Possible to create a silhouette of an image on keynote?

Sounds like a job for PhotoShop (or similar). You'll need to create an alternate version of your image as a silhouette and use that. Keynote does have image adjustments (HLC, etc.) but I doubt it can create the effect you're looking for.

Depending on the image, Keynote can go a LONG way towards helping you get this look. For example, I just found the image on the left (Google image search for profile).



Then I created the silhouette on the right by

1) Using Instant Alpha to remove the white background around him and from the loop in the collar
2) Going into View > Show Adjust Image, then, in the Levels area, dragging the right controller all the way over to the left.


Quick and easy silhouette. I'll try finding another example image if you like 🙂

Message was edited by: Kyn Drake

I guess I assumed the image was not already cut-out ready, as in the previous example. For an image with a complex background you will likely have to use an external photo editor. Keynote 's internal image processing tools are certainly a time-saver, but only for high contrast images, and the cutouts still aren't as clean as when cut out in a photo editor, so it all depends on how good you want it to look when you're done.

For an image with a complex background you will likely have to use an external photo editor.

And the external editor that might do the trick comes for free on every Mac. Preview has a "Smart Lasso" function that's pretty good at cutting out more complex images. And, once you get the image cut out, you're only one step from a nice silhouette.

For the original poster's question, yes, it's possible with Keynote, but will depend a lot on the image you're starting with. Your next step would be to try Preview's "Smart Lasso" function and, if that's no good, then I think you've exhausted your "free" options 🙂