the Transparency slider, shown highlighted in purple within Figure 4, earlier on this page -- you can also enter the transparency value in digits within the box next to the slider. Figure 6 shows the selected text with a custom texture fill applied. Compare Figures 1 and 6 to see the difference.
   
   
   Figure 6: Text with a custom texture fill applied
   
   
9. Remember to save your presentation often.

See Also:

Using Custom Textures as Fill for Text in PowerPoint 2011 for Mac
Using Custom Textures as Fill for Text in PowerPoint 2010 for Windows