25 powerpoint tips

A handout from the Online Information Series

Copyright (c) 2006, Jolene M. Morris, All Rights Reserved

25 PowerPoint™ Tips

Microsoft's PowerPoint™ is a powerful presentation tool with which you can create professional

slide shows. The following tips are my favorites for students in my online classes. For even moretips about PowerPoint, visit Microsoft's Office Web site:http://www.microsoft.com/office/powerpoint or search the Web for +PowerPoint +tips. To read

an interesting article about PowerPoint, check out the following Web site: http://www.teach-nology.com/tutorials/powerpoint/

The tips below are divided into four categories: Tips 1-7 are basic PowerPoint tips for beginners.Tips 8-14 are tips for more advanced PowerPoint users. Tips 15-25 are tips to work with graphics.Finally, four extra tips have been added for when you are presenting your slide show in person.

NOTE that PowerPoint slide shows can be very big in file size. Be sure to compress graphics before savingyour final slide show!

PowerPoint Basics

1. Basic Rules & Configuration

Use the PowerPoint Light Bulb to guide slide-show mechanics; besure no light bulbs are remaining on any slides. To set the "lightbulb" to preferred settings, go into the Tools > Options >

Spelling & Style tab. Be sure the checkbox for "Check Style" is

marked then click the "Style Options" button. Set the configurationfor the following:

Case and End Punctuation tab:[X] Slide title style: Title Case[X] Body text style: Sentence Case[ ] Slide title punctuation (no mark in this checkbox)[X] Body punctuation: Paragraphs have consistent punctuation

Visual Clarity tab:[X] Number of fonts should not exceed 3[X] Title text size should be at least 36

[X] Body text size should be at least 20

[X] Number of lines should not exceed 6

[X] Number of lines per title should not exceed 2

[X] Number of lines per bullet should not exceed 2

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Then be sure your light bulb is turned on: In the Help menu, turn on the Office

Assistant. As you are creating a slide, the light bulb may appear. If it does appear, you

are breaking a rule for good slide show mechanics. Click on the light bulb to see theerror. In many cases PowerPoint will fix the error for you if you allow it. When I score

(grade) your PowerPoint slide show, I will deduct one mechanics point for

each light bulb remaining in your show.

NOTE that PowerPoint slide shows can be very big in file size. Be sure to compress graphicsbefore saving your final slide show!

2. The Mighty Shift Key

Hold down the SHIFT key when drawing a line to get a perfectly straight line.Hold down the SHIFT key when drawing an oval to get a perfectly round circle.Hold down the SHIFT key when drawing a rectangle to get a square.Hold down the SHIFT key while clicking on the normal view icon to get the Masterslide.Hold down the SHIFT key while clicking on the slide sorter view to get thehandouts master.

Hold down the SHIFT key while pressing Enter to get a blank line without a bullet.Hold down the SHIFT key to select multiple objects on a slide at the same time.Hold down the SHIFT key while resizing a graphic to retain the same proportionsin the resized graphic.Hold down the SHIFT key while pressing F3 to change the case of letters.

3. The Mighty Control Key

Hold down the CTRL key while clicking the slide show view button when you areediting a slide show. This will open a preview window so you can see that slide inslide show mode.Hold down the CTRL key while dragging an existing Guide to create a new guide.Hold down the CTRL key while turning the wheel on the mouse to zoom in and outof the slideHold down the CTRL key plus the HOME key to go to the first slideHold down the CTRL key plus the END key to go to the last slide in yourpresentationCTRL + A (on the Slides tab) to select all objectsCTRL + A (in slide sorter view) to select all slidesCTRL + A (on the Outline tab) to select all text in your slide showCTRL + B to apply bold formattingCTRL + C to copy the selected objectCTRL + D to duplicate (make a copy of) the selected slideCTRL + E to center a paragraphCTRL + F to find textCTRL + G to open the grids and guidelines dialog boxCTRL + H to replace textCTRL + I to apply italic formatting




CTRL + J to justify a paragraph (full alignment)CTRL + K to insert a hyperlinkCTRL + L to left align a paragraphCTRL + M to insert a new slideCTRL + N to create a new presentationCTRL + O to open an existing presentationCTRL + P to print a presentationCTRL + Q to quit PowerPointCTRL + R to right align a paragraphCTRL + S to save a presentationCTRL + T to change the formatting of characters between sentence, lowercase,and uppercaseCTRL + U to apply underline formattingCTRL + V to paste a cut or copied objectCTRL + W to close a presentationCTRL + X to cut a selected objectedCTRL + Y to redo or repeat an actionCTRL + Z to undo the last actionCTRL + Equal Sign to apply subscript formattingCTRL + SHIFT + Plus Sign to apply superscript formattingCTRL + Space Bar to remove subscript and superscript

4. Function Keys

FunctionKey

PressedAlone

with SHIFT with CTRL with ALT

F1

Displays theOfficeAssistant orthe HelpWindow

What's This?or Context-sensitive help

F2

Select a textbox if the textinside isselected

Save As

F3 Change thecase of letters

F4

Repeat thelast action -or- Open theLook In list (ifin help)

Repeat thelast findaction

Close theactiveWindow

Close theactiveapplication

F5

Start theslide showfrom thebeginning

slide (or in

Restore the

active

Restore the

application



F5 slide (or infile view,refresh thefile list)

activewindow

applicationwindow

F6

Moveclockwiseamongpanes ofnormal view

Move counterclockwiseamong panes

When morethan onewindow isopen, switchto the nextwindow

F7Checkspelling

If window isnotmaximized,allows you tomove thewindow

Find the nextmisspelling

F8

If window isnotmaximized,allows you tosize thewindow

Macros

F9 Toggles thegrid on andoff

Minimize theactivewindow

Toggles theguides onand off

F10Activate themenu bar

Open theshortcut menu(same asright-clickingthe mouse)

Maximizethe activewindow

Maximize theapplicationwindow

F11 Visual BasicEditor

F12 Save As Save Open

5. Inserting Special Symbols

To insert the copyright © symbol, enter (c)To insert the Trademark ™ symbol enter (tm) To insert the registered ® symbol enter (r)You can make your own special symbol shortcuts in Tools > AutoCorrect (copyfrom character map and paste into replace with...)

6. Avoid Beginner's Mistakes



Use a traditional color scheme that has been proven to be easy on the eyes.Remember that the information in your slide show is more important than thecolors. Information, not flashy colors, should attract your viewers' attention.Limit the use of animations. Excessive animations will distract your viewers' fromthe information in your slide show. If you choose to use animations, use the sametypes of animations on all slides--a professional slide show is not the time to seehow many different animations you can use.Limit the transitions between slides. If you choose to use a transition, use thesame transition between all slides. A professional slide show is not the time tosee if you can use a different transition between every slide.Keep the slide show short, simple, and sweet. Concentrate on the message ofthe presentation rather than on the glitz available in PowerPoint.

Create a title slide and a THE END slide in your presentation. Also, create aCREDITS slide if you use information or graphics other than clip art provided withPowerPoint. Using information or graphics without citing your source isconsidered plagiarism.Don't use multiple backgrounds. A professional slide show will be consistent.Don't use excessive graphics and text effects. A professional slide show will besubtle and will not detract from the message.Use sound and moving graphics only if the message of the presentation will beenhanced by it.NOTE that PowerPoint slide shows can be very big in file size. Be sure to compress

graphics before saving your final slide show!

7. Notes Pages

In an online classroom, we cannot give our presentation in person. As such, there isoften additional information that should not be placed on a slide but should bedisseminated to your audience. This additional information is the message you wouldgive orally if you were to present your slide show in person. PowerPoint has a featurewhere you can place these extra notes--called Notes Pages or Speaker's Notes(depending upon the version of PowerPoint you are using). In order to receive fullcredit for your PowerPoint presentation, I will expect to see most Notes Pages

with additional information on them.

To enter notes on a slide, type text in the pane below the slide. Graphics and otherobjects can also be placed on the Note Pages. To place graphics on the Notes Pages,you must be in Notes View (in the View menu, select Notes Pages).

To print the notes pages, bring up the printing dialog window. Near the bottom of thewindow where it says, "Print What," select "Notes Pages."

Advanced PowerPoint Tips

8. Editing Shortcuts

When selecting an object (a text placeholder or a graphical object), use the right mouse button to


25 PowerPoint Tips (www.JoleneMorris.com)


click on it (with Macintosh, use CTRL + click). Not only will you select the object but you will beshown an editing menu particular to that object.

9. Reduce File Size

Remember that each slide in a PowerPoint presentation takes about 1-2 minutes to discuss. Assuch, keep the number of slides in your presentation to a minimum. If you have a 15-minute

presentation, prepare no more than 10-12 slides. Remember, your oral presentation will take timeand you will want to reserve time for your audience to ask questions. If your presentation is soformal that your audience doesn't feel comfortable to ask questions, the presentation will not fulfillits intended mission. In addition, it is better to have your presentation take five minutes less thanthe allotted time rather than to go one minute over.

If you want to reduce the size of the slide show file (because your computer's memory is limited orfor saving to a flash drive or for transferring via e-mail or the Internet), you can do four things:

Use Save As (in the File menu) and save your file using a different name.

Insert a blank slide at the start of your presentation.If you are using the same graphic on several slides, don't insert the graphic on each of theslides. Insert it only once, then copy it from slide to slide. If you are using the same graphic onALL slides, place the graphic on the master slide (in the View menu.

Look again at each graphic and other objects in your presentation. Do they add to thepresentation or are they simply "window dressing?" Consider reducing the size of the slideshow by simplifying the extra effects. Remember: the information on your slides should not beovershadowed by the graphics and special effects.

NOTE that PowerPoint slide shows can be very big in file size. Be sure to compress graphics before saving

your final slide show! Here is how to compress graphics:

1. Go to any slide that has a graphic on it--not anAutoShape from the Drawing Toolbar, but aninserted picture or clip art.

2. Right click on the graphic and choose "FormatPicture"

3. On the Picture tab, click the COMPRESS button,which will open the "Compress Pictures" dialog boxthat you see to the right.

4. Mark "All pictures in document" in the "Apply to"section.

5. Mark "Web/Screen" in the "Change resolution"section.

6. Check both boxes in the "Options" section.7. Click OK8. Click OK again9. Your slide show file should be up to 75% smaller

now.



10. Tearing off Sub-menus

You may need to use the same sub-menu several times. If the sub-menuhas a shaded bar at the top, you can "tear it off" and place it on the screen(see red arrow on graphic to the right). Just drag the sub-menu with themouse by that shaded bar.

11. Seamless Screen Builds

If you are creating a final slide where each object will be added on progressive slides, you can usea "backwards" trick to create your seamless screen build. Create the final slide first. Thenduplicate that slide (CTRL + D) as many times as necessary to build the sequence. Then workingbackwards, remove the objects on the slides. This will ensure that each object is in exactly the rightplace on each slide, and this eliminates those unsightly shifts when moving between slides.

12. Recycling Slides

It is possible to import a single slide or a group of slides from another presentation into your newpresentation. If you have spent time creating the perfect slide with a quote, special graphic, orintricate chart on a slide, you can insert that slide into your new presentation (use the Insert >

Slides from Files). In fact, you can insert slides from multiple presentations into your newpresentation. Only the objects from the imported slides are inserted; the background and masterslide are unaffected.

13. A Summary Slide

With PowerPoint, you can quickly add a Summary Slide to your presentation. This Summary Slidecan be placed at the first of your presentation as an introduction, or it can be moved to the end ofyour presentation as a conclusion or review slide. The summary slide is created from the titles ofthe other slides:

1. On the View menu, click Slide Sorter.

2. Select the slides with the titles you want to use. To select multiple slides, hold down CTRLand click the slides you want. (Be sure to select the slides that will best summarize yourpresentation.)

3. On the Slide Sorter toolbar, click the Summary Slide button ( ).

4. A new slide, titled "Summary Slide," appears in front of the first selected slide.5. Edit this slide and/or move it to the desired location in your slide show.

14. Embed a Presentation in Word

To insert your slide show into a Word document, open both files (the slide show presentation inPowerPoint and the desired document in Word):

1. On the View menu, click Slide Sorter.

2. Select the slides you want to use. To select multiple slides, hold down CTRL and click theslides you want.



3. Copy the slides and paste them into Word (CTRL-C in PowerPoint and CTRL-V in Word).

You'll only see the first slide in your Word document, but you can double click on that first slide torun the slide show.

Working with Graphics


15. Selecting Objects

You select an object by clicking on it. You may want to right-click on the object to viewthe context-sensitive editing menu. If the slide has overlapping objects so it is difficult toselect them, select any object then use the TAB key to cycle through the various objectsuntil the desired object is selected. You can hold down the SHIFT key and use the TABkey to cycle backwards through the various objects.

Another way to select objects is to use the Custom Animation choice in the Slide

Show menu. Click the Timing tab to see a list of all objects on the slide. Select the

desired object then cancel (ESC) out of the custom animation window.

16. Guidelines

CTRL + G will display the Grid and Guides dialog window where you can turn on one

vertical and one horizontal guideline which can be dragged into position and used asan alignment aid. Press CTRL + G again to turn off the guidelines. Hold down theCTRL key while dragging a guideline to create additional guidelines.

17. Grid

CTRL + G will display the Grid and Guides dialog window where you can turn on the

grid, which can be used as an alignment aid. Press CTRL + G again to turn off the grid.

18. Aligning Objects

The most useful PowerPoint tool for arranging objects on a page is Align & Distribute

under the Draw menu. This tool enables you to accurately align objects with each other

and to distribute objects evenly both vertically & horizontally on a page.

You can also manually move objects: Select the graphic then simply press the UP,DOWN, LEFT, or RIGHT arrow keys to move the graphic in the desired direction.

Or to move objects in even smaller increments: Select the graphic, hold down theCTRL key, then simply press the UP, DOWN, LEFT, or RIGHT arrow keys to move thegraphic in the desired direction.




19. Using the Pasteboard

When working with graphics (resizing, coloring, etc.), slide the graphic to the graypasteboard area beside your slide. Here you can work on the graphic withoutaccidentally changing other objects (like text boxes) on your slide. Once you havecompleted work on your graphic, drag it back to its place on the slide.

20. Embossing Images

Want to emboss a Clip Art graphic? It is fairly easy:

1. Insert the Clip Art image (and be sure it is still selected).2. Ungroup the image (in the Draw menu of the Drawing

Toolbar).

3. Quickly re-group the image.4. Select the shadow settings on the Drawing Toolbar and

choose style 175. From the Format menu, select Object.

6. Click the Colors and Lines Tab.

7. Choose the same color for a FILL as you used in the background of your slidethen click OK.

8. If the embossed effect is not distinct enough, go into the Shadow button (on the

Drawing Toolbar) and choose the Shadow Settings where you will use the

arrows to move the shadow a bit.

21. Creating Soft Shadows

You can create "soft" shadows for square or rounded objects:

1. Make a copy of the object.2. In the object properties, change the copy's fill to be shaded from black to the

background color, with the shading set with black going from the center out to thebackground color at the edges.

3. Make the shaded object about 150% bigger than the original object4. Position the shaded object behind the original object.

22. Photo Vignettes

1. Insert any AutoShape from the Drawing Toolbar.

2. Select the AutoShape.3. On the Drawing Toolbar choose the down arrow next to

the Fill button.

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4. Select Fill Effects.

5. Click the Picture Tab.

6. Add the desired photo

23. Text Shadows

If you place a shadow behind your text, the text will stand out and will be easier for youraudience to read. Do not add a shadow to serif fonts--use only sans serif fonts such asArial. To add a shadow, select the text and use the shadow button on the Drawing

Toolbar.

24. Multiple Backgrounds

Normally, you should use the same background master throughout your presentation.At rare times, however, you may have two or more distinct sections of yourpresentation. In those cases, you may want to have two or more backgrounds in yourslide show. PowerPoint XP (2002) and higher supports multiple backgrounds, but youcan simulate different backgrounds in earlier versions of PowerPoint. In the Format

menu, select Background. Change the background for your different section, then

check the box for "Omit background graphics from master."

25. Picture Bullets

You can use pictures instead of simple black circles and squares for bullets inPowerPoint :

1. Select the text placeholder where you want to use picture bullets.2. From the Format menu, choose Bullets and Numbering.

3. In the dialog box, click the Picture button.

4. When you see the Picture Bullet dialog box, choose a bullet you like and click

the Insert Clip button.


Four Extra Tips for Presenting In Person

1. Printing Handouts

If you click the print button on the Standard Toolbar or use the default settings in the




Print dialog box, you will print your slide showpresentation with one slide per sheet ofpaper. This is seldom a useful way to printyour presentation, unless you are printing onoverhead transparencies. In most cases, youwill want to print several slides per sheet ofpaper, with or without lines on which to takenotes. This way of printing your presentation isoften used to create handouts for the

audience. Refer to the number 1 in the screen

shot to the right. Change from "Slides" to"Handouts" then select the number of slidesyou want to appear per page (if you selectthree slides per page, you will also get lineson which to take notes).

2. Print in Reverse Order

If you indeed want to print a slide per sheet of paper, you will want to have the slidesprinted in reverse order so they do not have to be collated before using or binding. Todo this, click on the option (radio) button for Slides and enter the numbers 99-1. Refer

to the number 2 in the screen shot to the right.

3. Hidden Features

While your Show is

Running

During your slide show, you cancontrol the presentation by morethan simply going to the nextslide or returning to the previousslide. When your presentation isrunning, press the F1 function

key to see a list of the hiddenfeatures that are available to you while your show is running.

4. Avoiding Interruptions

When you are in the middle of the slide show, you don't want your computer to interruptthe presentation:

Disable screensavers. (Right click on the desktop, choose Properties, click the

Screensaver tab, choose ‘NONE’). PowerPoint is supposed to disable any

screensavers automatically, but it is wise to be safe and do it yourself.

If you are using your laptop computer, disable any power saving features.



Hide the arrow pointer (cursor) during your presentation. Right click on thescreen, choose Pointer Options, then click on Hide Now or Hide Always.

Hide Now turns off the pointer until you move the mouse. Hide Always turns off

the pointer for the rest of the slide show.

Copyright (c) 2006, Jolene M. Morris, All Rights Reserved

25 powerpoint tips

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