Microsoft PowerPoint 2003

Customizing Slides: Using Color

When designing a PowerPoint presentation, color is an effective way to make your presentation eye-catching and persuasive. PowerPoint 2003 offers several ways to manipulate the colors in your presentation. Using the Colors and Fill Effects dialog boxes, you can customize your colors to meet your specific needs. This document will show how to access and use both the Colors and Fill Effects dialog boxes.

Accessing the Dialog Boxes
Using the Colors Dialog Box
Using the Fill Effects Dialog Box

Accessing the Dialog Boxes

Both the Colors and Fill Effects dialog boxes can be accessed from the Color pull-down list. However, if you do not see the Fill Effects option listed, the Fill Effects option is not available for your selected object (e.g., fonts and jpg images).

Accessing the dialog boxes varies depending on the object or text you want to customize. In all cases, you have to access the Colors and Fill Effects dialog boxes through the Color pull-down list, which appears in a wide variety of dialog boxes (e.g., Format AutoShape, Format Picture, and Font ).

Colors Pull-Down list

Once you have accessed the Color pull-down list, you will see many color options, including the More Colors and Fill Effects options. After selecting the appropriate dialog box for the object you want to change, refer to Customizing Slide Elements.

To open the Colors dialog box:

Select the object to modify
From the Format menu, select the option relative to your object
EXAMPLE: Font, AutoShape, Picture
From the Color pull-down list, select More Colors...
The Colors dialog box appears.

To open the Fill Effects dialog box:

Select the object to modify
From the Format menu, select the option relative to your object
EXAMPLE: AutoShape, Picture
From the Color pull-down list, select Fill Effects...
The Fill Effects dialog box appears.

Using the Colors Dialog Box

The Colors dialog box is basically the color picker. It allows you to pick a color from a hexagonal palette and then lets you format the shading of that color.

Using the Colors Dialog Box: Selecting Standard Colors

Using the Standard tab, you can choose a standard color. To customize that color, refer to Using the Colors Dialog Box: Selecting Custom Colors.

Access the Colors dialog box
The Colors dialog box appears.
Select the Standard tab
From the hexagonal palette, select a color
The selected color appears with a white hexagon outline and the color appears under New.
If you are satisfied with that color, click OK
OPTIONAL: To adjust the degree of the color, click and drag the Transparency scroll bar to the appropriate degree
OR
In the Transparency text box, type a value or use the nudge buttons
NOTE: When you adjust the Transparency, the color becomes darker as the value decreases, lighter as the value increases.

Using the Colors Dialog Box: Selecting Custom Colors

Using the Custom Colors tab allows you to create custom colors. It allows for precise color selection when you type exact values of hue, saturation, luminosity, red, green, and/or blue.

Access the Colors dialog box
The Colors dialog box appears.
Select the Custom tab

From the Color Model pull-down list, select RGB (Red, Green, Blue) or HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lumination)
The value text boxes change according to your choice.
In the value text boxes for the selected Color model, type the appropriate number
OR
From the color palette, click and hold the CROSS HAIR moving it where appropriate
OPTIONAL: From the color bar, click and hold the ARROW moving it up and down to the appropriate shade
When you are satisfied with your color, click OK

Using the Fill Effects Dialog Box

The Fill Effects dialog box adds gradient, texture, and pattern to your color. You can access the different formatting options by selecting the tabs on the Fill Effects dialog box.

Using the Fill Effects Dialog Box: Gradient Tab

Access the Fill Effects dialog box
The Fill Effects dialog box appears.
Select the Gradient tab
Under Colors, select One color, Two colors, or Preset
NOTE: The Sample area previews your selections.
Adjust the color using the Dark and Light scroll bar
OR
From the Color 1 pull-down list, select appropriate color
NOTES:
The Dark and Light scroll bar is not an option if you have two colors or a preset.
For information on the More Colors option, refer to Using the Colors Dialog Box.
Adjust the Transparency as desired
Under Shading styles, select the direction of your shading
Under Variants, select one of the four options for your shading style
An example of your color, shading style, and selected variant style appears under Sample.
When you are satisfied with the gradient of your color, click OK
Click OK

Using the Fill Effects Dialog Box: Texture Tab

Access the Fill Effects dialog box
The Fill Effects dialog box appears.
Select the Texture tab
Under Texture, select a texture
The selected sample appears under Sample .
OPTIONAL: To select textures saved in your own files,
1. Click OTHER TEXTURE...
2. From the Look in pull-down list, navigate to and select the desired file
3. Click INSERT
  The Picture area previews your desire picture.
When you are satisfied with the texture of your color, click OK
Click OK

Using the Fill Effects Dialog Box: Pattern Tab

Access the Fill Effects dialog box
The Fill Effects dialog box appears.
Select the Pattern tab
Under Pattern, select a pattern
To change the foreground of the selected pattern, from the Foreground pull-down list, select a color
NOTE: For information on the More Colors option, refer to Using the Colors Dialog Box.
To change the background of the selected pattern, from the Background pull-down list, select a color
NOTE: For information on the More Colors option, refer to Using the Colors Dialog Box.
When you are satisfied with the pattern of your color, click OK
Click OK

Using the Fill Effects Dialog Box: Picture Tab

Access the Fill Effects dialog box
The Fill Effects dialog box appears.
Select the Picture tab
To access a picture in your file, click SELECT PICTURE
The Select Picture dialog box appears.
To select the desired picture,
1. From the Look in pull-down list, navigate to and select the desired file
2. Click INSERT
  The Picture area previews your desire picture.
Click OK
Click OK