In PowerPoint, there are a lot of shapes to choose from when designing your slides. However, there are also limits. If you want your design to be truly limitless, a great way to manipulate the shape offerings is with the Merge Shapes tool. Whether transforming a logo into a background format, making a simple drawing or adding some flavor to your deck, this can all be accomplished by merging shapes.
Options
Of course, when merging shapes, there happen to be options. Let me explain what those options on the drop-down menu are and how you might use them.
- Union– Join shapes together. Think joining a ton of circles together to create a fluffy cloud.
- Combine- Create an empty space in-between the items being merged. Think making a donut shape by placing the small circle in front of the large circle.
- Fragment- Make separate shapes of all of the pieces created when items are overlapped. This means you can space out the design so it can breathe.
- Intersect- Remove everything except the intersection of the shapes. This would make an almond shape when putting two circles together.
- Subtract- Eliminate the top shape, leaving you with just the bottom shape minus the overlap. Think placing a triangle over a circle to create Pacman.
Merge Shapes Video Tutorial
Once again, we’ve made this simple for you to conceptualize with our Creative Director, Kyle. He has whipped up a simple, straightforward video on how this is done!
Merge Shapes Step-By-Step
As usual, in case you aren’t able to watch the video for any reason or would like some notes to reference, here are the steps typed out one-by-one for you
Step 1– You’ll need at least two shapes in order for this to work. Press and hold Shift to select multiple shapes.
Step 2– Locate the Shape Format tab that appears when you have a shape selected. Click into the tab.
Step 3– Once you’re in the Shape Format tab, locate Merge Shapes and click it.
Step 4– Choose the type of merge you want to perform and click.
Step 5– Fill in your shape as desired. Note: if you have an intricate fill, be sure to do this as the last step, as the fill can get funky if you try and implement it before merging shapes.
What Now?
Taking time to play around with each of these merge features helps you gain confidence while using them. You may be surprised how helpful the merge shapes feature might be in creating the exact shape you need that doesn’t come pre-loaded. Challenging yourself to try and replicate designs you see around the web that you like will give you great practice. Soon you’ll have a keen eye for merged shapes and an understanding of how they work together to create more intricate visuals. If you need help merging shapes, condensing content, or prepping a presentation, we’re your people! Ethos3 has a full line of presentation services at-the-ready for your every need. Reach out today for a completely customized quote!
