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

When you consider using texture fills for your text, you need not limit yourself to only 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. Follow these steps to learn more in PowerPoint 2010 for Windows:

1. Select the text to which you want to apply a custom 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.
2. 
   Figure 1: Drawing Tools Format tab of the Ribbon
Note: The Drawing Tools Format tab is a Contextual tab. These 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 WordArt Styles group. Then select the Text Fill button that you can see highlighted in red within Figure 2.
3. 
   Figure 2: Text Fill button within WordArt Styles group
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 the Texture sub-gallery as shown in Figure 3.
4. 
   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 2010 for Windows 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 Text Effects dialog box that you can see in Figure 4. Make sure that the Text Fill tab is selected within the side pane, and then click the Picture or texture fill radio button as shown highlighted in red within Figure 4.
6. 
   Figure 4: Picture or texture fill options within Format Text Effects dialog box
6. Now, among the Insert from options, click the File button (highlighted in blue within Figure 4).
7. 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.
8. 
   Figure 5: Insert Picture dialog box
9. After selecting the texture in the Insert Picture dialog box, click the Insert button (highlighted in red within Figure 5).
8. This takes you back to the In the Format Text Effects dialog box (shown in Figure 4). In the same dialog box, make sure you check the option that says Tile picture as texture (see Figure 4 above, where it is highlighted in green). You'll also find several Tiling options; these are explained in our Tiling Options in PowerPoint 2010 for Windows tutorial. Although the linked tutorial pertains to shapes, the concepts are similar enough.
9. Optionally, you can set the transparency value of the texture fill using the Transparency slider, or by entering 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.
10. 
    Figure 6: Text with a custom texture fill applied
10. Remember to save your presentation often.