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| Making It Presentable |
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Creating Presentations October 1998 Vol.4 Issue 10 |
Making It Presentable A Step-By-Step Guide To Creating Presentations With Microsoft Power Point 97 | ||
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Jump to first occurrence of: [POWERPOINT] Don't be scared by PowerPoint's terminology; in this program, a presentation simply is a series of slides with visual information you're using to persuade an audience. Using this powerful program, you can efficiently create professional-looking handouts, overheads, 35-millimeter slides, or electronic slide shows. So you can create stunning presentations from the ground up, we'll work you through the initial stages of developing a presentation. Then we'll show you how to make it sparkle by using PowerPoint's more advanced features. To do this, we'll develop a fictitious presentation for a company—a computer training organization that offers seminars for local businesses. Then we'll polish it up. As we get to each new feature, we'll explain it in general terms, and then we'll have you use it in your presentation. By the time you're finished, you should be able to create your own presentation to accomplish whatever goals you have. Getting Started. When you initially launch PowerPoint, the program displays a startup dialog box so you can create a new presentation or open an existing one. This dialog box gives you quick and easy access to the three main ways to create a presentation: from scratch (Blank Presentation), using a design template (Template), or using the AutoContent Wizard. Starting with a blank presentation is the most laborious method, but it's a good choice if you're a confident PowerPoint user and can do all of the work yourself. However, you also can rely on the second method, using PowerPoint's built-in templates. The templates (sometimes called presentation designs) include professionally designed layouts, colors, and fonts, but you'll still have to provide all the content. The third option is to use the AutoContent Wizard, which is an interactive tool that helps you quickly create presentations with both designs and sample content in place. We'll have you practice using the first two methods so you're familiar with them. Then we'll finish up by using the AutoContent Wizard to create the basic structure for our main presentation. Starting From Scratch. The most arduous way to create a new presentation (but the one that gives you the most flexibility and choices) is to develop it from scratch. To use this method, click the Blank Presentation option button in PowerPoint's startup dialog box, then click OK. If you've already cleared this dialog box, you can instead click the New button (blank page) on the toolbar. In either case, the New Slide dialog box displays so you can choose how you want your first slide structured. PowerPoint gives you the choice of 24 AutoLayouts on which to base your new slide. These AutoLayouts include preformatted areas, including placeholders, which are areas that can accept a specific type of information, such as a title, bulleted list, picture, or graph. When you create a blank presentation, PowerPoint preselects the Title Slide AutoLayout for your first slide. Just click OK and you're on your way.
Entering Text In Slide View. To enter text in Slide view, click in a placeholder and then type in text, such as your company's name. As you enter and edit text in PowerPoint, you'll discover you work with text in a PowerPoint placeholder just as you do in a word processing program, such as Microsoft Word. For example, you can press BACKSPACE to erase characters to the left of the insertion point, or press DELETE to erase characters to the right of it. You also can click and drag your mouse over text to select it, then press DELETE. And, if you make a mistake while entering or editing text, choose Edit, Undo to reverse the action. If you want to add another slide to your presentation, click the New Slide button on the Standard toolbar or choose Insert, New Slide from the menu. In the New Slide dialog box, click the AutoLayout that you want, and then click OK, or you can double-click the AutoLayout. Because the most common AutoLayout is the Bulleted List, click that layout then click OK. You enter data on this slide just as you did on the title slide: Just click in the placeholder and then type text. PowerPoint also gives you some methods to control how bulleted text within a placeholder appears. For example, pressing ENTER creates a new bullet (and paragraph) within the placeholder. But if you want to type a new line without starting a whole new paragraph, press SHIFT-ENTER instead. You can continue to add slides (and text) to your presentation until it contains the information you want. Practice this in the presentation you just made. While you can create presentations using this method, it's usually easier and more efficient to rely on PowerPoint's design templates or the AutoContent Wizard. So for now, choose File, Close, No to close your presentation without saving it. Starting With A Template. If you want to create a presentation with preset colors, fonts, and graphics already in place, starting with a template is the way to go. You'll still have to add individual slides and text to your presentation, but you save time by choosing a template up-front. Design templates also help you create a certain "look" for your presentation and help you maintain consistency between presentations. For example, you can use one template for all sales presentations, another for presentations related to production, and so on. To create a new presentation based on a template, choose the Template option button in PowerPoint's startup dialog box, then click OK. (If you've cleared this dialog box, choose File, New from the menu to display the New Presentation dialog box.)
You add text and new slides to your presentation using the same methods as when you worked with a blank presentation, but every new slide has the design template's colors in place. Try creating a few presentations based on various templates. Then, when you're finished experimenting, close the presentations so you can create the capstone presentation—one using the AutoContent Wizard. Working With The Wizard. While creating a presentation from scratch or by using a template are viable options, using PowerPoint's AutoContent Wizard streamlines the process because the presentation it creates already includes sample content and a template. If PowerPoint's startup dialog box still is displayed, you can click the AutoContent Wizard option button, then choose OK. However, if you've bypassed the startup dialog box, choose File, New to display the New Presentation dialog box. Click the Presentations tab and then double-click the AutoContent Wizard icon to launch it and display the opening Wizard page. In general, here's how you navigate the AutoContent Wizard: You use each of the pages of the Wizard to make choices about your presentation. After you make your decision, you click Next to proceed to the subsequent page, Back to move to the previous page, Finish to quickly jump to the last page, or Cancel to ditch the entire process. You also can get help on how to use the Wizard by clicking the Office Assistant button (represented by a question mark) in the AutoContent Wizard dialog box, then choosing Help With This Feature option button in the Assistant's bubble. For our presentation, click the Next button to move past the initial AutoContent Wizard page. On the second page, you're presented with a variety of presentation types so you can find the one that best fits your needs. By default, category buttons are on the left side of the dialog box; available presentations are displayed on the right. You can narrow your search by clicking a category button on the left and then view the associated presentations on the list. To create our presentation, click the Sales/Marketing button, then click Product/Services Overview on the list. Choose Next to proceed to the third page. You use the third page, Output Options, to indicate the way you intend to use the presentation. If you plan to show the presentation to others, such as in a meeting, you can select the Presentations, Informal Meetings, Handouts option. If you want to publish the presentation for others to view when you're not around (such as at a trade show or on the Internet), you should choose the Internet, Kiosk option. Because we're designing a presentation to be used to give at a local Chamber of Commerce meeting, make sure the Presentations, Informal Meetings, Handouts option is selected before clicking Next. The options you choose on the fourth page, Presentation Style, dictate the presentation's template and color scheme. PowerPoint chooses the best template and color scheme combination to display your work, depending upon the output you choose. Because we're developing this presentation for on-screen use, choose On-Screen Presentation, make sure the handouts option button is set to Yes, then click Next.
In the presentation we're creating, type Quality Computer Training in the Presentation Title text box. Enter your own name in the middle text box and your company's name in the Additional Information text box. When you're finished, click Next to display the last page of the AutoContent Wizard. Read through the displayed information on this page, then click Finish so the Wizard can create your presentation. It may take a few seconds, but when the Wizard is done developing your presentation, you'll see it displayed as an outline in your workspace with some sample content already included. Additionally, a color miniature slide (sometimes called a thumbnail) displays so you can see how the presentation's colors and design will look. Later you'll replace the sample content with your own. Now that you know the basics of creating a new presentation, leave your presentation open so you can become familiar with PowerPoint's view buttons and working area. Controlling The On-Screen Display. In the lower-left corner of the PowerPoint screen, you'll see a series of five buttons. These buttons, called the view buttons, control how the presentation is displayed on-screen. And, just as you can view your house from different angles, PowerPoint lets you view a presentation using different perspectives. You can find out a view button's name by resting your mouse pointer over it until a ScreenTip displays. To switch to a view, click the button. PowerPoint includes five views: Slide, Outline, Slide Sorter, Notes Page, and Slide Show. Let's explore your new presentation using these views. The two most commonly used screen views, especially as you develop your presentation, are Outline view and Slide view. Outline view, which automatically is used when you rely on the AutoContent Wizard to create a presentation, shows the presentation's text in classic outline form. You can use this view to get a feel for the presentation's overall flow and content or to make changes to the text. An Outlining toolbar also appears at the left of the screen with buttons used to work in this view. For example, you can turn the display of formatting off or on for your presentation by clicking the Show Formatting button.
When you're working in Slide view, you can move between presentation slides by using the vertical scroll bar on the right of the screen. You can click the Next Slide or Previous Slide buttons represented by the double-up and double-down triangles. Or, you can drag the scroll box up or down until a ScreenTip indicates the slide you want. Release the mouse to view the slide indicated on the ScreenTip. You also can use the PAGE UP, PAGE DOWN, CTRL-HOME (to move to the first presentation slide), and CTRL-END (to view the last slide) keys, which work in much the same way they do in other programs. Practice using these commands in your presentation until you move between slides with ease. In Slide view, you also may see both horizontal and vertical rulers displayed on your system. These rulers help you accurately place objects or clip art on your slide. You can turn the rulers on or off by choosing View, Ruler from the menu. Another view you can use to revise your presentation is Slide Sorter. Slide Sorter view shows miniatures of all slides, including both text and graphics. You use this view to work with the presentation as a whole, but usually not to work with individual slide elements. For example, you can use it to change the slide order, add or delete slides, or add slide transitions, but you can't add or edit text. To help you make the changes, you use the Slide Sorter toolbar that automatically displays when you change to Slide Sorter view. To switch the view of your presentation, click the Slide Sorter View button or choose View, Slide Sorter. By default, six presentation slide miniatures display in this view. But you can include more or fewer slides in the display by clicking the Zoom button's drop-down list arrow and then choosing a different percentage. When you're finished experimenting with this feature, choose a Zoom percentage of 66%. Another handy view is Notes Page, which you use to view or add speaker notes, such as background information or statistics. To see the present presentation in this view, click the Notes Page View button or choose View, Notes Page. You'll add some notes to your presentation later. For now, we'll move on to the last PowerPoint view, Slide Show. You use Slide Show view to display your presentation as a series of full-screen slides. This is the best view for showing your information at a meeting, at a trade show, or on the Internet. To see your present presentation as a slide show, click the Slide Show button or choose View, Slide Show. The presentation displays as a full-screen slide show, beginning with the present slide. To advance through the slides, press the ENTER key or click the mouse. When you finish viewing the last presentation slide, PowerPoint automatically ends the slide show and displays the presentation in the last view you used, which is Notes Page. If you don't want to advance through the entire slide show, you can stop it at any time by pressing ESC. Take A Tour. Now that you're familiar with PowerPoint's views, let's take a tour of the main PowerPoint screen so you can navigate the program's toolbars and menu commands with ease. First, switch your presentation to Slide view by clicking the Slide View button. At the top of your screen, you'll see a few elements that probably are familiar to you if you've worked with other windows programs—the Title Bar, Menu Bar, and toolbars. The Title Bar includes the name of the program (and presentation), as well as the program's minimize, maximize, and close buttons. The Menu Bar includes the commands used to work with the program. You can click a main command such as File to display a pull-down menu of associated commands. Or, you can press ALT and the underlined letter such as F for File to display the pull-down menu, then choose a command by pressing the underlined letter of the command you want such as O for Open. You'll also see four toolbars in Slide view. Beneath the Menu bar you'll find the Standard and Formatting toolbars. At the bottom of the screen, you'll find the Drawing toolbar. The Common Tasks toolbar displays as a floating toolbar. You can find out a button's function for any toolbar by resting your mouse pointer over the button until a box appears indicating the button's function. Click a button to execute its command. If you don't see these toolbars displayed on your system, they've most likely been turned off. To redisplay them, right-click any visible toolbar, then click the toolbar you want to show from the list.
The status bar at the bottom of the screen indicates the present slide number and the number of slides in the presentation. You'll use this information as you develop your presentation so you can make sure you're working with the correct slide. Entering Text With The Wizard. The AutoContent Wizard creates the general framework for your presentation, but it's up to you to fill in the text and refine the presentation to fit your needs. Your first step is to replace the sample text with your own. To do this, you can select the sample text in either Slide or Outline view, then type in the replacement text. Before you replace text in your presentation it's helpful to understand how PowerPoint sets up bulleted text. By default, PowerPoint creates all bulleted paragraphs at the same outline level—every time you press ENTER you create another bullet of equal importance on your list. You can indicate the relative importance of text by displaying your bullets with more or less indention. To do this, select the bulleted paragraph(s) you want to change, then click the Promote (indent less) or Demote (indent more) buttons. Alternately, you can click the Promote or Demote buttons before you enter the associated text. If you prefer keyboard commands, you can press TAB to indent text more and SHIFT-TAB to indent it less. Try this in your presentation by dragging over the text associated with the first bulleted point on slide two, Overview, then typing Computer Training. Press the ENTER key, and PowerPoint creates another bulleted point at the same outline level. To indent this bullet, click the Demote button on the Formatting toolbar, then type Custom Training before pressing ENTER. Type General Enrollment Classes and then press ENTER. Now you're ready to move up another outline level. Click the Promote button and then type Technical Support. Press ENTER, click Demote, and then type Different Price Plans Available. Type Phone Support and Onsite Assistance as bulleted points at the same outline level as Different Price Plans Available. If you make a mistake as you enter data, just use the BACKSPACE or DELETE keys to edit your work. Finally, when you use the AutoContent Wizard to initially develop a presentation you'll probably find that the Wizard gives you a lot of extraneous text that you don't really need. To delete this text, just select it and then press DELETE. Try this in your presentation by deleting the extra text on slide two. Rearranging Text. As you scan slides in your presentation, you might decide that you don't like the order in which your bulleted points are listed. Luckily, it's easy to change the order of items on a slide. It's easiest to do this in Outline view. First, select the entire bulleted point by resting the mouse pointer over the bullet until it changes to a four-sided arrow, then click. Then, click the Move Up or Move Down buttons on the Outlining toolbar until the bulleted point is where you want it. You also can select the bulleted point and then click the Cut button. Move the insertion point to the new location and choose Edit, Paste. To rearrange items in the Quality Computer Training presentation slide, display slide two, Overview, in Outline view, then click the bullet next to the second item (Technical Support) to select it and all associated text. Click the Move Up button three times so the bullet displays below the slide's title, Overview. If you move the bulleted point to the wrong location, just click the Undo button. Now that you have the hang of entering and editing text, change the text on slides three, four, and six to match the text in Figure 1. Improving Slide And Text Appearance. As you look over your presentation, you've probably noticed PowerPoint uses a certain size or font for each slide. You can customize your presentation by changing the font or size. It's best to do this in Slide view so you can see your changes. In the presentation we're creating, click the Slide View button. Then, move to the first presentation slide by pressing CTRL-HOME.
You also can change text size by selecting the text and then clicking the Font Size drop-down list arrow on the Formatting toolbar. Choose the point size from the list. For super-quick font-size changes, you can select the text and then click the Increase Font Size or Decrease Font Size buttons on the Formatting toolbar. Try this in your presentation by selecting the title placeholder text on slide one then clicking the Increase Font Size button twice. Then, return the text to its original size by clicking the Decrease Font Size button two times. You also can add other attributes to selected text by clicking the Bold, Italic, Underline, or Text Shadow buttons. Clicking the button a second time removes the attribute. With your text on slide one still selected, try adding and then removing each of these attributes. Finally, you can dress up text by changing text color. To do this, select the text in the title placeholder on slide one and then click the Font Color button's drop-down list arrow (on the Drawing toolbar). PowerPoint displays a palette of colors that coordinate with your template. Click the color you want, brown for example, from the palette, then deselect the text so you can see the change. You've worked hard to create just the right combination of text color, size, and font. To save time, you can copy this formatting to other text instead of re-creating it from scratch. To do this, first select the text with the format you want to copy, then click the Format Painter button on the Standard toolbar. Finally, select the text to which you want to apply the formatting. The Format Painter automatically is turned off when you finish applying the formatting. Try this in your presentation: Select the title placeholder text and then click the Format Painter. Then, click and drag over the text with your name and your company's name in the lower half of the slide. Occasionally you'll find you need to get rid of extra placeholders on a slide. For example, the AutoContent Wizard automatically included a placeholder on slide one for your logo. Because you don't need this placeholder, you can delete it. Selecting a text box or placeholder for deletion is a bit tricky, however. First click inside the placeholder (on the words Your Logo Here), then click its border before pressing DELETE.
Now that you've eliminated the extra placeholders, try entering some text in the subtitle placeholder at the bottom of slide one. Click in the placeholder, then enter the word By and your name. Then, use the Format Painter to copy formatting from the title placeholder to the text you just entered. Aligning & Spacing Text. Depending upon the template and placeholder you're using, text appears left, centered, or right aligned within the placeholder. But you can change the alignment for a different appearance or to make room for graphics and artwork. To change alignment, select the line(s) then click the Left Alignment, Center Alignment, or Right Alignment buttons on the Formatting toolbar. Try this in your presentation. Display slide two, then click in the title placeholder. Click each of the alignment buttons. When you're finished experimenting, click the Left Alignment button to again line text up with the left edge of the placeholder. Also, depending on how many bulleted points you have on a slide, you sometimes can improve the appearance of a slide by expanding or compressing the vertical space between paragraphs, such as bulleted list items, so they fill the available space. You do this by selecting the paragraphs you want to space, then clicking the Increase Paragraph Spacing or Decrease Paragraph Spacing buttons on the Formatting toolbar. Try this in your presentation by selecting all text in the lower placeholder for slide two, then click the Increase Paragraph Spacing button twice. Adjust the vertical alignment of the bulleted points for slides three and four so they fill the available space. Changing A Bullet's Appearance. Now that you know how to format text, you can turn your attention to formatting bullets. A bullet's appearance is dictated by each presentation's design template. Depending upon which template you're using, the bullets appear as circles, diamonds, or squares. But if you don't like the bullet's predesigned look, you can always change it. Here's how:
PowerPoint also includes a wide assortment of bullet symbols you can use. In the Bullet dialog box, click the Bullets From drop-down list arrow then choose a character or font set from the list. Each character set includes a number of symbols. Click a symbol once to magnify it for better viewing; double-click it to insert it on your slide. Now try formatting bullets in your presentation by selecting the first bulleted point for slide two (Technical Support) then changing it to a check mark, which is included as part of the Wingdings character set, and 110% of text. Repeat the process for the Computer Training bulleted point on slide two—the paragraph at the same outline level as Entire Plant. Leave the subpoints, such as Different Price Plans Available, formatted with the default bullets. To make the process go faster, you can select several bullets and then change them all at once. Try this on slide three by first selecting all the bullets then displaying the Bullet dialog box and choosing the check mark at 110% of text. Finally, change the square bullets on slide four to a marker of your choice. Changing A Presentation's Structure. We initially created our presentation using the AutoContent Wizard. But whether you rely on the AutoContent Wizard to create future presentations, or you plan to develop them from scratch, you'll want the flexibility of adding, deleting, and rearranging slides. The easiest way to perform these common tasks is to switch the presentation to Slide Sorter and then add, delete, or reorder slides. Choose View, Slide Sorter to display the present presentation in this view. Next, click the slide you want to move—slide five, Specifications—so it's selected and a black border appears around it. Choose Edit, Cut, or click the Cut button. Click the mouse between slides two and three to indicate the new location for the slide, then click the Paste button. PowerPoint automatically renumbers the slides to reflect the new order. You can copy slides in Slide Sorter view using much the same method as you do to reorder them, except you click the Copy button instead of the Cut button. You also might want to reorder slides using the drag-and-drop method. Click the slide you want to move, then drag the vertical insertion indicator to the new location between slides before releasing the mouse. Remember you can click the Undo button if the slide is moved to the wrong spot. Try using this method to move another slide in your presentation. Click slide seven, Availability, then drag it to between slides five and six before releasing the mouse. If you want additional practice, click Undo and then repeat the process. You also can easily add and delete slides in Slide Sorter view. To add a slide, first click the mouse between the slides where you would like to place the new slide. Click the New Slide button then double-click the AutoLayout you want in the New Slide dialog box. Try adding a slide in any location in your presentation. Then, delete the slide by selecting it and pressing DELETE on the keyboard. If it's appropriate, you can select multiple slides to move or delete. Press SHIFT while clicking the slides around which you want to place borders. When you drag one slide, all the selected ones are moved as well. Likewise, you can quickly remove all selected slides by pressing DELETE. You can practice using these commands in your open presentation, just click Undo as many times as necessary to reverse your actions. When you're finished experimenting, delete slide six, Availability, and slide three, Specifications. You should have five slides left in your presentation, as shown in Figure 2. Changing Templates, Colors & Backgrounds. Even though the AutoContent Wizard is a quick way to create a presentation, you may like the sample content, but not the template PowerPoint provides for your presentation. Fortunately, you can change the template, as well as the color scheme and slide background, for any presentation. In the open presentation, let's first try applying a different template. Display the presentation in Slide view, then choose Format, Apply Design, or click the Apply Design button on the Standard toolbar. In the Apply Design dialog box, click the Preview button in the upper-right corner. Click various template icons to see how they look in the preview area of the dialog box. When you find one you like, click Apply. Make sure to view several templates so you can get a feel for which ones PowerPoint includes. When you're finished looking, apply the new template to the presentation we're creating. Then run your presentation as a slide show so you can see how it looks with the new template in place. In addition to changing the template, you also can change the color scheme, which is the set of eight underlying colors included in the template. Changing the color scheme gives you the same layout and design, just different colors. Changing the color scheme is handy for a couple of reasons. You might be about to give a presentation on the road when you discover your presentation displays differently at the new location than it did with the equipment back at your office. Changing the color scheme may create an easier-to-view contrast and save your presentation. You also can change the color scheme for only one slide to highlight certain information and make your audience take notice. For example, you can display the title slide or one containing critical information using a different color scheme. Try modifying the color scheme of the open presentation. First display it in Slide Sorter view (this isn't necessary to change the color scheme, but helps you better see your modifications). Then choose Format, Slide Color Scheme. In the Color Scheme dialog box, click the second scheme on the second row and choose Apply To All. Next, change the color scheme for just one slide. Select the title slide in Slide Sorter view then display the Color Scheme dialog box. Choose the dark blue combination (the third scheme on the second row), and choose Apply. PowerPoint also has the tools needed to change a slide's background. You can customize the slide's background by adding shadow effects, textures, or patterns, all of which are audience attention-getters. Try customizing the slide background in your presentation. Display the first presentation slide in Slide view then choose Format, Background. In the Background dialog box, click the drop-down list arrow and choose Fill Effects. Let's look over some of the fill effects before choosing one for our slide. On the Gradient page, you can choose just one color (which automatically is combined with black shading), or click the Two Colors option button. As another variation of a two-color combination, you can click the drop-down arrows for Color 1 or Color 2 and then choose other colors. You also can click the Preset option button and Preset Colors drop-down list arrow, then choose a professionally designed gradient fill from the list. After you choose a color combination, you can select a shading style. Just click the effect you want in the Shading Styles section, and then click a variant block. Select and preview several gradient fill combinations in the Fill Effects dialog box. When you're finished looking at the gradients, click the Two Colors option. Choose the Horizontal shading style. In the Variants box, click the one in the upper-right corner. Click OK to close the Fill Effects dialog box. Click Apply in the Background dialog box to add the effect to only the present slide. Finally, you can restructure a slide by choosing a different AutoLayout for it than the one with which it was originally created. To do this, display the slide you want to change, then click the Slide Layout button in the Standard toolbar. In the Slide Layout dialog box, double-click the AutoLayout you want to use. Try this in your open presentation by displaying slide five, Pricing, in Slide view. Click the Slide Layout button then double-click the Text & Clip Art AutoLayout to apply this structure to the displayed slide. Adding Speaker Notes. Another PowerPoint feature you can use as you develop your presentation is speaker notes—documentation you can add to each slide. If you've ever stumbled over what to say in the middle of an important talk, you'll appreciate this feature. The notes don't appear when you display the on-screen presentation; instead, you usually print them and use them to keep track of supporting data, statistics, etc. as you give your talk. You can add speaker notes using Notes Page view or PowerPoint's Speaker Notes window. Here's how to add notes:
You also can choose View, Notes Page to switch to that view. Because the notes box area is too small to easily view or enter text, it usually works best to click the Zoom button's drop-down list arrow and choose a larger percentage, such as 75%. When you're finished entering notes, change the Zoom percentage and switch to another view. Now try adding some notes to your presentation. Display slide one in Slide view, then choose View, Speaker Notes. Type Play Beethoven's 9th Symphony as people gather, then click the Close button in the Speaker Notes window. For more practice, add speaker notes to other slides in your presentation. Let's print your speaker notes for the presentation. Choose File, Print, then click the Print What drop-down list arrow. From the displayed list, choose Notes Pages then click OK. Using PowerPoint's Writing Tools. Now that you've created the basic components of your presentation, you should make sure it's error-free, especially before you show it to an audience. PowerPoint's built-in writing tools help you make sure you're giving a flawless presentation. You can use PowerPoint's Spelling Checker to make sure your presentation doesn't contain any misspelled words. To start the Spelling Checker in your document, click the Spelling button in the Standard toolbar. PowerPoint stops on misspelled words and displays them in the Spelling dialog box. You can replace the misspelled word by selecting the correct spelling from the Suggestions list and then clicking the Change button. If you want to replace all misspellings of the word simultaneously, you can instead choose Change All. If the word is a proper name, such as your company's name, choose Ignore to skip over the word.
Finally, you can use PowerPoint's AutoCorrect feature to automatically replace many common typing and spelling errors as you enter text. For example, AutoCorrect can change "teh" to "the" or automatically capitalize days of the week. To confirm this feature is turned on, choose Tools, AutoCorrect to display the AutoCorrect dialog box. Make sure the Replace Text As You Type box is checked. You also can scroll through AutoCorrect's built-in list to see which words will be automatically replaced. When you're finished, click OK to return to your presentation. On a PowerPoint slide, you can test the AutoCorrect feature by entering any word on AutoCorrect's list such as "teh," "adn," or "acn." When typing text in your presentation, after you type a space after the word, PowerPoint corrects the misspelling. Adding Art. So far you've created the framework for your presentation using the AutoContent Wizard, then entered, edited, formatted, and spell-checked text. You've also changed the design template, color scheme, and slide background. But even if your presentation is well-designed and error-free, there's no guarantee your audience will pay attention to it. One way to jazz up almost any presentation is to add clip art, or professionally drawn electronic images. You can insert clip art on your slides to emphasize main points or to refocus your audience's attention. PowerPoint includes two main methods of inserting clip art: using a clip art placeholder on the slide, or clicking the Insert Clip Art button. In either case, the Clip Gallery displays so you can choose the picture you want. Think of this gallery as sort of an electronic art gallery, where you can browse and choose clip art or pictures. Because there are many clips included on the Office 97 CD-ROM, make sure to put the CD-ROM in the drive before accessing the Gallery. After you insert the CD-ROM, display slide one in Slide view and then click the Insert Clip Art button in the Standard toolbar. In the displayed Clip Gallery, click the Clip Art tab then scroll through the list of available images. If the number of clips on your system is particularly large, limit the search by clicking a category such as Office to narrow the displayed clips to just that type. When you find an appropriate clip art image, select it and then click the Insert button. You also can double-click the image. After the clip art is placed on slide one, you can change its size and location. Click the image to select it and place white selection handles around it. To enlarge the image, place your mouse pointer over any selection handle until it displays as a two-headed arrow, then click it and drag outward. Then move the object by dragging it to the middle of the slide. Now try replacing the clip art with another selection. On slide one, double-click the clip art to redisplay the Clip Gallery then double-click the new replacement image. Removing an image is easy: Just select it and press DELETE. Insert a clip art image on slide two then delete it.
In addition to clip art, you also can insert scanned photographic images, or pictures, in your presentation. You insert pictures by using the Clip Gallery, much in the same way you inserted clip art images. To try this, display slide two in Slide view then open the Clip Gallery and click the Pictures tab. Double-click the photograph you want, the computer keyboard in the Office category, for example, to quickly insert it on the slide. After the picture is inserted, you can move, resize, replace, and delete it using the same procedures you used for clip art images. Resize and move the picture so it displays on the right side of slide two. If you want, run your presentation as a slide show to view your changes. Adding Drawings. Another way to jazz up a presentation is to include drawn objects, such as illustrations, logos, or flow charts. PowerPoint includes a wealth of tools on its Drawing toolbar that help you quickly produce freehand shapes, such as lines, circles, and rectangles. You also can rely on the program's AutoShapes , which are predesigned shapes you can quickly insert on a slide. These shapes are useful to emphasize key information on a slide or to capture your audience's attention. Here are some rules for using freehand shapes: To draw a freehand shape, display the slide in Slide view and make sure the Drawing toolbar displays. Then, click the appropriate tool on the Drawing toolbar, such as Line, Oval, or Rectangle. Click and drag on the slide to indicate the size and location of the object. When you release the mouse, the object is automatically selected so you can modify it, and the tool is turned off. In your presentation, insert a new slide following slide five. Choose the Blank AutoLayout so you have plenty of room to draw. Then, click the Rectangle tool and draw a rectangle in the upper third of the slide. When you release the mouse the object remains selected so you can resize, move, or format the object. You also can add text to a drawn object. This is useful because the text remains attached to the object and moves with it. It's easiest to add text to an object when you initially create it—just start typing. (If you deselect an object, you must double-click it to place it in editing mode so you can add or edit text.) With your rectangle still selected, type Training Procedures. You can even format this text, just select it and then click the appropriate formatting buttons such as Bold on the Formatting toolbar. Do this in your presentation by selecting the text, then formatting it as 40-point, bold text. You probably notice PowerPoint automatically formats your drawn object with the underlying template's default fill and line colors. To choose other colors, click the object to select it and place white selection handles around its borders. Click the Fill Color or Line Color button's drop-down list arrows, then choose a new color from the palette. On slide six in your presentation, make sure white selection handles appear around the rectangular object, then choose Turquoise as the Fill Color.
Working With AutoShapes. If you have trouble using the freehand drawing tools or simply want more choices, you can use the AutoShapes, which are professionally designed shapes. PowerPoint includes eight categories of AutoShapes. However, the basic process of creating AutoShapes is similar, no matter which shape you choose. Click the AutoShapes tool on the Drawing toolbar to display the AutoShapes menu. Choose a menu category, then click a shape from the menu's palette. Click and drag on the slide to create the shape. Try drawing various AutoShapes on slide six. After you draw a shape, practice moving and resizing it using the same commands you did for the freehand shapes. When you work with AutoShapes you have an additional method of modifying the shape. Most AutoShapes, such as the arrows, have at least one diamond-shaped yellow adjustment handle. You can click and drag this handle to change the AutoShape into a similar shape. For example, you can drag the adjustment handle on an arrow to change the proportion between the arrowhead and the rest of the arrow. Now that you've practiced drawing AutoShapes, let's add one to your presentation. Click AutoShapes on the Drawing toolbar, then choose the Block Arrows submenu. Choose Left Arrow from the palette, then click and drag to draw the arrow in the upper one-third of the slide. Next, let's add some text to your AutoShape. You can format an AutoShape or add text to it using the same procedures as you do for a freehand object. With the AutoShape still selected, type Here's How We'll Proceed: in the shape. Then, format the text as 40-point Arial. If the text extends beyond the AutoShape's borders, right-click the shape and choose Format, AutoShape to display the Format AutoShape dialog box. Click the Text Box tab then check the Word Wrap Text In AutoShape box before choosing OK. You can add as many shapes to a slide as you need. Using Figure 4 as a guide, add three hexagons from the Basic Shapes palette to your presentation. Don't worry if they don't line up as you want, we'll fix that later. Then, add text to each and format them with the fill colors shown in the figure. Flipping & Rotating Objects.
Experiment with the rotation feature in your presentation by selecting the arrow AutoShape then clicking the Free Rotate tool. Use the green handles to rotate the arrow then click outside of it. To return the arrow to its original position, click the Undo button. Then flip the arrow horizontally by choosing Draw, Rotate or Flip, Flip Horizontal. Click outside the object to deselect it. Aligning Objects. Sometimes you'll need to line up objects with each other, such as the hexagons on slide six. PowerPoint includes commands to align objects quickly. Press SHIFT while clicking each of the hexagon objects to select them. Then choose Draw, Align or Distribute, Align Middle. To space them evenly from left to right, choose Draw, Align or Distribute, Distribute Horizontally. Now add some connectors to the objects. Connector lines keep objects attached, even when you rearrange the objects. Choose AutoShapes, Connectors, Straight Arrow Connector. Click the blue handle on the right side of the hexagon on the left, then drag it to the left handle of the middle hexagon. Repeat the procedure to connect the middle hexagon to the right one. Then move the middle hexagon up on the slide. Click Undo to reverse your action and line them up again. Grouping Objects. You've worked with the hexagons in your presentation individually as you formatted them and added text. However, you also can group multiple objects, such as the hexagons, and then work with them as a unit. For example, you can move, resize, or format all the objects at once by grouping them and then applying the same commands you use to work with a single object. To group objects, first select the ones you want included in the unit by pressing SHIFT while clicking them. Then, click the Draw tool on the Drawing toolbar and choose Group. To separate the objects again, select the group and choose Draw, Ungroup. You also can quickly re-establish the previous group by choosing Draw, Regroup. In your presentation, select the hexagons then group them. Now you can format them as a group. One way to format freehand drawings and AutoShapes is to add a 3-D or Shadow effect to them. However, you can't add both effects to the same object, you have to choose one or the other.
It's also easy to add or change a 3-D effect, just select the object, such as the AutoShape arrow you created earlier, and then click the 3-D tool on the Drawing toolbar. You also can modify the 3-D effect by changing its depth, perspective, and surface appearance. To do this, click the 3-D tool and then choose 3-D Settings to display the 3-D Settings toolbar. To remove a 3-D effect, select the object and click the 3-D tool, then choose No 3-D from the palette. Experiment with the 3-D effects in your presentation by selecting the AutoShape arrow then applying various effects to it. When you're finished experimenting with these effects, apply the 3-D Style 8 to it. Using WordArt. Another way to add exciting text effects to your presentation is to use WordArt. You use WordArt to stretch, emboss, and otherwise change the way text appears. Here are the basics of using this feature: In Slide view, click the Insert WordArt tool on the Drawing toolbar. Double-click the WordArt style you want from the Gallery. In the Edit WordArt Text dialog box, enter your text then click OK to insert the object on your slide with the text and style you chose. Since your text is inserted on the slide as an object, you can use the white selection handles to move and/or resize it. PowerPoint also automatically displays the WordArt toolbar so you can use it to make modifications to the object. (If this toolbar doesn't display on your system, right-click any visible toolbar, and then click WordArt from the list that displays.) For example, you can change formatting features, including text color, by clicking the Format WordArt button then choosing options in the Format WordArt dialog box. You also can choose a different style by clicking the WordArt Gallery button then double-clicking a style in the dialog box that displays. Let's add a WordArt object to your open presentation. Insert a new slide between slide five and six. Choose the Chart AutoLayout for your new slide then delete the title placeholder on the slide to make room for your WordArt object. (We'll use the chart placeholder later in this article.) After you've set up your slide, click the Insert WordArt button. In the WordArt Gallery, double-click the fourth style from the left on the third row. Type Training Saves Money! in the Edit WordArt text box, then click OK. Move and resize the WordArt object so it displays in the top one-quarter of the slide. Click outside the object to deselect it. Creating & Animating Charts. You can use PowerPoint's charts to convey complicated numerical data in a clear, concise manner to business clients, stockholders, or colleagues. For example, in the presentation you're developing you might want a chart to show how training will increase productivity. Here's how you work with charts in PowerPoint: You can add a chart by using a chart placeholder on a slide or by superimposing a graph on an existing slide. To use a chart placeholder, choose an AutoLayout that includes this type of placeholder then double-click the placeholder to activate Microsoft Graph, the peripheral program used to create graphs. You also can place a chart on any slide by clicking the Insert Chart button. This automatically starts Microsoft Graph. After Microsoft Graph launches, a datasheet (a grid of columns and rows where you can enter your numbers) displays with sample data. Additionally, the toolbar buttons and commands change so you have charting-specific commands at hand. In the open presentation, try adding a graph to slide six, Training Saves Money. Double-click the chart placeholder to launch Microsoft Graph and display the datasheet. Select and delete the sample data in the datasheet, then enter the data shown in Figure 5.
You also can change to another chart type by clicking the Chart Type drop-down list arrow then choosing a type from the palette. View your chart using the various types before again selecting Column Chart from the palette. To close out of Microsoft Graph, click outside the chart object. If you later want to revise chart data or change chart types, you can just double-click the chart object to reactivate the graphing program. Adding A Video Clip. You've already seen how to spiff up a presentation with clip art and drawings. However, you also can make a lasting impression during a slide show by inserting a movie clip, then playing it during a slide show to catch your audience's attention, drive home a point, emphasize information, or demonstrate a procedure. Let's add a video clip to our presentation. First, make sure you have the Office 97 program CD in your CD-ROM drive; PowerPoint includes several movies on this CD that you can use. Then, insert a new blank slide between slides one and two. Choose the Title Only AutoLayout, then type Problems Using Your Computer? We Can Help! in the title placeholder. Format the text as 32-point type so it fits in the placeholder. Now you're ready to add a movie to your presentation. Display the slide in Slide view. Choose Insert, Movies and Sounds, then choose Movie From Gallery. On the Videos page of the Clip Gallery, you'll see icons that represent the opening screen of each movie. You can preview a movie in the Gallery, just select it and then click the Play button. The movie plays in a separate window, which closes automatically when the movie is finished. When you find the movie clip you want, you can double-click the clip to insert it in your presentation. For our presentation, we'll insert the Blowup video (the icon that looks like a computer). In Slide view, double-click the movie object to play it. You also can play it in a slide show by resting the pointer over the object until a hand icon displays, then clicking. You can make a movie play automatically when a slide displays in a slide show, instead of having to manually click the mouse. To do this in our presentation, display slide two and then choose Slide Show, Custom Animation to display the Custom Animation dialog box. On the Timing page, click the Media object on the Slide Objects Without Animation list that represents your movie, then click the Animate option button. Click the Automatically option button, then enter the number of seconds that you want to elapse after the slide displays before the movie plays automatically. Click OK to close the Custom Animation dialog box. Then test your animation by running the slide show without clicking the movie object—let PowerPoint start it automatically.
If you have a sound card and speakers, you also can add a sound clip to a slide, then play it during a slide show to get people's attention or to emphasize an important point. Let's add some music to the first presentation slide to set the mood as people gather. We'll also add a sound clip to emphasize computer training saves money in the long run. Display the first presentation slide in Slide view then choose Insert, Movies and Sounds, Sound From Gallery. On the Sounds page, you can listen to a sound clip by clicking it then choosing the Play button. Listen to several sounds before double-clicking "Beethoven's Ninth Symphony" clip (Beetvn9) to insert it on your slide. By default, an inserted sound clip appears as a small sound icon in the middle of your slide. You can leave it in this spot or move it as you would any other object. To play the sound, double-click the clip in Slide view, or click it once in Slide Show view. You can make the sound clip play automatically after the slide initially displays. Display slide one in Slide view, then choose Slide Show, Custom Animation. Click the Media object on the Slide Objects Without Animation list, then click Animate. In the Start Animation Section of the Timings page, click the Automatically option button and then enter the number of seconds you want to elapse before the sound clip plays. For our presentation, we'll leave this set to zero so the clip will play as soon as the slide displays. Finally, you can set up the music to play continuously until you advance to another slide. To do this, click the Play Settings tab in the Custom Animation dialog box, then click the More Options button. In the Play Options dialog box, check the Loop Until Stopped box. Choose OK in all open dialog boxes, then run your slide show to see the animation effects. Add the Charge sound clip to slide seven, Training Saves Money. Run the presentation as a slide show. When slide seven displays, click this clip to see how adding sound can emphasize slide information. Adding Transitions & Animations. So far we've built a presentation that includes formatted text, charts, clip art, drawn objects, and multimedia clips. To enhance our presentation even more, you can add animations, which are visual effects that give the appearance of movement. Of course, you'll only tap into these effects if you plan to produce an on-screen presentation.
It's easiest to add slide transitions in Slide Sorter view. Switch your presentation to this view, then select the first presentation slide. Click the Slide Transition Effects drop-down list arrow on the Slide Sorter toolbar and then choose Blinds Horizontal from the list. To preview this transition, click the Slide Transition icon that displays beneath the slide. If you don't the like the transition you can replace it with another. With slide one still selected, choose Box Out on the Slide Transition Effects list. You also can apply a transition effect to multiple slides simultaneously. In Slide Sorter view, press SHIFT while clicking the slides to select them, then choose the effect you want from the Slide Transitions Effects drop-down list. Try this in your current presentation by selecting all slides except slide one, then applying the Fade Through Black transition to them. You can remove a transition by choosing No Transition on the Slide Transition Effects list. For now, however, leave all the transitions you set in place. If you have a sound card and speakers, you can spice up your presentation even more by associating sound with the transition. Here's how to add a sound: In Slide view, display the slide to which you want to add sound, then choose Slide Show, Slide Transition. In the Sound area of the Slide Transition dialog box, click the drop-down list arrow and choose a sound. Choose Apply to associate the sound with the selected slide, or Apply To All to add the sound to all slides. Let's add a sound to slide two. Display this slide in Slide view and choose Slide Show, Slide Transition. Choose Whoosh from the Sound drop-down list, then choose Apply. Animating Text. Another way to keep your audience's attention focused on you is to animate, or build, your bulleted text so you can focus on important points, control the flow of information, and keep people from reading ahead. You can use this feature in conjunction with or independent of Slide Transition effects. Experiment with this feature by displaying your presentation in Slide Sorter view, then selecting slide four, Features and Benefits. Click the Text Preset Animation drop-down list arrow to display a list of effects. Choose Fly From Bottom Left to apply this effect to your slide. To see the effect, make sure the slide is selected and then click the Slide Show button. Press the ENTER key or click the mouse to display the bulleted points one at a time. Add text animation to two other slides: slide three, Overview and slide five, Applications. Choose Fly From Bottom Right as the effect. Rerun your slide show from the beginning to see the effects in action.
You also can make each bulleted point dim when the next point displays. Try this effect by displaying slide four, Features and Benefits, in Slide view before opening the Custom Animation dialog box. Click the Text object on the Animation Order list, then click the Effects tab. Click the After Animation drop-down list arrow and choose Turquoise from the pallet of colors. Choose OK then run your slide show to see the effect. Animating Objects & Charts. Animating bulleted text is fairly straightforward. However, you can animate slide objects or charts so they display in sequence instead of all at once. For example, you can have the columns in your chart display one at a time, or have objects appear in a particular sequence. This helps control the flow of information and keeps your audience's attention from wandering. You can even play a sound clip as each object appears. Try animating objects in slide seven, Training Saves Money. Display the slide in Slide view, then choose Slide Show, Custom Animation. Click the Timing tab then drag the Chart and WordArt objects on the Slide Objects Without Animation list over to the Start Animation box. Click Animate to move them to the Animation Order list. Change the order in which you want objects to appear by clicking WordArt on the list, then clicking the Move Up button. After you set the animation order, you can add effects for each object. To do this in your presentation, click WordArt on the Animation Order list, then click the Effects tab. In the Entry Animation and Sound area, click the upper drop-down list arrow and choose Fly From Top. Click the middle drop-down list arrow and choose Drive By to associate this sound with the object's appearance. Next, animate your chart. Click the Chart item on the Animation Order list, then click the Chart Effects tab. Click the Introduce Chart Elements drop-down list arrow and choose how you want PowerPoint to display the chart. For this presentation, we'll choose By Element in Category. To see how your animation looks, click the Preview button. When you're satisfied with the animation, click OK. If you want to see your animation full-screen, run your presentation as a slide show. Printing Your Presentation. The end result of your hard work is to produce the presentation in such a way that you can use it to influence others. While you can produce 35-millimeter slides, transparencies, or Web pages with your presentation, the most common ways to output it are as printed pages or as an on-screen slide show. To produce paper printouts of your presentation, choose File, Print to display the Print dialog box. In the Print dialog box, designate the printer you want to use by choosing one from the Name drop-down list. This is especially handy if you operate on a network and have access to multiple printers. The Print Range section lets you indicate which part of the presentation you want to print: Click the All option button to send the entire presentation to the printer; choose Current Slide to print only the selected slide. You also can click the Slides option button and then pick and choose the slides you want to print by typing the numbers in the Slides text box. For example, typing 1-3 prints slides one, two, and three; typing 1,3 prints slide one and slide three. To print speaker notes, an outline, or handouts instead of slides, choose the presentation item on the Print What drop-down list. You also can use the series of boxes at the bottom of the Print dialog box to refine the way your presentation prints. Check Black & White to optimize the way a color presentation looks when you print to a black and white printer. Choose Pure Black and White to eliminate gray shades from your printed copy. Check the Scale to Fit Paper box to automatically reduce or enlarge the slides so they fill the printed page. Finally, you can choose Frame Slides to add a thin border around printed slides, handouts, or notes pages. You also can quickly change the number of printed copies by clicking the Number of Copies spinner buttons. Checking the Collate box ensures each copy of your presentation is printed in order before the next copy prints. If it's not already displayed, open the Print dialog box in your presentation. In the Print What section, choose Slides. Check the Frame Slides and Black & White boxes before clicking OK. Presenting Your Show. Another popular and effective way to output your presentation is as an electronic slide show. To run your presentation as a slide show, display the first slide and then click the Slide Show button. To advance through your slide show, click the mouse, press ENTER, or press N. Likewise, you can press either the BACKSPACE or P keys to display the previous slide. You also can quickly display a specific slide by typing a slide number and then pressing ENTER. You don't have to memorize these slide show commands, just press F1 while running your slide show to view a list of them. You also can use the slide show shortcut menu to cruise around your presentation. Display this shortcut menu by right-clicking, then choosing commands such as Next, Previous, or End Show. Practice using the annotation pen so you can emphasize information in your on-screen presentation. For example, you can use the electronic annotation pen to draw an arrow pointing to chart information or to circle critical information. With the presentation displayed as a slide show, press CTRL-P, then click and drag your mouse to draw on your slide. Then erase the annotations by pressing E or moving to another slide. Automating The Presentation. For most slide shows, you'll want exact control over how long a slide displays. However, you can automate your slide show so it automatically advances to the next slide after a predetermined length of time, which is great for use at trade shows or on your company's intranet.
To use these automatic slide timings for your presentation, choose Slide Show, Set Up Show. In the Advance Slides section of the Set Up Show dialog box, choose Using Timings If Present. To make your presentation run continuously, also check the Loop Continuously Until ‘Esc' box in the Show Type section. Click OK. After setting these options, click the Slide Show button and watch the presentation run by itself. Adding Meeting Notes. Another feature available to you when you run your presentation as a slide show is the Meeting Minder. This feature helps you keep track of meeting minutes and action items during informal presentations, such as staff meetings or brainstorming sessions. Assuming you have the program, you can export these notes to Microsoft Word. Additionally, when you create action items, PowerPoint automatically creates a slide with the items you enter and places the slide at the end of the presentation. You can even print this slide to hand out to your attendees as they leave the meeting. To experiment with this feature, display your presentation as a slide show. Right-click in the presentation and choose Meeting Minder. Add some fictitious meeting notes on the Meeting Minutes page of the dialog box. Then click the Action Items tab. Type in a task, Safety Audit, for example, in the Description text box. Then type a co-worker's name in the Assigned To text box. Click Add. Create a second item with Schedule Computer Classes as the task and your name as the person responsible on the Action Items page. When you finish adding meeting minutes and Action Items, send the information to Microsoft Word by clicking the Export button. Check the box for Send Meeting Minutes And Action Items To Microsoft Word, then choose Export Now. Word opens and creates a well-formatted document that includes the Meeting Minder's information. PowerPoint also automatically creates an Action Item slide as the last slide in your presentation. To see this slide, advance through the presentation until the Action Items slide displays. Managing Your Presentation. Now that you've created a well-organized and formatted presentation, you can manage it by using the File commands with which you're probably already familiar. For example, you can use the Save command to save the active presentation from memory to a permanent disk location using the current file name, format, and location. To use this command, choose File, Save; press CTRL-S; or click the Save button. If the file already has a name, format, and location specified, PowerPoint simply updates it on the disk. Because our presentation has never been saved, the Save dialog box displays so you can indicate a file name and location. To specify the file location, click the Save In drop-down list arrow and choose a storage location from the list. Name the presentation by entering a name (up to 255 characters in length) in the File Name text box. When you're done specifying options, click the Save button. In contrast to the Save command, the Save As command allows you to change the file name, format, or location of a presentation you've previously saved. For example, you might want to make some changes to a presentation, but keep the original version intact. Or, you might want to save a presentation in a public folder so others in your company can access the presentation. To use this command, choose File, Save As to display the Save As dialog box. Change the file name, location, or file type using the same steps you used in the Save dialog box. When you're finished working with your presentation, you can use the File, Close command to clear it from memory. And if you haven't saved your most recent changes, PowerPoint prompts you to do so. Finally, when you're done working with PowerPoint, you can quickly close the program by clicking the Close button or choosing File, Exit from the menu. Congratulations! You've just created, formatted, and dressed up a winning presentation, which is one sure to make your points effectively. by Linda Bird
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