Make a shape transparent

You can make a shape’s fill see-through, so text or pictures behind it show through.

Set the transparency

1. Click the shape to select it.
2. Click the Shape Format tab, then click the Shape Fill arrow.
3. Click More Fill Colors….
4. Drag the Transparency: slider, or type a percent. 0% is solid and 100% is invisible.
5. Click OK.

The transparency also shows in a PDF you make with File > Export > Export to PDF.

Other ways to get there

• Right-click the shape and click Format AutoShape…. On the Colors and Lines tab, open the Color: list under Fill, then click More Fill Colors….
• In the Properties pane, click the Shape tab. Under Fill, click the color swatch, then click More Fill Colors….

If it still looks wrong

The outline is still solid

Transparency applies to the fill only. Outlines can’t be made transparent. To hide the outline, see Remove a box outline.

I want a gradient that fades out

Click Fill Effects, then the Gradient tab. Each color stop in the gradient has its own transparency.