This browser does not support basic Web standards, preventing the display of our site's intended design. May we suggest that you upgrade your browser?
The Formatting Palette offers an easy way to format your text and objects with a single click. Located in your workspace on the right side of the screen, it provides easy access to formatting tools when designing slides.
The Formatting Palette should automatically appear on the right side of your screen when you open PowerPoint. If it is not visible, you can access it easily. It is helpful to remember that the available sections vary depending on which element is selected on a slide.
From the View menu, select Formatting Palette
NOTE: If the menu option is checked, the Formatting Palette is visible.
OR
From the Standard toolbar, click FORMATTING PALETTE![]()
The Formatting Palette appears on the right side of the screen.
NOTE: The available sections vary depending on which element is selected on a slide.
To optimize your workspace, the Formatting Palette consists of collapsible sections. Each section is indicated by a colored bar with the section title and a triangular arrow. These sections expand to reveal common functions of the individual sections.
Click the heading of the section you want to expand![]()
The section expands to reveal related formatting options.
NOTE: The triangular arrow points to the right when the section is collapsed or points down when the section is expanded.

The Formatting Palette can consist of a wide variety of sections, including font, bullets and numbering, alignment and spacing, animation, hyperlink, and presentation. Each section contains different formatting options for the element you are working with.
Only the panels relating to what you are doing in the slides will appear on the Formatting Palette. However, if a desired panel does not appear you may customize the Formatting Palette to view it.
If the appropriate panel does not appear, on the Formatting Palette, click
Select Customize Formatting Palette...
The Customize Formatting Palette dialog box appears.
In the Panels section, select the panel you would like to appear
Click OK
The selected panel appears on the Formatting Palette.
Although each section contains many helpful options, the font, bullets and numbering, and alignment and spacing sections are detailed below:
The Font section of the Formatting Palette allows you to prescribe font type, font size, font color, text style, and to apply subscript or superscript text.
Palette Button |
Function |
|---|---|
| Changes font | |
| Changes font size | |
| Changes font color | |
| Applies boldface, italics, underline, and shadow to text | |
| Creates superscript or subscript text | |
| Increases or decreases font size | |
| Allows user to switch between case levels |
The Bullets and Numbering section of the Formatting Palette allows you to format the style, color and size of bulleted and numbered lists, as well as increase and decrease their indent.
Palette Button |
Function |
|---|---|
| Creates numbered list | |
| Creates bulleted list | |
| Increases or decreases the indent | |
| Determines style for numbered or bulleted list | |
| Determines the color of numbers or bullets | |
| Determines the size of numbers or bullets |
The Alignment and Spacing section of the Formatting Palette allows you to format the horizontal and vertical alignment, and paragraph spacing.
Palette Button |
Function |
|---|---|
| Designates horizontal alignment for text: right, center, left, justified | |
| Designates vertical alignment for text: top, center, bottom | |
| Increases or decreases paragraph spacing |