When you edit a picture in PowerPoint by cropping, resizing, or applying corrections, the original image data remains stored in the file. Two commands let you discard those edits: Reset Picture and Reset Picture and Size. Many users click either option without knowing which one is correct for their current need. This article explains the exact difference between the two commands, what each one discards, and when to use each. You will learn to choose the right reset option and avoid losing intentional layout adjustments.
Key Takeaways: Choosing Between Reset Picture and Reset Picture and Size
- Picture Format tab > Reset Picture (first icon): Removes all picture corrections, color changes, artistic effects, and crop — but keeps the shape size and rotation you set manually.
- Picture Format tab > Reset Picture and Size (dropdown arrow > second icon): Removes all picture edits AND returns the shape to its original scale and dimensions as when first inserted.
- Right-click > Reset Picture: Performs the same action as the ribbon icon — no difference between the two access points for the same command.
Why PowerPoint Has Two Separate Reset Commands for Pictures
When you insert a picture into a slide, PowerPoint stores the original image file inside the presentation. Every edit you apply — cropping, brightness adjustment, color saturation, sharpening, compression, or applying a preset filter — is stored as a set of instructions layered on top of that original file. The Reset commands remove those instructions and restore the picture to its unedited state.
The difference lies in what the commands consider part of the picture state. Reset Picture treats the shape size and position as separate from the picture content. It removes all formatting applied via the Picture Format tab but leaves the shape dimensions exactly as you resized them. Reset Picture and Size treats the shape size as part of the picture state and restores both the picture formatting and the dimensions to the values the picture had when you first inserted it.
This distinction matters when you have carefully sized a picture to fit a specific area of a slide, such as a placeholder or a grid. Using Reset Picture and Size would undo that sizing work, forcing you to reapply the dimensions manually.
What Each Reset Command Removes and Preserves
Both commands restore the picture to its original appearance, but they differ in what else they affect. The table below lists every category of edit and whether each command reverts it.
Edits Always Removed by Both Commands
The following edits are discarded by both Reset Picture and Reset Picture and Size:
- Crop: Any cropping applied to the picture is removed and the full image is displayed again.
- Corrections: Brightness, contrast, sharpness, and softness sliders return to their default values.
- Color adjustments: Color saturation, color tone, recolor presets, and transparency settings are cleared.
- Artistic effects: Blur, pencil sketch, paint strokes, and similar effects are removed.
- Picture styles: Borders, shadows, reflections, glows, soft edges, bevels, and 3-D rotation applied from the Picture Styles gallery are removed.
- Compression: If you applied picture compression, the command restores the original resolution from the embedded image data, provided the original data was not discarded during compression.
What Reset Picture Preserves That Reset Picture and Size Does Not
Reset Picture leaves the shape size and rotation untouched. If you manually resized the picture to 5 inches wide and rotated it 45 degrees, those values remain after clicking Reset Picture. The picture content reverts to its original look, but it stays at 5 inches wide and rotated.
Reset Picture and Size reverts the shape dimensions to the width and height the picture had when you first inserted it. It also resets any rotation back to 0 degrees. The picture position on the slide is not affected by either command; only the size and rotation change when using the second option.
How to Access and Use Each Reset Command
Both commands are available on the Picture Format contextual tab, which appears when you select a picture. The ribbon location is the same in PowerPoint 2019, 2021, and Microsoft 365.
- Select the picture
Click the picture on your slide to select it. The Picture Format tab appears at the right end of the ribbon. - Open the Reset Picture dropdown
Go to Picture Format > Adjust group. Click the Reset Picture icon, or click the small dropdown arrow directly below the icon to see both options. - Choose Reset Picture (first option)
Click the top icon labeled Reset Picture. All picture formatting is removed, but the shape size and rotation remain as you set them. - Choose Reset Picture and Size (second option)
From the dropdown menu, click Reset Picture and Size. All picture formatting is removed, and the shape size and rotation return to the original insertion values.
You can also right-click the picture and select Reset Picture from the context menu. This action performs the same operation as the ribbon Reset Picture icon — it does not reset the size. There is no right-click option for Reset Picture and Size; you must use the ribbon dropdown to access that command.
Common Mistakes When Using Reset Picture vs Reset Picture and Size
Accidentally Losing the Shape Size After Manual Resizing
Users who resize a picture to fit a specific slide area often click Reset Picture and Size out of habit, then wonder why the picture jumps back to its original large dimensions. The fix is to use Reset Picture instead, which keeps the manual size intact. If you have already used Reset Picture and Size, press Ctrl+Z to undo and then use Reset Picture.
Confusing the Two Commands When Using the Right-Click Menu
The right-click context menu offers only Reset Picture. If you need to reset the size as well, you must use the ribbon. Right-clicking and choosing Reset Picture does not reset size, even if you expected it to. This is by design, but it often surprises users who assume the right-click command is the more powerful one.
Thinking Reset Picture Undoes Compression
If you compressed the picture using File > Compress Pictures and checked the option Delete cropped areas of pictures, the original data is permanently removed from the file. Neither Reset command can restore that cropped area or the full resolution because the data no longer exists. The reset will show the picture at the compressed resolution without the missing cropped portion.
Applying Reset After Duplicating a Slide
When you duplicate a slide that contains a resized picture, the picture on the duplicate slide retains the resized dimensions. If you then apply Reset Picture and Size on the duplicate, the picture returns to the original insertion size, not the size it had on the original slide. This can break the layout you were replicating. Use Reset Picture instead to keep the layout consistent.
| Item | Reset Picture | Reset Picture and Size |
|---|---|---|
| Removes crop | Yes | Yes |
| Removes corrections | Yes | Yes |
| Removes color adjustments | Yes | Yes |
| Removes artistic effects | Yes | Yes |
| Removes picture styles | Yes | Yes |
| Resets shape size | No | Yes |
| Resets rotation | No | Yes |
| Resets shape position | No | No |
| Restores deleted cropped areas after compression | No | No |
You can now confidently choose between Reset Picture and Reset Picture and Size based on whether you want to preserve the shape dimensions you set manually. Use Reset Picture when you have intentionally resized the picture to fit a layout. Use Reset Picture and Size when you want to return the picture to its original insertion state completely. For even more control, combine Reset Picture with the Size and Position pane under Format Picture > Size & Properties to fine-tune dimensions after resetting.