When you adjust the opacity of a clip using the washout feature, you can add subtle touches to your document, such as a watermark or a faded background.

Consider this clip art of a sun, which has bright colors and interesting shapes. Say you want to use it, but would rather that it be understated.

To wash out clip art

1. In the Microsoft Office document or file that contains the clip you want to wash out, click the clip.
2. On the Picture toolbar, click the Format Picture button .
3. Select the Picture tab.
4. Under Image Control, select Washout from the Color drop-down list, and then click OK.

Your clip has now changed from bold to subtle. You can use this more subtle image in many ways, including as a background for a flyer, as shown here.