You can edit any aspect of a template, so feel free to choose one that mostly matches your vision and tweak it as you see fit. You can apply themes to your project at a later time after you’ve added content. Click the Design tab and select a theme. It will be immediately applied to your project. You can either undo it (Ctrl + Z) or revert to a blank theme if you don’t like it. You can access templates from the File tab. Click New and then browse the available templates. You can also download additional templates from a variety of resources online.
When adding a text box, you can click and drag to make it whatever size you’d like. You can then adjust this later by grabbing one of the corners with your cursor and then clicking and dragging again. You can click on any text box and start typing to begin adding text to your presentation. You can format text just as you would in Word, with formatting options available in the Home tab.
When you pick a transition, it will affect how that slide appears. For example, adding a transition to Slide 2 will affect how Slide 1 transitions into Slide 2. You will be able to see a preview in the slide editing window when you click each transition. Don’t add too much transitions to your presentation. This can be distracting to the audience and keeps them from focusing on your what is the most important which is your content.
Right-click on a blank section of your slide and select “Format Background”, or click the Design tab and the click the arrow icon next to “Background” on the far right. Choose your fill type. You can choose a solid color, a gradient fill, a picture background, or a pattern fill. Selecting each choice will display several options for it, such as fill color, picture location, gradient settings, and more. Experiment until you find the background that fits your presentation. By default, the background will only be applied to your active slide. Click the “Apply to All” button to apply your background choices to every slide. Make sure that your text is still easily readable with the background you choose.
Click the Insert tab. There will be a large number of options when it comes to inserting objects. Click the Picture button to insert a picture from a file on your computer. You can click the Photo Album button to insert an entire album of photos into the slide as well. Use the Charts button to insert easy-to-read charts that will help the audience understand your data. Once you choose your Chart type, Excel will open, allowing you to enter in your data or copy it from an existing spreadsheet. Use the Shapes button to insert pre-made shapes or dray your own. You can use the shapes to outline important text or create arrows and other visual indicators. Avoid drowning your presentation with pictures. If it looks too busy, the audience will have a hard time parsing your written information.
To add a link, place your cursor in a text box and then click the Hyperlink button on the Insert tab. You can choose to link to a file on your computer, a webpage, an email address, or even another slide in your presentation.
You can drag the video from the PC file or use the Insert menu to add the video. If using the menu, click the Video button in the Insert tab. You will be able to browse your computer for video files. Just make sure the video is in the right format first. PowerPoint will then put it in place in the PowerPoint. While it’s not as straightforward, you can embed YouTube videos as well. See this guide to learn how.
On a related note, make sure that your font choice is readable as well. Curvy and extravagant fonts may look cool, but they’ll make your audience just stop caring if they can’t read it.
Get someone to help you proofread your presentation before you give it. A fresh set of eyes are much more likely to catch mistakes that you gloss over.
See this guide for more information on giving a successful presentation, either in class or at the office.
