Office Settings & Configuration

How to Fix a PowerPoint Object Disappearing After Zoom-Out Animation

Natalie Taylor Sep 25, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants an object to visually shrink or zoom out on the slide without being completely removed from the presentation.

Product: PowerPoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Applying a zoom-out animation effect to an image, shape, or text box during a slideshow presentation.
Observed behavior: The object completely vanishes from the slide because a Zoom Exit animation was applied instead of a resizing emphasis effect.

Before you start

Ensure the Animation Pane is open on your screen so you can clearly identify whether the effect currently applied to your disappearing object is a red Exit animation.

Solution 1Recommended

Replace the Zoom Exit Animation with a Grow/Shrink Emphasis Animation

Use the Grow/Shrink emphasis effect and scale it down to simulate a zoom-out while keeping the object visible on the slide.

Animations categorized as 'Exit' (usually marked with a red star) are specifically designed to remove an object from the screen. To resize an object during a presentation without making it vanish entirely, you must use an 'Emphasis' effect (usually marked with a yellow star).

Remove the existing Exit animation

Click on the disappearing object on your slide, navigate to the 'Animations' tab, open the 'Animation Pane', right-click the red Zoom Exit effect in the list, and select 'Remove'.

Apply a Grow/Shrink effect

With the object still selected, click the 'Add Animation' button on the top ribbon and choose 'Grow/Shrink' under the yellow Emphasis section.

Adjust the scale to zoom out

In the Animation Pane, right-click the newly added Grow/Shrink effect and select 'Effect Options'. Under the 'Effect' tab, click the 'Size' dropdown, type a custom value less than 100% (for example, 50%), press Enter on your keyboard, and click 'OK'.

Replace the Zoom Exit Animation with a Grow/Shrink Emphasis Animation

Animation Preview: You can click the 'Play From' button in the Animation Pane to verify that the object now shrinks smoothly and remains on the screen.

Master Presentation Animations

Easily Control Object Animations with WPS Presentation

WPS Presentation provides an intuitive interface for managing custom animations. You can effortlessly apply emphasis effects like Grow/Shrink to create dynamic zoom-outs without losing your objects.

1. Open your presentation: Launch WPS Presentation and open the slide containing the object you want to animate.
2. Open the Custom Animation Pane: Navigate to the 'Animation' tab on the top ribbon and click 'Custom Animation' to open the settings panel on the right side of the screen.
3. Apply the effect: Select your object, click 'Add Effect' in the right panel, choose 'Emphasis', and then select 'Grow/Shrink'.
4. Shrink the object: Double-click the new effect in the panel to open the options dialog, and set the Size property to a smaller percentage to achieve the zoom-out effect.

Fully compatible with Microsoft PowerPoint (.pptx) animation effectsIntuitive Custom Animation Pane for quick timeline and size adjustmentsFree, lightweight, and easy-to-use presentation software alternative

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do some of my PowerPoint animations make images disappear automatically?

This happens when an 'Exit' animation (indicated by a red star icon) is applied to the image. Exit animations are designed to clear objects from the screen at a specific point in your presentation. To keep the image visible, you need to use an 'Emphasis' or 'Motion Path' animation instead.

How do I make an object zoom in and then zoom out on the same slide?

You can achieve this by adding two 'Grow/Shrink' emphasis animations to the same object sequentially. Set the first effect's size to greater than 100% (e.g., 150%) to zoom in, and use the 'Add Animation' button to apply a second effect with the size set back to 100% or smaller to zoom out.

Can I apply multiple animations to the same object?

Yes. Instead of selecting an animation directly from the main gallery (which replaces the current animation), click the 'Add Animation' button. This allows you to stack multiple effects, such as an Entrance, an Emphasis, and an Exit, on a single object in your timeline.

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