Setting the Default Text Style

If you want to change the style of the text that appears when you type things that aren't the title or the slide body, do the following:
Choose the first layout option and click in the title box.  From the Format menu, select Font. Make all the changes that you want there, and then check default for new objects.  Next click OK.  From that point on, new text will be created in that font style and size.

Changing A Design Template

To change the design template for the title or slide body objects, go to the View…Title or Slide Master.  Click the body of the slide then right click the slide and choose Group…Ungroup.  Delete any part of the design you desire.  Then right click and choose Group…Regroup.  When completed choose the slide sorter view mode from the lower left-corner of the screen.

Using Different Backgrounds within one Presentation

Although you only have two background designs automatically supplied with the Masters (counting both the Slide Master and the Title Master), you can have any design you want on any slide. From the Format menu, select Background. Check the box that says "omit background items" and this will make the slide ignore the Slide Master's design. You are now free to add whatever design you want to this slide. If you want to do this to many slides at once, go to the Slide Sorter, select the slides, and then use the Format menu command. Remember using this process instead of doing it once on the Master, may increase the file size dramatically.

Using More than One Guide

If you like using guides, but wish there were more, you can create additional Guides by simply holding down the CTRL key while dragging on an existing Guide. This will create a new guide. To get rid of guides, just drag them off the edge of the slide.

Creating Pages with Slides and Descriptive Text

If you want to create printable pages that have notes or descriptive text associated each slide, PowerPoint has a feature designed to do just this called Notes Pages, or Speaker's Notes (depending on which version you're using). To view the Notes page for any slide, go to the View menu and select Notes Pages. You will see an image of your slide there, and a placeholder for adding your script, notes, or any other text you wish. You can cut-and-paste text from Word here if you like. To print these pages, bring up the Print dialog, and at the bottom of the dialog where it says "Print What:", select Notes Pages.  These pages were originally designed to be used as audience hand outs.  To return to the normal view click the Slide View button in the lower right corner. 

Building Presentations for Distribution to Others

If you're making a PowerPoint presentation that you intend to distribute to lots of different people, here are some important things to watch out for that will cause problems:

1. Stick with the fonts that come installed with Windows; Fancy fonts that appear on your machine will cause problems if everyone else doesn't have them.

2. Avoid embedding sounds and videos: these will not go from Mac to Windows gracefully, and you have to be very careful about how you insert the files in order to get them to "travel" properly. See the FAQ section for more information on this.

3. Design the presentation on the lowest version that you think might be in use. For example, if you want the presentation to be able to be viewed by Mac users (who may not have upgraded to the latest version), you will want to design your presentation in PowerPoint 4.0. If you don't have PowerPoint 4, then you'll want to save your presentation in the lowest format you think people will have. For cross-platform distribution, 4.0 is still your safest bet; for Windows-only distribution, save to PowerPoint 95. When you down-rev save, be prepared for some visual changes in your file--the previous version may not support some of the features you've put in, so be sure to sanity check your file on several different machines and versions BEFORE you distribute it!

Easily Changing from Caps to Lower Case (or Vice Versa)

If you have text that is in the wrong case, select the text, and then click Shift+F3 until it changes to the case style that you like. Clicking Shift+F3 toggles the text case between ALL CAPS, lower case, and Initial Capital styles. This useful trick works with Word too!

Nudging Objects

You can use the arrow keys to move objects very small distances. This is a big win for those laptop users who no longer have mice. Select the object, then use your arrow keys. Each press of the key will move the object on "grid unit" (1/12th of an inch, don't ask why); if you hold down the Ctrl key while nudging, or if you have the grid turned off, you can move the objects one pixel at a time.

Saving Across Multiple Diskettes

Since PowerPoint 7.0 (the one in Office 95, also known as PowerPoint '95) you have the option to save large files over multiple diskettes. From the File menu, select Pack and Go. This wizard will compress your PowerPoint presentation and copy the file onto as many floppies as are necessary.

Soft Shadows

You can create "soft" shadows for square or round objects that sit on a solid color background. Make a copy of the object, then change its fill to be shaded from black to the background color, with the shading set with black going from the center out to the background color at the edges.  

Make this object about 150% bigger than the original object, and put it behind the object. This will give you the effect of "soft" shadows.

Screen Capture

Copy any image you can view on your computer screen using the screen capture feature of Windows. Press the Prnt Scrn (Print Screen) key on the keyboard and open Word. Click Edit...Paste (Ctrl + V). The image can then be cropped using the Picture Toolbar.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Sometimes using the keyboard is quicker than using the mouse.  Shortcut keys can help you bypass menus and carry out commands directly. You can use shortcut keys in many ways with PowerPoint, from accessing commands and toolbar buttons to inserting a new slide. Shortcut keys are sometimes listed next to the command name on PowerPoint menus. For example, on the Edit menu, the Find command lists the shortcut CTRL+F.

Here are some of the most useful PowerPoint shortcut keys:

More Quickies

1. To draw a line that is perfectly horizontal or vertical

Depress the Shift key while dragging to create your line.

2. To draw a perfect square

Depress the Shift key while dragging to create your square.

3. To draw a perfect circle

Depress the Shift key while dragging to create your circle.

4. To quickly access the Slide Master

Click on the Slide View icon (at the top-left of the screen), while depressing the Shift key.

5. To insert a blank line that is not preceded by a bullet point

Instead of pressing the Enter key, press Shift+Enter.

6.  To select more that one object at a time

Select the first object, then while depressing the Shift key select the other objects that you wish to select.

7.       To quickly format an AutoShape

Double click on the AutoShape.

8. To create a new design template

Click on the File drop down menu, select New and then select the Design Template tab. Select an existing design template that most closely matches what you wish to achieve. Make changes to the slide master as required. Then save the file as a template using the SaveAs command to save the file as a dot file.

9. To preview a presentation in black and white

Click on View…Black and White.

10. To hide part of a graphic

Use the Crop icon contained within the Picture toolbar.

11. To quickly ungroup a grouped object.

Right click on the grouped object and select the Un-group command.

12. To quickly send to the back or bring forward an object

Right click on the object and select the required command.

13. To copy a slide (including the Slide Master content) to the Clipboard

Switch to Slide Sorter view, select the slide that you wish to copy to the Clipboard and then press Ctrl+C.

14. To embed TrueType fonts that that your presentation will display the current font even when used on a different PC that does not have the fonts you have used installed locally

Create you presentation as normal. Click on the SaveAs command. From within the SaveAs dialog box, click on the Tools icon drop down menu. Select the Embed TrueType fonts command.

15. To insert the copyright symbol

To insert the copyright © symbol, enter (c) 
To insert the Trademark ™ symbol enter (tm) 
To insert the registered ® symbol enter (r)

16. To make text incrementally larger or smaller

Select the text and to make it larger repeatedly press Ctrl+], or to make it smaller press Ctrl+[

17.  Saving Shows

Save your presentation as a ‘PowerPoint Show’ (.pps) and your presentation will open straight into screenshow mode.

18.  Hiding Screens

Once your presentation is open you can hide your first (or any other) screen until you are ready to start by pressing ‘B’’ to blackout the screen or (‘W’ to ‘whiteout’ the screen) then press the ‘B’ or ‘W’ again to reveal the screen when you are ready.

19. Jumping to Screens

In show mode type a number then hit ‘enter’ to go to straight to that screen i.e. ’1’ to go back to the 1st screen. This is particularly useful if you have a large show for multiple speakers - just make a note of the slide number where each one starts - and during rehearsal (or following a cock-up) simply keying it in jumps you straight to the right place. Quick and efficient.

20.  To go to the First Slide or Last Slide

Ctrl+Home will take you to the first slide in a presentation, Ctrl+End will take you to the last slide.

Toolbar Tips

You can customize your toolbar to contain buttons for tasks that you routinely conduct.  Click View…Toolbars…Customize.  Click the Commands Tab and choose the desired task.  Click and drag the accompanying icon to your preferred location in the toolbar.  Close the customize window.

Printing the Presentation

You have many options for printing your presentation.  Click File…Print.

You can choose to print it as slides or handouts and choose how many will fit on a page, print it as a Notes Page, or print it in the outline view.  Other options include to print it in Grayscale, Pure Black and White, or with Animations.  You can also choose to print only specific slide numbers or print all slides.

Slide Show Pen

While in the slide show view, move the mouse around on screen.  A triangle will appear in the lower left corner.  Click the triangle and a menu will pop up.  Choose Pen (note you may need to change the pen color, another option on the menu).  The mouse will become a writing tool which can be used by the teacher or students.  To move to the next slide after using the pen, you must press enter.