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Introduction to PowerPoint

This introductory course is designed for people who have little to no experience with any version of the PowerPoint software program. It begins with instructions for the absolutely essential steps of creating a functional presentation, continues with some tools for creating a pleasing and professional appearance and concludes with saving the presentation as a slide show.

We will be working with PowerPoint 2000 (Windows) or PowerPoint 2001 (MacOS) for this workshop, however, the majority of the instructions should work for older versions of the program.

In addition to the exercises in this document, meant to be completed while following the instructor, there are further practice exercises that expand upon this basic knowledge available in the Introduction to PowerPoint Exercises document.

The Bare Bones

In this first section, we will learn the essential steps toward creating a basic PowerPoint presentation. You will learn to start the program and get an introduction to the way the parts of the screen in the program. You will then learn the steps involved in creating and organizing basic slides and saving your presentation.

Of course, having slides in a presentation is only part of the process. By the end of this section, you will have learned one way to show your presentation to an audience.

Getting Started

1. Start the PowerPoint program, using any method you like
2. You may see a screen similar to this one:
   
   If you do, choose "Blank presentation" and click the "OK" button

Autolayouts

Autolayouts are predesigned layouts that you can use to give your presentation a consistent look. There are 24 to choose from, each containing a collection of title and placeholders for text, charts, tables, pictures, and movies. Each time you create a new slide, you are given a choice of preferred layout. Notice that one choice is a blank slide so that you can create any kind of custom layout that you want.

To choose an AutoLayout:

1. From the menu bar, choose "Insert"
2. From the Insert menu, choose "New Slide". You will see a screen with 12 layouts.
   
   
   
3. Use the scrollbar to see more options, if necessary
4. Click on an autolayout to choose it. Notice that the box in the lower right-hand corner gives you a brief description of the page. FOR WORKSHOP: Choose the Title Slide
5. Click the "OK" button to complete the process

Note: you can modify a layout after you have chosen it. See the section on "Moving, Adding and Resizing Boxes" below for more information.

Screen Overview

Menu bar

Located at the very top of the window, this contains many of the items you are familiar with from other programs. When I give step-by-step instructions, I usually give the instructions using the menu bar. Why? Because it is static. I know that when you sit down with these instructions, you will be able to find the menus and the drop-down items in order to perform the steps.

Many of the instructions can be done with fewer steps using the toolbars. However, the toolbars are customizable, so they may be different on your computer than they are in the workshop. In PowerPoint 2000/2001, also, the toolbars are dynamic, that is, they adjust to display the tools that YOU use most frequently. Feel free to use whatever methods work best for you in daily practice.

Tool bars

PowerPoint has a rich assortment of toolbars, which you can tailor to the way you work with PowerPoint.

To change what toolbars you are currently using:

1. From the menu bar, choose "View"
2. From the view menu, choose "Toolbars"
3. To the right, you will see a list of toolbars available in PowerPoint. The currently active items have a checkmark to the left of them. To activate or deactivate a toolbar, click on it. FOR WORKSHOP: leave these three toolbars active: Standard, Formatting, and Drawing.

You will notice also that there are some buttons on the toolbars with double arrows to the right. These indicate that there are more tools on the toolbar than can be shown right now. When you click on them, a menu with the rest of the buttons will appear.

Outline

In the main part of the screen, you'll notice a section to the left with one slide on it. This is the outline view of your presentation. As you add slides and fill in information, this will grow.

Slide

In the main part of the screen is the slide on which you are working. Once you have filled in the placeholders for the slide, the working area looks the way it will when you present your slide show.

Notes

In the section below the slide, you have a place to write your speaker's notes. These do not appear when you present your show, but you can include them in a printout for use during your presentation.

Entering Text

There are several ways to enter text onto slides in PowerPoint. We will use one of the most common: using an autolayout with a text placeholder.

1. From the menu bar, choose "Insert"
2. From the insert menu, choose "New Slide"
3. You will see the "Autolayouts" dialog box. Choose a layout that contains a text area
4. Click the "OK" button
5. The new slide will have areas preset for text, indicated by: "Click to add text" Click in the appropriate area and type your text

Arranging Slides

Inevitably, you will be working on a presentation and realize that you want to change the order of some of your slides. You can do that in one of two ways: from the outline section or in the slide sorter view.

To rearrange slides in the outline view:

1. Click on the icon of the slide you want to move. It becomes highlighted, and the cursor changes into the four-arrows symbol
2. Drag the slide to its new location
3. Release your mouse button

To rearrange slides in the slide sorter:

1. From the menu bar, choose "View"
2. From the view menu, choose "Slide Sorter"
3. Click on the slide you want to move. You can tell that it is selected when it develops a colored border
4. Drag the slide to its new position. The slide will not appear to move right away, but your arrow will seem to be dragging a small box
5. Release the mouse, and the slide snaps into place

Deleting Slides

You can easily delete a slide in either the outline or in the slide sorter.

1. Click on the slide (in Slide Sorter) or the slide icon (in the outline)
2. From the menu bar, choose "Edit"
3. From the edit menu, choose "Cut"

Save Presentation

To save your presentation:

1. From the menu bar, choose "File"
2. From the file menu, choose "Save"
3. If this is the first time you have saved your presentation, it will ask you for the location and to name the file

Show the Show

1. From the menu bar, choose "Slide Show"
2. From the slide show menu, choose "View Show"

While viewing the show, you can use some keys to navigate:

• You can advance to the next slide by pressing the right arrow key, the space bar, or the "Page Down" key
• Back up to the previous slide by pressing the left arrow key or the "Page Up" key
• Cancel the show by pressing the "Esc" key

Dressing It Up

Once you know how to do a basic presentation, you can add information and interest. There are many ways to incorporate pictures, color, and sound into your PowerPoint slides, we will cover some commonly used methods here and encourage you to explore a few others in the accompanying exercise.

Moving and Resizing Boxes

When working at changing the look of your presentation, you will often move and resize boxes of various types. To do this, you must first select the box. Then you can move or reshape the box as you need.

To select a box:

1. Locate a slide with a text box or text placeholder on it
2. Click somewhere on the text in the box. You will see a box surrounding the text with 8 small squares in the edges (these are called handles)

To move a selected box:

1. Move your cursor over the edge of the box until it turns into a arrow-headed cross
2. While the cursor is a cross, click and drag the box to its new position
3. Release the mouse button

To resize a selected box:

1. Move your cursor over the handle on a side or a corner of the box. It will turn into a double-headed arrow
2. While the cursor is a double-headed arrow, click and drag the box to its new shape. If you drag a corner handle, you reshape the box in two directions. If you drag a side handle, you reshape the box only in one direction
3. When the box is in the shape you want, release the mouse button

Pictures

There are two main ways to get graphics into your presentation: use the clip art that comes with PowerPoint or gather graphics files from other sources for use in your presentations.

PowerPoint Clip Art

To create a slide with clip art:

1. Create a new slide, choosing an autolayout with clip art
2. Double-click in the clip art placeholder
3. After a moment, you will see the "Insert Clip Art" dialog box
4. Click on a category to see the clip art available
5. Click on the clip art piece that you want. You will see a small menu with an arrow pointing to the item you clicked
6. From this popup menu, choose the first icon, which is the "Insert Clip" button
7. Close the "Insert Clip Art" dialog box
8. When you return to your slide, you may need to resize and position the picture

Pictures from Files

To add a picture from a file of your own:

1. Locate the slide you want to modify or create a new slide
2. From the menu bar, choose "Insert"
3. From the insert menu, choose "Picture"
4. From the picture menu, choose "From File"
5. Navigate to where your file is located
6. Select the file
7. Click the "Insert" button
8. When you return to the slide, you may need to resize and position the picture

Tables

Tables are easy to add into a PowerPoint presentation and make a neat way to organize your information.

1. From the menu bar, choose "Insert"
2. From the insert menu, choose "New Slide"
3. From the autolayouts, choose a layout containing a table
4. Double-click on the table placeholder
5. In the "Insert Table" dialog box, choose the number of columns and rows you want
6. Click the "OK" button
7. Resize the table, if necessary
8. Click in a cell to get the cursor positioned
9. Type your text
10. Repeat steps 7and 8 for the rest of the table cells

Formatting Text

We will talk about using design templates in the next section. These set consistent styles for the background images and fonts. When you want to make a change to ALL of the text on ALL (or most) of your slides, make the change to the design template using the instructions in the section "Staying Consistent."

However there are occasions when you need to change the formatting of a section of text on a single slide. When that is the case, follow these instructions:

1. Select or highlight the text that you want to change
2. From the menu bar, choose "Format"
3. From the format menu, choose "Font". You will see a dialog box similar to this:
   
   
   
4. Choose the settings you want to apply to this section of text. You can use the "Preview" button to apply your changes temporarily to the text
5. Click the "OK" button

Staying Consistent

You have already seen how the autolayout feature can help your presentations maintain a uniform look while incorporating many different items. In this section, we will look at how design templates work with the autolayouts to add color and style to a presentation. We will also look at using headers and footers to put consistent information on each slide.

Design Templates

Design templates contain color schemes, slide and title masters with custom formatting, and styled fonts, all designed to create a particular look. They are applied to an entire presentation - giving a unified look to the whole. Many pre-defined templates come with PowerPoint for your use, and they are easy to apply to a presentation at any point in the editing process.

Generally, however, you will apply a design template when you create a new presentation:

1. From the menu bar, choose "File"
2. From the file menu, choose "New"
3. Choose the "Design Templates" option
4. You will see a dialog box with a variety of templates (they all end with ".pot"). Click on the name of a template. On the right-hand side of the window, you will see an example of the template
5. When you have clicked on the template that you want to apply, click the "OK" button

Note: not every template will project well in your presentation environment. Check them out ahead of time for clarity and readability!

Speaker's Notes

To help you stay consistent as you practice and give your presentation, you can enter speaker's notes as you develop your presentation:

1. Locate the slide where you want to position your speaker's notes
2. In the notes section, below the slide, type your notes

Speaker's notes do not appear when you give your presentation, but they can be printed out for use during practice or as reminders while running the show.

Headers and Footers

Another item that can give your presentation a professional appearance is the use of headers or footers.

To include a header or footer on each slide:

1. From the menu bar, choose "View"
2. From the view menu, choose "Header and Footer"
3. You will get a dialog window similar to this:
   
   
   
4. Select the items you want of date and time, slide number, and footer. The preview window to the lower right will show you the positioning of the checked items
5. For some of the choices, you may also type the information you want to appear or whether or not it will update automatically
6. Choose whether or not you want the header and/or footer information to appear on the title slide.
7. Click "Apply to All" if you want your header and/or footer to appear on all slides (except, perhaps the title slide) or "Apply" if you only want these choices to apply to the currently selected slide

Note: the positioning and formatting of these items is determined by the slide master of the design template you've chosen. These settings can be changed.

Taking the Show on the Road

Once you have your presentation content settled, you can add some bells and whistles to make it really shine.

Slide transitions and text animations, when used sparingly, can add a level of professionalism to your show when you present it, and they are essential to creating a self-running show that you can set up and let run at a conference or demonstration.

You may also want to consider printing your slides to create handouts for your audience to use for making notes during your presentation.

Slide Transitions

One of the "cool" things about PowerPoint is - admittedly - the way you can transition from slide to another with special effects. This adds interest to your presentation and can help "wake up" your audience. So, let's put in some "razzle dazzle" to our slide show!

With slide transitions, you may choose whether or not a transition applies to all of the slides or just to one. If you plan to apply a particular transition between two slides position your cursor on the slide you want this effect to transition into.

1. Position your cursor on the appropriate slide, if necessary
2. From the menu bar, choose "Slide Show"
3. From the slide show menu, choose "Slide Transition"
4. You will see a dialog window similar to this:
   
   
   
5. Choose the items you wish in your transition
6. Click the "Apply to All" button if you want this to apply to every slide transition in this presentation. Click "Apply" if you want this transition to take place between the previous slide and the currently selected one

Notes:

• Leave the "Advance" choice as "On mouse click" when you will be speaking along with your presentation. If you have it advance automatically, you may be surprised with a question and lose your timing!
• Set "Advance" to "Automatically after" when you set up a self-running show. (The numbers are in minutes and seconds.)
• Use sound sparingly. It can become very annoying quickly

Animations

In addition to using special effects to transition between slides, you can also make the text or objects for a given slide move onto the slide. You can use this in situations where you want each sentence on a slide to "come in" when you are ready to talk about it - but not have it on the screen distracting your audience in the meantime.

To create a slide with animation:

1. Select the slide you want to animate
2. Click on the text or picture you want to animate
3. From the menu bar, choose "Slide Show"
4. From the slide show menu, choose "Preset Animation"
5. From the popup menu, choose an animation to apply

Saving the Slide Show

Up to this point, we have been saving the presentation as a presentation and showing it from inside of the edit mode of PowerPoint.

Once you are done with your editing, you can get a more professional effect if you save the presentation as a show. When you present a show, you do not see the PowerPoint editing window at the beginning and end of your presentation.

To save a show:

1. From the menu bar, choose "File"
2. From the file menu, choose "Save As"
3. You will get the dialog box that asks you to name a file. This time, you need to specify the type of the file at the bottom of this window:
   
   
   
4. Click the arrow beside the "Save as type:" field. You will get a list of choices, and you may need to scroll down to see all of them
5. Choose "PowerPoint Show (*.pps)"
6. Change the file name, if desired
7. Click the "Save" button

Note: this saves a copy of the presentation as a show. The original presentation remains. Either one can be edited, but I recommend that you always edit the presentation (.ppt). Save the presentation as a show (.pps) when your presentation is complete and ready to be shown.

To present a show:

1. Locate the PowerPoint Show you want to display
2. Double-click the file icon to start the show

Printing Options

When you are ready to give your presentation, you may want to print your slides to use either as notes for yourself or as handouts for your audience.

To start the printing process:

1. From the menu bar, choose "File"
2. From the file menu, choose "Print". You will see a window similar to this:
   
   
   

The upper two-thirds of the window contains the usual print dialog questions, where you can choose the printer, the range of slides to print, and the number of copies. In the lower section, you have choices that are unique to printing in PowerPoint.

In the "Print what:" field, you can choose from:

• Slides - one slide per page
• Handouts - several choices about the number of slides per page and how they are ordered
• Notes Pages - one slide per page with your notes printed in the bottom half of the page
• Outline View - outline similar to what you see in the online window on the screen

Note: if you are using slides with color, you may want to choose to print using the "Pure black and white" option rather than the "Grayscale" to improve readability of the printouts.