Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Computer Basics, Fourth Edition

Format Background option. This displays the Format Background dialog box, shown

in Figure 17.3, where you can choose from various types of fill and picture back-

grounds.

208

ABSOLUTE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO COMPUTER BASICS

FIGURE 17.3

Use the Format

Background dia-

log box to apply

sophisticated

slide back-

grounds.

Adding Graphics

An all-text presentation is a little boring. To spice up your slides, you need to add

some graphics!

Inserting Pictures

You can insert any type of drawing or photograph

into a PowerPoint slide. It’s easiest to start with a

slide layout that anticipates the addition of a pic-

ture, however. Follow these steps:

1. From a blank slide, go to the Slides section

of the Ribbon and click the Layout button;

then select the Title and Content layout.

This formats the slide as shown in Figure

17.4, ready to accept different types of

content.

2. To add clip art to the slide, click the Clip

Art icon; then search for the clip art you

want from the Clip Art pane.

In PowerPoint 2003,

select Format, Slide Layout

to display the Slide Layout pane;

select a slide layout from this

pane.

FIGURE 17.4

A slide format-

ted with the Title

and Content

layout.

CHAPTER 17 PRESENTING YOURSELF: WORKING WITH MICROSOFT POWERPOINT

209

3. To add a picture to your slide, click the Insert Picture from File icon; then

navigate to and select a specific picture.

4. To add icons, buttons, and similar graphics to your slide, click the Insert

SmallArt Graphic icon; then select a graphic from the resulting dialog box.

After the graphic is added, you can now format it in a number of ways. To rotate the

graphic, grab the green handle above the graphic and turn it to the left or right. To

recolor the graphic, add a border style, insert a drop shadow, or crop the graphic,

select the Design Ribbon and use the options there.

Creating Charts

Another way to spice up your presentation is to display numerical data in chart for-

mat, as shown in Figure 17.5. The easiest way to create a chart in PowerPoint 2007

is to start with the Title and Content slide layout and then follow these steps:

1. Click the chart icon.

2. When the Insert Chart dialog box appears, choose a chart type.

3. An Excel spreadsheet now opens onscreen. Enter the data for your chart into

this spreadsheet and close the spreadsheet when you’re finished.

4. Your chart now appears on the slide. Select the Design Ribbon to select a dif-

ferent chart layout or style, or use the Layout Ribbon to format different

aspects of the chart.