Beginning a New Presentation
Choosing a Theme for Your Presentation
Adding Text
Adding More Slides
Moving Around Inside a Presentation
Adding Speaker Notes
Creating and Printing Handouts
Saving and Closing a Presentation
Running a Presentation
This chapter will familiarize you with powerpoint 2007 by walking you through the creation of a basic bullets-and-background slideshow presentation. You'll learn how to create a new slideshow, choose a look and feel, add text and slides, print speaker notes and handouts, and finally, how to unveil your masterpiece.
You've got two basic choices when it comes to creating a new presentation:
You can start from scratch, using a blank canvas. If you're familiar with earlier incarnations of the PowerPoint program, or if you're interested in learning the ins and outs of PowerPoint quickly, then you'll probably want to choose this option. (As daunting as "from scratch" sounds, you don't have to do all the work yourself; Section 1.1.2.2 shows you how to apply a canned look and feel—or theme—to your new presentation.)
You can create a new presentation based on an existing template, theme, or presentation. A template is a generic presentation file designed for you to reuse. Complete with themes (see the box in Section 1.1.2.3), background images, and even generic content (such as page numbers and placeholder text), templates let you jump-start your presentation by giving you everything you need except your specific content. If you're creating a presentation for your local school board, for example, then you'll need to add the content that describes your findings, conclusions, and suggestions.
Templates are the better option when you need to crank out a presentation in a jiffy. PowerPoint comes with a handful of professionally designed templates and themes, but you can also create presentations based on a template, theme, or presentation that you've previously created, or one that you've found online and downloaded onto your computer.
When you launch PowerPoint, the program starts you off with a brand-new presentation cleverly named Presentation1 (Figure 1-1).
Figure 1-1. PowerPoint calls this a "blank" presentation even though technically it's not blank at all: It contains placeholders for the first slide's title and subtitle. Section 1.2 shows you how to change the Office theme that PowerPoint hands you to something more colorful and more artfully laid out.
Typically, you dive right in, adding a look and feel, text, pictures, and so on to the blank presentation PowerPoint hands you. But if you've closed or saved your freebie, here's how you create an additional blank presentation:
Select Office button → New.
The New Presentation window (Figure 1-2) appears.
On the left side of the New Presentation window, make sure the "Blank and recent" option is selected.
If it's not, click it to select it.
In the New Presentation window, double-click Blank Presentation (Figure 1-2). Or you can click Blank Presentation and then click Create.
Either way, a new blank presentation named Presentation2 (or Presentation3, or Presentation4 depending on how many new presentations you've created since you launched the program) appears in your PowerPoint workspace.
Figure 1-2. Because folks typically want to create a new presentation either from scratch or based on a favorite (and, therefore, recently used) template, the "Blank and recent" option is automatically selected. But you can choose instead to create a presentation based on an existing presentation, or on a theme or template you've created or downloaded from the Web.
Tip
To create a new blank presentation without going through the New Presentation window, press Ctrl+N.
To find out how to add content and design elements to your newly created presentation, zip down to Section 1.3. Section 1.8 shows you how to save your new presentation.
PowerPoint lets you get a jump on your new presentation by starting with an existing template, theme, or presentation and then filling in your content. You can choose from the many templates and themes that come with PowerPoint, or you can go online and search for a specific template or theme that matches your needs. You can also reuse any of the templates, themes, or presentations that you (or your co-workers) have previously created. The following sections describe each of your options.
A template is a generic presentation designed (by Microsoft, by a third-party vendor, by you, or by whoever created the template) to be used again and again. Templates help you crank out presentations quickly, because all the design work has been done for you. All you have to do is add your content: the text, charts, graphics, and other elements that convey your particular message.
Templates vary widely, but all contain predefined themes (color schemes, background images, title and bullet point layouts, and text fonts). Some templates contain additional format and design elements and even some generic or placeholder content. Some templates are businesslike, with sober colors and artwork; some are whimsical, with wacky fonts and brightly colored balloons all over the place. The template motifs you can find are nearly endless, which makes it relatively easy to choose a template that fits the mood and structure you want to create for your presentation.
PowerPoint gives you four different options for creating a new presentation using an existing template: Recently used templates, Installed Templates, "My templates" (templates you've saved yourself), and Microsoft Office Online. The option you choose depends on where you want PowerPoint to hunt for the template, as described in the following sections.
Recently used templates. PowerPoint keeps track of the templates you apply to your presentations and displays the last few in a list. So if you tend to use the same two or three templates to create all your presentations, chances are you'll find this option the easiest.
Here's how to create a new presentation using a template you recently applied to another presentation:
Select Office button → New.
The New Presentation window appears.
In the left side of the New Presentation window, make sure the "Blank and recent" option is selected. (If it's not, click to select it.)
In the middle of the New Presentation window, scroll through the template thumbnails.
Tip
Mousing over a template briefly displays the location of the template (for example, C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Templates\QuizShow.potx for a built-in template stored on your computer, or Office Website for a template located on Microsoft's Web server). You might find this information useful if, for example, you're hunting for a template you remember finding online.
Click to select the template you want to base your new presentation on.
In the right side of the New Presentation window, a preview appears (see Figure 1-3). Depending on whether the selected template is stored on your computer or on Microsoft's Web server, PowerPoint displays a Create or Download button, respectively, at the bottom of the New Presentation window.
Click Create (or Download).
The New Presentation window disappears. (If you clicked Download, then a Downloading Template message flashes briefly on the screen.) PowerPoint then loads the selected template into a new presentation it names Presentation1 (or Presentation2, or Presentation3, depending on how many presentations you've created since you launched PowerPoint).
Figure 1-3. To see a larger version of a tiny template thumbnail—as well as to display any available identifying information, such as the template's file size and popularity rating—simply click to select the template.
Installed templates. When you installed PowerPoint, you automatically installed a handful of professionally designed templates, including templates that let you set up photo albums (Classic Photo Album and Contemporary Photo Album), corporate-style slideshows (Corporate Presentation), layouts for print publications (Pitchbook), animated question-and-answer tutorials (Quiz Show), and big-screen slideshows (Wide Screen Presentation 16x9).
To use one of these built-in templates to create a new presentation, follow these steps:
Select Office button → New.
The New Presentation window appears.
In the left side of the New Presentation window, click Installed Templates.
Several template thumbnails appear in the middle of the New Presentation window.
Click a template to select it.
A larger version of the template appears in the preview area (the right side) of the New Presentation window.
Click Create.
The New Presentation window disappears, and you see a new presentation file based on the template you selected. Figure 1-4 shows you an example.
Tip
Instead of clicking a template and then clicking Create, you can save a step by simply double-clicking the template.
Figure 1-4. Templates are nothing more than presentations for which someone (the template author) has defined Slide and Title masters. Masters, which you'll learn all about in Chapter 5, define the way your slides look overall (like this crisp, clean background) as well as the way your text looks (the color and font). Templates also typically include helpful slide layouts and content, like the attractive section headings and replaceable text shown here.
My templates. Each time you create your own template (Section 1.8) or download a template from Microsoft's Web site (Section 1.1.2.1), PowerPoint automatically stores the template in a special directory on your computer similar to this one: C:\Documents and Settings\[Your Name]\Application Date\Microsoft\Templates.
To use one of these templates to create a new presentation, follow these steps:
Select Office button → New.
The New Presentation window appears.
On the left side of the New Presentation window, click "My templates."
The New Presentation window vanishes, and the New Presentation dialog box shown in Figure 1-5 appears.
In the New Presentation dialog box, select the template you want to use and click OK.
The New Presentation dialog box disappears, and PowerPoint displays a new presentation file based on the template you selected.
Figure 1-5. PowerPoint stores the templates you create—or that you download from Microsoft's Office Online Web site—in a special folder so that you won't confuse them with PowerPoint's built-in templates. To change how the template icons appear, choose from Large Icons (which makes the template names easier to read), List (shown here), and Details (which displays the date the template was created).
Online. Although lots of Web sites offer PowerPoint templates for download, you should check Microsoft's Office Online Web site first for a couple of reasons. One, Microsoft's templates are free; and two, checking Microsoft's site is one-click easy, as described next.
Tip
Because Microsoft lets its customers upload templates willy-nilly, the quantity and quality of the templates you find on its site can vary widely. Figure 1-6 shows how to weed out customer-submitted templates, leaving only those designed by official Microsofties.
Select Office button → New.
The New Presentation window appears.
On the left side of the New Presentation window, under Microsoft Office Online, choose the type of template you're looking for, such as Brochures or Content Slides.
Template thumbnails appear in the center of the New Presentation window (Figure 1-6).
Click a template thumbnail to select it; then click Download.
A validation message box appears, letting you know that Microsoft is gearing up to check your copy of PowerPoint to make sure it's not bootlegged. (If Microsoft doesn't find a legitimately purchased copy of PowerPoint on your computer, then you won't be able to download templates.)
In the validation message box, click Continue.
Microsoft checks out your copy of PowerPoint. If it passes muster, a Downloading Template message appears briefly, after which PowerPoint displays a new presentation file based on the template you selected.
The rest of this chapter shows you how to add text and change the look of your newly created presentation.
Figure 1-6. For finer control over the templates you see, select Rating Sort (which displays the most popular templates first, as determined by other PowerPoint fans), Name Sort (which displays named templates in alphabetical order), Show Customer Submitted (which displays all templates, including the ones other PowerPoint folks have uploaded), or Hide Customer Submitted (which shows only those templates created by Microsoft).
If you know which theme you want to apply to the new presentation you're creating, then you can save a click or two by applying it when you create the presentation file. (The alternative is to create the presentation file and then apply the theme, as described in Section 1.2.)
To create a new presentation based on one of the themes that comes with PowerPoint:
Select Office button → New.
The New Presentation window appears.
On the left side of the New Presentation window, click Installed Themes.
Several theme thumbnails appear in the middle of the New Presentation window.
Click a theme to select it.
A larger version of the theme appears in the preview area (the right side) of the New Presentation window.
Click Create.
The New Presentation window disappears and you see a new presentation based on the theme you selected. Figure 1-7 shows you an example.
If you've already got a presentation on your computer—created in any version of PowerPoint—then you can load that presentation into PowerPoint 2007 and use it as the basis of a new presentation.
Figure 1-7. Unlike applying a template to a newly created presentation, applying a theme doesn't start you out with custom slide layouts or content. Instead—as you can see by the single slide shown here—themes give you coordinated color, font, and background effects. PowerPoint automatically applies these effects to each new slide you create.
You've got two options for loading an existing presentation: the New From Existing Presentation window, which is a good choice if you've never used PowerPoint before; and the Open window, which is handy if you're familiar with PowerPoint.
Note
A third, quickie alternative exists for creating a new presentation from an existing one—but this alternative works only if you've recently edited the existing presentation. To try it out, click the Office button and then, from the list of Recent Documents that appears, choose an existing document. After PowerPoint opens the document, immediately save it (Office button → Save As) with a different name.
If you're new to PowerPoint, then you'll appreciate the New from Existing Presentation window, which simplifies the process of opening an existing presentation. And unlike using the Open window, using the New from Existing Presentation window automatically generates a new file name, so you don't have to worry about accidentally overwriting your original presentation.
To create a presentation using the New from Existing Presentation window:
Select Office button → New.
The New Presentation window appears.
The New from Existing Presentation window appears.
Select the file you want to open, as described in Figure 1-8, and then click Create New.
The New from Existing Presentation window disappears, and the presentation you selected appears in your PowerPoint workspace. PowerPoint gives the presentation a new, generic name (PowerPoint2, PowerPoint3, and so on) to remind you to rename the file before you save it. (Section 1.8 shows you how to rename files.)
Figure 1-8. To browse your computer for an existing PowerPoint file, either click the folder icons you see on the left side of the window, or click the "Look in" drop-down menu. When you see the PowerPoint file you're looking for, click it to select it. Then click Create New to load it into PowerPoint under a new name.
The Open window gives you more options for opening an existing presentation than the New from Existing window does. You'll find these options useful in certain situations, such as when you want to protect an existing presentation by opening it in read-only mode, read through all the slides to make sure it's the one you want, and then save a copy.
To open an existing presentation using the Open window:
Choose Office button → Open (or press Ctrl+O).
The Open window shown in Figure 1-9 appears.
Select the file you want to open, either by clicking the folder icons you see on the left side of the window, or by clicking the "Look in" drop-down menu. When the PowerPoint file you're looking for appears in the list, click it to select it.
Tip
To see a preview of each file on the right side of the Open window as you select it, click the Open window's Views icon (Figure 1-9) and select Preview.
Choose one of the following options:
Open. Opens the selected file.
Open → Open Read-Only. Opens a protected version of the file that lets you make changes to the presentation, but doesn't let you save them unless you specify a new filename.
Open → Open as Copy. Opens the presentation file, but renames it Copy(1)filename.pptx.
Open → Open in Browser. Opens the selected HTML file in Internet Explorer (or your default browser).
Open → Open and Repair. Tells PowerPoint to fix a corrupted file before it tries to open it.
The file you selected appears in your PowerPoint workspace.
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