Back to Table of Contents Advanced PowerPoint Techniques Prepared by Pat Samuel WS 445/545 - Feb. 2007

Back to Table of Contents 2 Topics Covered Avoid standard Microsoft Templates – Boring! Modify Microsoft Templates Change color; Add a Graphic Change colorAdd a Graphic Create your own Template (Slide Design) from scratch – Use a Texture; Use Gradient Fills Use a TextureUse Gradient Fills Add Text BoxesText Boxes Add Arrows, Call-outsArrowsCall-outs Control Line Spacing & Size of text blocksLine Spacing Size of text blocks

Back to Table of Contents 3 Modify a Microsoft Template Take a standard Template – here we are using the one called “Balance” Take a standard Template – here we are using the one called “Balance” Change the Color Change the Color Click Format | Background Click Format | Background Click Down-arrow by color box at bottom and choose another color. Click Down-arrow by color box at bottom and choose another color. Note you can choose to “omit background graphics” – here omit the scales. Note you can choose to “omit background graphics” – here omit the scales.

Back to Table of Contents 4 Modify a Microsoft Template - 2 This is how the “Balance” Template looks if we change the color from the default brown to a green. This is how the “Balance” Template looks if we change the color from the default brown to a green. Note how this makes the Scales stand out more. Note how this makes the Scales stand out more. You can also choose to apply your changes just to this slide or to all slides. You can also choose to apply your changes just to this slide or to all slides.

Back to Table of Contents 5 Create Template from Scratch Using a “Texture” Use one of the “textures” available in the Format | Background dialog box. Click the Down-Arrow by the color box and choose “Fill Effects” Then choose the “Texture” tab. Here I chose “Papyrus.”

Back to Table of Contents 6 Create Template from Scratch Using Gradient Fills 1.Click Format | Background. Click Down Arrow by color choice box 2.Choose Fill Effects, then Gradient 3.Pick Color 1 & Color 2 4.Pick Style of Gradient Gradient refers to one color or shade at bottom slowly morphing into another color or shade at top.

Back to Table of Contents 7 The Gradient Fill Dialog Box A screen shot of the Gradient Fill Dialog Box. You specify which 2 colors you want to use (blue and white are the default). Then choose the style at bottom.

Back to Table of Contents 8 More on Gradient Fills Here I chose a reddish-orange for Color 1 and a yellow for Color 2. For the Style, I deliberately chose having the light area at the bottom, so my picture of the computer would show up – especially important on the Blue Gradient slides. Note: I used the default Horizontal Style, can click for diagonals & other shapes of Gradients

Back to Table of Contents 9 More than One Template in a Slide Show? This is an aesthetic question and people differ. Some think that more than one template makes the slide show too garish and busy. Others think more than one template adds variety. If 2 or 3 major sections of a show, a different template for each can make the divisions clear.

Back to Table of Contents 10 Use Slide Master for Single Template If you are using only one template of your own creation for all you slides, Create the colors, texture and/or gradient fill in the Slide Master. Then each time you click New Slide, your creation will appear. You won’t have to recreate your colors, gradient, etc. for each slide.

Back to Table of Contents 11 Use “Duplicate Slide” for Variant Templates If, as I have done in this slide show, you have one main template (the Blue one) which you created on the Master Slide. Then you create a second “template” on a new slide (this Orange one), Easily create more of the 2 nd template by clicking Insert | Duplicate Slide. Just delete the text on the duplicate and insert your new text.

Back to Table of Contents 12 Use the Slide Master To Add a Graphic to All Slides Notice that all the slides in this show have a picture of a computer in the bottom left hand corner. Insert a picture on all slides simultaneously by modifying the Slide Master. Click View | Master | Slide Master Add a graphic here and it will appear on all your slides (I used a pic from the Clip Art Gallery).

Back to Table of Contents 13 Use the Slide Master to Change Fonts on Titles in all Slides 1.Click View | Master | Slide Master. 2.Click on Title area. 3.Choose Font you want to use. Note: you can still change manually on individual slides.

Back to Table of Contents 14 Use Text Boxes to Alter Layouts Standard slide layouts from Microsoft may not fit your needs. You can add a text box to place text exactly where you want it. You can even choose a completely blank slide layout (or just with Title) and then use a text box to lay out your words.

Back to Table of Contents 15 Text Boxes for Sources I often find text boxes useful for adding small bits of text indicating the source of a quote or a graphic. (Don’t really want it as a bullet in your main materials.) Be sure the Drawing Toolbar is showing at bottom of screen. (Right Click on any blank space in main toolbars at top, choose Drawing.) Source of Graphic: Microsoft ClipArt

Back to Table of Contents 16 How to Make a Text Box 1.To make a Text Box, click on the Text Box icon in the drawing toolbar (looks like a notepad). 2.Then click in slide approximately where you want the text box. Draw a rectangle by going from one corner to another. 3.Type you text inside. 4.Format text. 5.Move Text Box if necessary.

Other Graphics – Callouts Right Side of Drawing Toolbar Left Side of Drawing Toolbar Text Box Icon Back to Table of Contents

18 Creating a Callout 1.Click Auto Shapes in Drawing Toolbar. 2.Then click Callouts. 3.Click on the shape of Callout you want. 4.Move mouse to slide, click & hold down mouse button while you draw. 5.Once your callout is drawn, cursor appears inside for you to type your text. A Callout

Back to Table of Contents 19 Modifying a Callout Use tiny circles at corner to enlarge or shrink size. Click on circle at end of arrow & drag to where you want arrow to point. With 4 sided mouse pointer, move the call-out.

Back to Table of Contents 20 Callouts – Changing Color Don’t like the background color of your callout? Click the arrow by “Fill Color” icon (looks like a paint bucket) and choose –No Fill – to have background of slide show through –The color you like. Don’t like color of outline of callout? Click arrow by Line Color icon (pen). Don’t like color of text in callout? Select and change. Default Color of Callout A No Fill Callout Change Color of Callout

Back to Table of Contents 21 Adding Arrows 1.Click on Arrow icon in Drawing Toolbar. 2.Hold down mouse button and draw. 3.Too thin? Click on 3 Arrow icon in right end of toolbar, then “more arrows”. 4.Click on Down-arrow by Style box & choose thickness you want. 5.Change color by using the Color box

Back to Table of Contents 22 Formatting Text – Use Shift Enter to Control Line Spacing Text lines too far apart when you hit enter? Spacing if you hit Enter after the word “apart.” Text lines too far apart when you hit enter? Use Shift Enter to keep lines of text close together. Spacing if you hit Shift Enter after the word “apart.”

Back to Table of Contents 23 Formatting Slides In the slide below, the Space allotted by Microsoft covers up the graphic. Grab one of the circles with mouse and drag to size you want.

Back to Table of Contents 24 The End NOTES Source of Graphic: Microsoft Clip Art (public domain)