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PowerPoint software is useful for creating presentations. The presentation consists of slides with each slide representing a topic or subtopic. The slides usually contain bulleted items that summarize information about the topic. Presentations with long segments of text are usually not effective. There is nothing worse for the listener than the speaker “reading” the slides.
If you are debating between using Word or PowerPoint, keep in mind that it is easier to create and manipulate graphics in PowerPoint. If you have lots of paragraphs and sentences, instead of bullet points, you may be better off creating a text document with Word.
These are some important items to know when using Microsoft PowerPoint:
- Using a Template
- Windows 95/98/2000 -Create a new slide from a template
- From the menu bar select File > New.
- In the dialog box click the Design Templates tab.
- Click on a template to select it. Click OK.
- Select an AutoLayout which is closest to the design you want for most of your screens.
- Windows XP - Create a new slide from a template
- From the menu bar Select File > New to display the task pane
- On the task pane select From Design Template
- Click a design template from the list to preview and select it
- AutoContent Wizard
- The AutoContent wizard will build slides (minus content) for you automatically
- Windows 95/98/2000
- From the menu bar select File > New.
- In the dialog box select AutoContent Wizard and click OK
- Follow the instructions on each screen and click Next
- Windows XP
- From the menu bar select File > New.
- On the task pane select From Auto Content wizard
- Follow the instructions on each screen anc click Next
- Add a New Slide
- From the menu bar select Insert > New Slide.
- Select the AutoLayout of the slide.
- Tip: You may create a new slide identical to one you already have. Go to the slide you want to duplicate. From the menu bar select Insert > Duplicate Slide.
- Editing Slide Content
- Use the Cut, Copy and Paste commands to move text between text objects and between slides
- Use the toolbar to format text - Bold, Italics, Underline, Alignment (left, right, center, justified), Bullets (numbered and unordered)
- Use the Undo command to take away your last action
- Tip: Your presentation will be viewed primarily on a screen, so don’t make your font sizes too small. Anything size less than 20 and your audience may have trouble seeing the text.
- Moving from Slide to Slide
- Normal View - From the menu bar select View > Normal
- There are two tabs displayed on the lift side of the screen - Outline and Slides
- From either of the tabs click on the slide you would like to view.
- The slide is displayed in the main pane.
- The Slide Number is displayed on the status bar.
- Slide Sorter View - From the menu bar select View > Slide Sorter
- The Slide Sorter displays all of your slides. Double-click on a slide to display it.
- Rearranging Slides
- From the menu bar select View > Slide Sorter
- To move a slide, click and drag it to a new location.
- To delete a slide, clide the slide to select it, then press the Delete key.
- To add a new slide, click the slide you want the new slide to follow. Then from the menu bar select Inser > New Slide.
- View the Slide Show
- From the menu bar select Slide Show > View Show.
- A mouse click or the space bar moves you forward through the show.
- Right-click on a slide to view a menu of navigation options.
- Press the Esc key to stop the show and edit your slide.
- Printing the Presentation or Slides
- The Print button on the toolbar prints the entire presentation. If you only want a single slide you need to use another method.
- To control the printed output, from the menu bar select File > Print.
- Print Range settings determine which slides will print.
- Print What settings determines whether each slide or a handout with multiple screens will be printed.
- Tip: Sometimes color slides look better as Black and White rather than Grayscale. Grayscale may make some colors hard to read.
- Inserting Graphics
- Windows 95/98/2000 - Insert a picture from Clip Art
- From the menu bar, select Insert > Picture > Clip Art
- Click on a category
- Click on a picture (sound or motion clip)
- Click the icon for Insert a Picture on the popup menu
- Move the picture where you want it
- Windows XP - Insert a picture from Clip Art
- From the menu bar select Insert > Picture > Clip Art
- From the task pane select Clip Organizer
- Expand Office Collections
- Select a category
- Drag a clip to the slide
- You may obtain more Clip Art from the Microsoft Office web site, http://office.microsoft.com/clipart/
- Insert a picture from your own file
- From the menu bar, select Insert > Picture > From File
- Browse your computer to find the file you want
- Select the file and click the Insert button
- Move the picture where you want it
- Resize a picture
- Select the picture
- Right-click on the picture
- Click Format Picture
- Select the Size tab
- Change the dimensions or percentage of the picture
- Tip: Lock Aspect Ratio means keep the picture proportional with its original dimensions
- Drawing Objects
- Display the Drawing toolbar - From the menu bar select View > Toolbars > Drawing. The Drawing toolbar is placed at the bottom of the screen. The Drawing toolbar contains AutoShapes, lines, arrows, rectangles, ovals and WordArt
- AutoShapes
- Click the AutoShapes button on the Drawing toolbar.
- Select the Autoshape category (lines, arrows, buttons, etc.)
- Click the slide where you want the shape to appear and then drag the shape to the size you want.
- Move the shape by clicking and dragging with the mouse button down.
- Layers - When more than one object is on a slide they may overlap. If you can not select the object you want, then send the one(s) on top to the back.
- Highlight the object that is on top of the one you want.
- From the menu select Order > Send to Back. You should then be albe to select the object you want. You may have to do this more than once, if more than one object is on top of it.
- Slide Transitions
- A transition is how PowerPoint moves from one slide to another. There are built-in effects that you can choose from.
- From the menu bar select Slide Show > Slide Transition.
- In the Custom Animation task pane click Add Effect and select the effect you want.
- Click Apply to All if you want the transition for all slides in the show.
- Animations
- Animating Text
- In Slide View click the text box you want to animate.
- Form the menu bar select Slide Show > Custom Animation.
- In the Custom Animation task pane click Add Effect and select the effect you want.
- The text box then becomes listed in the task pane. Click the text object in the list. Click the drop down arrow and select Effect Options.
- Select the Text Animation tab. For Group Text select By 1st level paragraph.
- Animating Objects
- In Slide View click the object you want to animate.
- Form the menu bar select Slide Show > Custom Animation.
- In the Custom Animation task pane select an animation effect.
- If you are animating several objects, you can use the Re-order button to order their appearance.
- Slide Notes
- Slide notes are helpful to the presenter. They are not seen on the screen unless the presenter chooses to do so. Handouts can be printed to include Notes.
- In Normal view go to the slide to which you want to add notes.
- The Notes entry pane is under the slide. Click inside the Notes pane to begin typing text.
- Master Slide
- You can change the layout of all of your slides in one location - the Slide Master.
- From the menu bar select View > Master > Slide Master.
- Edit the font or font size of title or bullet text.
- You change the position of the date and slide number footers on this slide. Content of footers is added under View > Headers and Footers.
- Switch back to Normal view to see the results.
- Slide Color Scheme and Background
- Windows 95/98/2000
- Slide Color Scheme. From the menu bar select Format > Slide Color Scheme.
- Background. From the menu bar select Format > Background.
- Windows XP
- From the menubar select Format > Slide Design.
- On the Slide Design task pane select Color Scheme.
- Header/Footer
- From the menubar select View > Header and Footer
- In the Header and Footer dialog box there are options for the date and time and slide number.
- Buttons
- You can add buttons to your presentation that link to other slides.
- Click the AutoShapes button on the Drawing toolbar.
- Select the Action Button category.
- Click on the slide where you want the button to appear and then drag the shape to the size you want.
- In the Action Settings dialog box you may choose the slide or location you want to link to.
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