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Written by: Nayomi Chibana
August 9, 2017
If you’ve ever created a presentation with run-of-the-mill software such as PowerPoint, you know that backgrounds typically come in one of two types: solid color with geometric shapes or gradients.
To liven up your presentations with a greater variety of visual themes and styles—from vivid, colorful designs to more understated and minimalist ones—we’ve compiled a list of simple backgrounds you can edit online as the backdrop to your presentation, desktop wallpaper, quote memes or any other visual content.
To access them, simply sign up for a free Visme account at www.visme.co with your name and email and choose the Presentation category from the list of content types. Once inside the Visme editor, you can then follow these steps to customize your background.
Click on the Background option from the toolbar on the left side of your screen. Then, select the Backgrounds tab from the docked panel on the left side of the editor.
Browse through the different categories of background types: solid, gradient and image-based.
Select your preferred design by clicking on the option.
Once you’ve chosen your backdrop—whether one of the simple backgrounds or the more decorative ones—you can then add text, overlays using the shapes tool and a variety of other elements, such as icons, charts, maps or videos.
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If you’re looking for an artistic or abstract look, you can use this blue-and-purple design which emulates a hand-painted watercolor painting. This could be useful for student or teacher presentations on art, painting or design.
To evoke the feelings associated with nature and the outdoors—with a bit of magical wonder—you can go for this image background with a dark transparent overlay to make it easy to add text and preserve its readability.
For a simple landscape background, try this minimal design with outlines of mountains and hills. This combines well with presentations or visual content looking to create an adventurous and intrepid feel.
For the typical work environment background, you can use this image of a person typing on their laptop with a dark, transparent overlay, ideal for placing text on top.
This wavy-line pattern can be used in a variety of projects, as long as it doesn’t interfere with the content on your page.
Geometric designs can add movement and vitality to your content, as in the case of this green-yellow-and-blue background.
If you want viewers to concentrate mostly on your content and limit distractions, you can go with this abstract lines background with only a few subtle design elements in the background.
This green-and-blue isometric cubes pattern can be used in almost any project as it adds visual interest and texture to your background.
Polygon backgrounds like these are in vogue nowadays as they add depth and perspective to your presentation and other visual content.
If you’re looking for a festive background for your presentation, try this creative design with colorful geometric shapes such as circles, hexagons, lines and triangles.
To make your superimposed text stand out in contrast to the foreground, try this blurred background with hints of green and yellow lights.
If you’re looking for something a little different, you can also try this colorful textured background with shades of blue, violet and pink.
Here is an example of a purple blurred background, useful for almost any type of presentation or visual project.
A slightly different variation of the one above, this blurred violet-pink background is perfect if you’re going for a more vibrant and fresh image.
For a darker variation of the previous option, there’s this purple background, which can be easily combined with text and other elements such as icons.
This colorful water background is ideal for any presentation as it makes it easy to superimpose your message without having your design elements take away too much attention from your text.
For classroom-related presentations or other visual material, you can use this image-based background with a soft, beige-colored overlay.
This coal-ash-colored design with mountains in the background is ideal for presentations or visual content where you want your light-colored text to stand out.
For a professional-looking, no-frills look, this image-based background with light-colored overlay works for most corporate presentations.
Color psychology experts often assert that blue signifies stability and trust, so it’s no wonder it’s a staple of corporate and other professional presentations. This blue gradient background is perfect for overlaying text and other design elements.
Since green comes in second for the characteristics often associated with the color blue, it makes sense that a lot of corporate presentations incorporate the hue in at least a part of their slide decks. This dark green background, for example, is ideal for any corporate slide deck that strives to communicate stability, balance and growth.
To infuse your slide decks with a little creative flair, you can use this peeled-paint background, useful for presentations related to art, design and student projects in general.
In addition to the water background above, this design — evocative of the clear, blue water in a swimming pool — is ideal for a presentation on water scarcity, water safety or anything related to this essential liquid.
For a humid, water-drops-on-glass look, there’s this dark background which can easily be combined with textual and graphical elements, while ensuring legibility.
If your goal is to have your audience concentrate solely on the content, then this lightly colored shapes background is your best bet. Simply overlay your text, images and icons to make your main message stand out.
To add a bit a perspective and texture to your slide deck, you can use a rippled background like the one above — ideal for presentations or other visual content with an abstract, stylish feel.
For a dark, mysterious look, you can go for a background design like the one above.
This abstract, triangle polygon 3D rendering background is also ideal for superimposing other design elements and images.
This purple concrete wall background is a great way to liven up your presentation with a bit of color and texture to add visual interest, without detracting from the main message.
A variation of the previous purple concrete background, this design is also ideal for adding a bit of color and life to your presentation.
To refresh your project with an extra splash of color, try this purple-and-green watercolor background.
This dark-colored textured wall is perfect for slide decks with a rough, aged or grungy feel.
This vibrant background is perfect for any visual slide deck looking to catch viewers’ eyes with a splash of color.
This abstract green background with design elements in the shape of waves can be used in virtually any type of presentation.
Perfect for student or school-related presentations, this graph paper background adds texture, depth and a visual theme to your presentation.
For a techie, modern look, you can go for this background with a subtle blue dotted pattern.
A variation of the previous background, this design is perfect for any understated yet stylish design.
This beige-colored design with geometric shapes is also a good option for corporate presentations with a more muted backdrop.
Another take on the previous option, this geometric design with a dash of blue and purple in the background is great for any type of presentation.
This vibrant yellow-striped background, evocative of the sun’s rays, is a clean and fresh option for any lively presentation.
This purple background has rectangular elements at an angle to add some perspective to your slide design.
Another muted option perfect for overlaying text and images, this grey rectangle pattern background can be used in a variety of settings.
For a slightly more festive look, yet not too loud, you can always try this background with a variety of pastel-colored dots.
If you’re looking to stray a bit from the norm, you can also go for a checkerboard look, which is muted enough to overlay text and other visuals.
This stylish green striped background can be used in a variety of visual content formats, such as collages, blog headers and social media graphics, among others.
This dark-colored diagonal background is another option for your slide deck, presentation or other visual content, as long as it doesn’t take away from your main message.
This angled stripes background is another option for those looking to celebrate a birthday or any other special event with a colorful and lively presentation.
This poka dot pattern is another good option for festive occasions.
This abstract, 3D geometric pattern is another example of a muted background with a bit of texture and perspective.
Subtle specks in the background of this blue design make this a creative and youthful option for your visual project.
Add some variety to your slide deck with this geometric patter background with small triangles in the foreground.
This blue zigzag pattern is a good option for those looking to add visual interest to their presentation or other visual content.
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