EXPERT TIPS ON POWERPOINT

1. Use the Slide Master in PowerPoint 2007

The Slide Master is the first slide in a set of slides, which stores the information about themes and layouts that you want to use through the presentation. Any changes you make to the Slide Master are applied to each slide in the presentation, including those that you might add later. Therefore, you should add design elements and elements like company logos to the Slide Master.

To create or customize a Slide Master, open a blank presentation, go to View tab > Presentation Views group, and click Slide Master. To add a header or footer to each slide, go to the Insert tab > Text group and click Header and Footer. In the dialog box that appears, go the Slide tab, select the checkboxes against Header or Footer or both and type text required. Click Apply to All. To add more placeholders to the slide layout, go to the Slide Master tab > Master Layout group, and click Insert Placeholder. Click the type of placeholder you’d like. Click a location on the slide layout and drag the placeholder. You can also apply a theme here. Click the Microsoft Office button and click Save As. Type a name for the file and click the Save as type list to choose PowerPoint Template. Click Save. On the Slide Master tab, in the Close group, click Close Master View.

2. Customize a PowerPoint 2007 theme

You can change the colors, fonts, and effects of a theme, and then save it as a .thmx file for later use in presentations. All these are found under Design tab > Themes group.

To change the colors, click Colors in this group. Click Create New Theme Colors, and under Theme Colors, click the color that you want to use. In the Name box, type a name for this color and click Save.

To change the font, click Theme Fonts and then Create New Theme Fonts. Click the fonts that you want to use in the Heading Font and Body Font boxes. Type a new name for these fonts in the Name box and click Save.

To change effects, click Theme Effects and then the effect that you want to use.

To save these changes, click More in the Themes group. Click Save Current Theme and type a name for this theme in the File name box. Click Save.

3. Use a picture as a watermark in PowerPoint 2007

You may like to use your company’s logo or other pictures as a watermark in presentations. To add a watermark to all the slides in a new presentation, go to the View tab and the Presentations Views group. Click Slide Master. To add a watermark to some slides, click each slide and add it one at a time.

Go to the Insert tab > Illustrations group and click Picture. Locate the picture you want to use on your hard drive, removable disk or drive, or network, and click Insert. Right-click the picture and click Size and Position to adjust these for the picture. Select the picture and go to Picture Tools > Format tab > Adjust group and click Recolor. Under Light Variations, click the color fade of your choice. Then, click Brightness and click the brightness percentage. Go to the Format tab again. Click the Arrange group and click Send to Back.