Create Google Jamboard Backgrounds in Google Slides

Google Jamboard is a good tool for collaborative activities in the classroom or virtual learning environment, but it’s missing some features that could make it an amazing tool. Among those absent features is the ability to design your frames (the “slides” in a “Jam”) in ways that you might design a Google Slide.

Well, don’t let that stop you! You can create your backgrounds and templates in Google Slides and then turn them into Jamboard backgrounds!

And, here’s a little bonus: You could have one Slides file with all of your Jamboard backgrounds and templates in it! Oooh – organized!

Check out the process – and a bonus tip for a quicker way to upload the image –  in the #EduGIF below and then, under the animation, check out some step-by-step instructions! You can also view a video, with explanations here.

This animation shows the process of creating a Google Jamboard background in Google Slides. The steps are written out below the animation.
Check out a Pausable version of this #EduGIF here or a video version with an explanation here.

Here is the step-by-step process:

  1. Open Google Slides.
  2. Click File > Page Setup. Change the dropdown to Custom. Set the dimensions dropdown to pixels. Enter 1920 in the first box and 1080 in the other.
  3. Design your slide! Add backgrounds, text, shapes, images, anything that you’d like!  The only things that won’t work are GIFs, videos, and audio.
  4. Select FileDownload and select either png or jpg.
  5. Open Google Jamboard.
  6. Click Set Background.
  7. Select the option that looks like a Jamboard frame with a + sign.
  8. Drag your newly downloaded image file into the upload section. Or, if needed, use the navigation buttons to find the image.

Detailed video version:

Published by

Jake Miller

Jake is the host of the Educational Duct Tape podcast, the #EduGIF Guy, a Tech Integration Coach, speaker, Former STEM, Math & Science Teacher, and a presenter.