How to Avoid distorted images in PowerPoint

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Nothing is more annoying than seeing beautiful pictures or shapes distorted on a slide. Take a look at the following example:

Distorted images can make a PowerPoint presentation look unprofessional and detract from the overall message. 

Why do presenters distort the images on a slide?

1. Presenters try to stretch the image to fill the slide width or the width of an auto shape they have on slide. Naturally the images look warped.
2. They enlarge the image by dragging the handles on the sides or bottom of the images.

Fortunately, it is easy to overcome these issues.

Issue 1: Stretching without locking aspect ratio:

When resizing an image, it is important to lock the aspect ratio so that the ratio of length and width remains constant. To do this, go to the 'Size' option in the Format tab of the PowerPoint ribbon. 

When you click on the small arrow in the bottom right corner, the corresponding pane will open. To get the distorted picture back in order, simply click on the 'Reset' button. 

Once the picture gets back to its original dimensions, check the ‘Lock Aspect Ratio’ option.

Now, when you scale the height or width, the picture enlarges proportionately:

Related: How to Create Stick On Picture Effect

Issue 2: Stretching by dragging the side handles:

Many presenters tend to enlarge an image by dragging the handles on the right or bottom of the image. This leads to the picture getting distorted.

A simple solution is to hold the Control Key while dragging the image from the corners. 

These 2 options help you place the picture as part of the slide.

 However, if you want to fill the entire slide with the picture, you need a different technique.

How to re-size picture to fit entire slide: