@@ -, +, @@ 
---
 .../org/apache/poi/xslf/usermodel/Tutorial3.java   |    4 ++
 .../org/apache/poi/xslf/usermodel/XSLFColor.java   |   34 ++++++++++++++
 .../apache/poi/xslf/usermodel/XSLFSimpleShape.java |   48 +++++++-------------
 .../apache/poi/xslf/usermodel/XSLFTableCell.java   |    4 +-
 .../org/apache/poi/xslf/usermodel/XSLFTextRun.java |   15 +++----
 5 files changed, 62 insertions(+), 43 deletions(-)
--- a/src/examples/src/org/apache/poi/xslf/usermodel/Tutorial3.java	
+++ a/src/examples/src/org/apache/poi/xslf/usermodel/Tutorial3.java	
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ 
 
 package org.apache.poi.xslf.usermodel;
 
+import java.awt.Color;
 import java.awt.Rectangle;
 import java.io.FileOutputStream;
 import java.io.IOException;
@@ -40,6 +41,9 @@ public class Tutorial3 {
         titleShape.setText("This is a slide title");
         titleShape.setAnchor(new Rectangle(50, 50, 400, 100));
 
+        // set background, with 25% opacity
+        titleShape.setFillColor(new Color(255, 0, 0, 64));
+
         FileOutputStream out = new FileOutputStream("title.pptx");
         ppt.write(out);
         out.close();
--- a/src/ooxml/java/org/apache/poi/xslf/usermodel/XSLFColor.java	
+++ a/src/ooxml/java/org/apache/poi/xslf/usermodel/XSLFColor.java	
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import org.openxmlformats.schemas.drawingml.x2006.main.CTPresetColor;
 import org.openxmlformats.schemas.drawingml.x2006.main.CTSRgbColor;
 import org.openxmlformats.schemas.drawingml.x2006.main.CTScRgbColor;
 import org.openxmlformats.schemas.drawingml.x2006.main.CTSchemeColor;
+import org.openxmlformats.schemas.drawingml.x2006.main.CTSolidColorFillProperties;
 import org.openxmlformats.schemas.drawingml.x2006.main.CTSystemColor;
 import org.w3c.dom.Node;
 
@@ -388,6 +389,39 @@ public class XSLFColor {
     }
 
 
+
+    /**
+     * Set the solid fill colors - RGB and alpha.
+     *
+     * No sanity checks, the caller must handle null values itself.
+     *
+     * @param fill    The solid fill properties
+     * @param color   The color to use.
+     */
+    /* package */ static void setFillColor(CTSolidColorFillProperties fill, Color color)
+    {
+        CTSRgbColor rgb = CTSRgbColor.Factory.newInstance();
+        rgb.setVal(new byte[]{
+            (byte) color.getRed(), (byte) color.getGreen(), (byte) color.getBlue()
+        });
+
+        // alpha (%)
+        int alpha = (int) (100000 * color.getAlpha() / 255.0);
+        if (alpha < 100000)
+        {
+            rgb.addNewAlpha().setVal(alpha);
+        }
+
+        fill.setSrgbClr(rgb);
+
+        if (fill.isSetHslClr()) fill.unsetHslClr();
+        if (fill.isSetPrstClr()) fill.unsetPrstClr();
+        if (fill.isSetSchemeClr()) fill.unsetSchemeClr();
+        if (fill.isSetScrgbClr()) fill.unsetScrgbClr();
+        if (fill.isSetSysClr()) fill.unsetSysClr();
+    }
+
+
     /**
      * Preset colors defined in DrawingML
      */
--- a/src/ooxml/java/org/apache/poi/xslf/usermodel/XSLFSimpleShape.java	
+++ a/src/ooxml/java/org/apache/poi/xslf/usermodel/XSLFSimpleShape.java	
@@ -180,35 +180,29 @@ public abstract class XSLFSimpleShape extends XSLFShape implements SimpleShape {
         if (styleMatrix == null) return null;
         CTLineStyleList lineStyles = styleMatrix.getLnStyleLst();
         if (lineStyles == null || lineStyles.sizeOfLnArray() < idx) return null;
-        
+
         return lineStyles.getLnArray(idx - 1);
     }
 
+
     /**
-    * @param color  the color to paint the shape outline.
+     * @param color  the color to paint the shape outline.
      * A <code>null</code> value turns off the shape outline.
      */
     public void setLineColor(Color color) {
         CTShapeProperties spPr = getSpPr();
         if (color == null) {
-            if (spPr.isSetLn() && spPr.getLn().isSetSolidFill())
+            if (spPr.isSetLn() && spPr.getLn().isSetSolidFill()) {
                 spPr.getLn().unsetSolidFill();
+            }
         } else {
-            CTLineProperties ln = spPr.isSetLn() ? spPr.getLn() : spPr
-                    .addNewLn();
+            CTLineProperties ln = spPr.isSetLn() ? spPr.getLn() : spPr.addNewLn();
 
-            CTSRgbColor rgb = CTSRgbColor.Factory.newInstance();
-            rgb.setVal(new byte[]{(byte) color.getRed(),
-                    (byte) color.getGreen(), (byte) color.getBlue()});
-
-            CTSolidColorFillProperties fill = ln.isSetSolidFill() ? ln
-                    .getSolidFill() : ln.addNewSolidFill();
-            fill.setSrgbClr(rgb);
-            if(fill.isSetHslClr()) fill.unsetHslClr();
-            if(fill.isSetPrstClr()) fill.unsetPrstClr();
-            if(fill.isSetSchemeClr()) fill.unsetSchemeClr();
-            if(fill.isSetScrgbClr()) fill.unsetScrgbClr();
-            if(fill.isSetSysClr()) fill.unsetSysClr();
+            XSLFColor.setFillColor
+            (
+                ln.isSetSolidFill() ? ln.getSolidFill() : ln.addNewSolidFill(),
+                color
+            );
         }
     }
 
@@ -491,7 +485,7 @@ public abstract class XSLFSimpleShape extends XSLFShape implements SimpleShape {
      * specified color.
      *
      * @param color the solid color fill. The value of <code>null</code> unsets
-     *              the solidFIll attribute from the underlying xml
+     *              the solidFill attribute from the underlying xml
      */
     public void setFillColor(Color color) {
         CTShapeProperties spPr = getSpPr();
@@ -502,19 +496,11 @@ public abstract class XSLFSimpleShape extends XSLFShape implements SimpleShape {
         } else {
             if (spPr.isSetNoFill()) spPr.unsetNoFill();
 
-            CTSolidColorFillProperties fill = spPr.isSetSolidFill() ? spPr
-                    .getSolidFill() : spPr.addNewSolidFill();
-
-            CTSRgbColor rgb = CTSRgbColor.Factory.newInstance();
-            rgb.setVal(new byte[]{(byte) color.getRed(),
-                    (byte) color.getGreen(), (byte) color.getBlue()});
-
-            fill.setSrgbClr(rgb);
-            if(fill.isSetHslClr()) fill.unsetHslClr();
-            if(fill.isSetPrstClr()) fill.unsetPrstClr();
-            if(fill.isSetSchemeClr()) fill.unsetSchemeClr();
-            if(fill.isSetScrgbClr()) fill.unsetScrgbClr();
-            if(fill.isSetSysClr()) fill.unsetSysClr();
+            XSLFColor.setFillColor
+            (
+                spPr.isSetSolidFill() ? spPr.getSolidFill() : spPr.addNewSolidFill(),
+                color
+            );
         }
     }
 
--- a/src/ooxml/java/org/apache/poi/xslf/usermodel/XSLFTableCell.java	
+++ a/src/ooxml/java/org/apache/poi/xslf/usermodel/XSLFTableCell.java	
@@ -146,9 +146,7 @@ public class XSLFTableCell extends XSLFTextShape {
             tl.setW(STLineEndWidth.MED);
             tl.setLen(STLineEndLength.MED);
 
-            CTSRgbColor rgb = CTSRgbColor.Factory.newInstance();
-            rgb.setVal(new byte[]{(byte)color.getRed(), (byte)color.getGreen(), (byte)color.getBlue()});
-            ln.addNewSolidFill().setSrgbClr(rgb);
+            XSLFColor.setFillColor(ln.addNewSolidFill(), color);
         }
     }    
     
--- a/src/ooxml/java/org/apache/poi/xslf/usermodel/XSLFTextRun.java	
+++ a/src/ooxml/java/org/apache/poi/xslf/usermodel/XSLFTextRun.java	
@@ -85,18 +85,15 @@ public class XSLFTextRun implements TextRun {
     @Override
     public void setFontColor(Color color) {
         CTTextCharacterProperties rPr = getRPr();
-        CTSolidColorFillProperties fill = rPr.isSetSolidFill() ? rPr.getSolidFill() : rPr.addNewSolidFill();
-        CTSRgbColor clr = fill.isSetSrgbClr() ? fill.getSrgbClr() : fill.addNewSrgbClr();
-        clr.setVal(new byte[]{(byte)color.getRed(), (byte)color.getGreen(), (byte)color.getBlue()});
-
-        if(fill.isSetHslClr()) fill.unsetHslClr();
-        if(fill.isSetPrstClr()) fill.unsetPrstClr();
-        if(fill.isSetSchemeClr()) fill.unsetSchemeClr();
-        if(fill.isSetScrgbClr()) fill.unsetScrgbClr();
-        if(fill.isSetSysClr()) fill.unsetSysClr();
 
+        XSLFColor.setFillColor
+        (
+            rPr.isSetSolidFill() ? rPr.getSolidFill() : rPr.addNewSolidFill(),
+            color
+        );
     }
 
+
     @Override
     public Color getFontColor(){
         final XSLFTheme theme = _p.getParentShape().getSheet().getTheme();
--