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Microsoft PowerPoint X

PowerPoint Basic Tasks

PowerPoint is a powerful and versatile program for creating presentations. Many of the concepts that you know from working with other programs will carry through to PowerPoint. This document will show you how to complete some of the basic tasks involved in creating a presentation. 

return to topOpening PowerPoint

In order to perform tasks with PowerPoint X, use the following instructions to open the program: 

NOTE: The procedure for opening PowerPoint may vary depending on the setup of the computer you are using.

  1. From your hard drive double click APPLICATIONS MICROSOFT » OFFICE » MICROSOFT POWERPOINT
    NOTE: Depending on the set up of your computer, this location may vary.

return to topStarting a New Presentation

When PowerPoint is opened, by default a blank Title slide appears as the first slide in your new presentation. You may start a new presentation when you first open PowerPoint or after PowerPoint is already open.

Starting a New Presentation: When Opening PowerPoint

  1. Open PowerPoint
    A blank title slide appears as the first slide in your presentation.

Starting a New Presentation: PowerPoint Already Open

  1. From the File menu, select New Presentation
    A blank title slide appears as the first slide in your presentation.

  2. Choose a Slide Layout

return to topInserting New Slides

PowerPoint offers you a quick way to add new slides to your presentation. By default the new slide will be the Bulleted List slide layout choice.

  1. From the Insert menu, select New Slide
    A new Bulleted List slide is inserted in your presentation.
    HINT: PowerPoint will create a new slide in the view you are currently in. If you want to change the view, use the view buttons in the lower left-hand corner of the PowerPoint window. See The PowerPoint Views for more information.

  2. Choose a Slide Layout

return to topChanging a Slide Layout

PowerPoint gives you two ways to add slide layouts to slides: The Formatting Palette and the Format menu.

Changing a Slide Layout: Format Menu

  1. From the Format menu, select Slide Layout...
    The Slide Layout pane appears.

  2. Select the desired slide type

  3. Click APPLY
    The selected slide layout appears on your slide.

Changing a Slide Layout: Formatting Palette

  1. If the Formatting Palette is not displayed, from the View menu, select Formatting Palette
    NOTE: When the Formatting Palette is displayed, there will be a check mark next to it in the View menu.

  2. From the Formatting Palette, in the Current Slide section, using the Layout pull-down menu, select the desired layout
    The selected slide layout appears on your slide.

return to top Applying a Design Template

A design template can be a convenient way to add some color to your presentation. To learn more about PowerPoint Templates refer to Customizing Templates.

Applying a Design Template: Dialog Box

  1. From the Format menu, select Slide Design...
    The Choose a Slide Design dialog box appears.

  2. Select Designs
    Design template choices appear in the scroll box on the right.

  3. Select a desired slide design
    The design is previewed on the right.

  4. To apply the design to all slides, select Apply to all Slides
    To apply to the current slide, select Apply to current Slide

  5. Click APPLY
    The design template is applied.

Applying a Design Template: Formatting Palette

  1. If the Formatting Palette is not displayed, from the View menu, select Formatting Palette
    NOTE: When the Formatting Palette is displayed, there will be a check mark next to it in the View menu.

  2. In the Design section, under Theme, from the Design Template pull-down list, select the desired slide design
    The design template is applied.

return to topSaving a Presentation

It is important to save your presentation for future usage. If you have already saved your presentation to a file, it is as easy as one step. If you are saving for the first time, you need to select a location and a name for your file.

Saving a Presentation: First Time

  1. From the File menu, select Save
    OR
    From the Standard toolbar, click SAVESave button
    The Save As dialog box appears.

  2. Navigate through folders/files to the desired save location

  3. In the Save as text box, type a file name

  4. Click SAVE

Saving a Presentation: Already Named

  1. From the File menu, select Save
    OR
    From the Standard toolbar, click SAVESave button

return to topOpening a Presentation

You can open a saved presentation using the File menu.

  1. From the File menu, select Open...
    The Open dialog box appears.

  2. Navigate to your saved presentation

  3. Click OPEN

return to topPreparing to Print

Before you print your slides, you need to set them up. You can prepare your slides by selecting the Page Setup... option from the File menu. This option lets you identify your output medium (e.g., paper, on-screen slide show, 35mm slides) as well as the orientation (portrait or landscape) of slides, notes, handouts, and outlines. For instructions on using Page Setup..., refer to Setting Up Slides to Print within Printing Your Presentation.

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