529 computer tips - Work with PowerPoint 2007

Work with PowerPoint 2007

Helen Bradley

ADVICE

Change the Theme quickly

If you create a slideshow from an existing theme and use the styles already in the theme, changing a completely different interface is extremely simple. Just select the theme again from the available list on the Design tab.

Use common fonts

To avoid complicated problems when transferring a PowerPoint file from one computer to another, use fonts like Arial, Verdana, or Times New Roman. Computers with older versions of Office do not always have PowerPoint 2007 default fonts (eg Calibri, Corbel, etc.).

Keep your own layouts

If you want some slides for yourself, create a subset for them to use by selecting View | Slide Master and from the slide layout list on the left side of the screen delete the layout that is not available for use in this demonstration.

Embedding fonts for editing is easy

When transferring a presentation file to another computer for editing, embed the fonts inside the slideshow so that they will be available when you make the changes. To do this, select File | Save As , select Tools | Save Options and click the ' Embed fonts in the file ' checkbox.

Leave a comment for colleagues

If you're working with colleagues on the same slide show and need to communicate with someone, or if you need to remind yourself of something, use a comment. Choose Reviewing | New Comment and type in your comment before dragging it into place on the slide.

GUIDE

Add more custom photos

Inserted images can be shadows, new shapes, styles and effects, and can also be cropped when needed. On the Insert tab, click Picture to add an image. Select it and the Format tab will then be available, where you can experiment with Picture Styles or choose custom styles.

Stylize data tables

Data tables are available in PowerPoint 2007. Select any table and go to the Table Tools tab (called Design and Layout) that appears on the ribbon. Click Design to enter the styles for Table Styles . Create your own products according to the controls on that tab.

Compress photos

The inserted images can be individually compressed to reduce the size of the entire PowerPoint file, depending on how it will be displayed. In the Format tab available when you select an image, click Compress Pictures .

Insert powerpoint chart

Charts are not simply for Excel. PowerPoint 2007's Insert tab has a Chart icon, where you can select Line, Bar, Pie, Area, and Surface to get started. It will automatically open Excel and show you sample data that you can customize. When the change is over, click on PowerPoint to instantly update.

Create a slideshow template

Change any PowerPoint presentation into a template for reuse when needed by removing unnecessary slides or providing information from it. Select Save As , then Other Formats , and select the PowerPoint Template (* .potx) option from the archive type list to save the custom template.

Use Excel to format charts

To use a chart template for formatting PowerPoint charts, click on the chart object in the slideshow to select it. Select Chart Tools | Design | Change Chart Type , click on the Templates option and select the saved template from the list.

Group and save for reuse

You can save an element or group of components that you have on a PowerPoint slide into a picture for reuse in another slide show or other application. To do this, select the object, right-click it and select Save As Picture . Select the graphic format and location to save, type the file name, and then click OK .

Align objects on a slide

To align multiple objects in a PowerPoint slide, click on the first object and press Ctrl to click each additional object in turn. Select Drawing Tools | Format and click the Align button. From the menu, select options like Align Left, Align Right, Align Top, or Align Bottom.

Use grid frame for layout

You can display a layout grid for aligning objects on slides by selecting View | Gridlines . To configure gridlines, go to Tools | Format | Align and select Grid Settings .

Show the ruler

To adjust the backward text for each individual paragraph on a PowerPoint slide, you first need to show the metrics by selecting View | Ruler . Select the segments to change and drag the First Line Indent and Left Indent ruler points on the ruler to change.

Create action button

Use an action button to link to information or help slides. Select Insert | Shapes and from the Action Button group select Action Button: Information or Action Button: Help . Drag this button on the slide, from the Hyperlink of the dialog to the list, select the slide to link to.

Insert common backgrounds

To add more background to all slides, select View | Slide Master and select master slide. Click on the marker to open the Background group and display the Format Background dialog box. Select Picture , click the File button, select the image and click Close .

Create multiple text columns

To create multiple columns of a text inside PowerPoint, select the text and from the Paragraph group of the Home tab, click the Columns button. Select the number of columns to use for the text. This also works for text that has been placed inside images or text boxes.

Customize drawings

To convert an existing drawing (square, round .) to a custom image using the mouse, select it and click Drawing Tools | Format . From the Insert shapes group, click the Edit Shape button and select Convert to Freeform . Select Edit Points and you can change the image by adding buttons, deleting or dragging images to create other lines.

View and edit slideshows

To display a slideshow on the screen when you work, click the View tab and hold down the Ctrl key when you click the Slideshow button. This will display the slide show in the upper left part of the screen, allowing you to switch between viewing the slideshow and editing it.

Use Kiosk mode to automatically run

To run an automatic slide show, select all slides in the thumbnail pane; Select Animations , set Automatically to the appropriate transition time. Select Slide Show | Set Up Show , select Browsed at a Kiosk (full screen) , and in Advance slides , select Using timings if it appears.

Create SmartArt from what's available

Only in PowerPoint 2007 can you create a SmartArt object from existing text. To do this, select the text and from the Home tab, Paragraph group, select the Convert to SmartArt Graphic button and select the SmartArt style.

HACK

Do not use all your slides

If you have a slide show that has tons of slides but only one group that matches the current audience, don't waste time by scrolling through all the slides. On the Slide Show tab, click Custom Slide Show , select the required slides, click Show to launch the omitted slide show.

ADDITIONAL TOOLS

Additional tab Developer

Tab Developer is required to perform things like adding Flash files to a slide show and running macros. To configure it to appear on the ribbon, click the Microsoft Office button, select PowerPoint Options | Popular , and click the Show Developer tab in the Ribbon checkbox. Click OK .

Insert Flash into slideshows

To display a Flash file, click the Developer tab, in the Controls section, click More Controls , and select Shockwave Flash Object . Click the left mouse button and drag on the slide to create a rectangle where you want to add controls; Right-click it, select Properties and set Movie properties with the full path of the Flash file.

Export to DPF

Save PowerPoint presentations into PDF files using Microsoft Office Add-ins to save these files as PDF files. Download these Add-ins by searching on microsoft.com/download with "Save as PDF."