PowerPoint 2016: Apply transition effects

If you've ever seen a PowerPoint presentation that has a special effect between each slide, that's a slide transition effect. A transition can be as simple as fading to the next slide or flashy and eye-catching to attract the audience. 

About transition effects

There are three types of special transitions to choose from, all of which can be found on the Transitions tab.

1. Subtle: These are the most basic types of transitions. They use simple animations to move between slides.

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1. Exciting: These use more complex animations to transition between slides. Although they're more interesting than the transitions in the Subtle group, adding too many effects can make your presentation look less professional. However, when used in moderation, they can highlight important slides.

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1. Dynamic Content: If you're transitioning between two slides that use a similar slide layout, the dynamic transition will only move the placeholders, not the slide itself. When used properly, animated transitions can help unify your slides and make your presentation look more professional.

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Transitions are best used in moderation. Adding too many transitions can make your presentation look a bit silly and can even distract your audience. Consider using transitions primarily in the Subtle group, or not using any transitions in the slide.

How to apply transition effects

1. Select the desired slide from the Slide Navigation panel . This is the slide that will appear after the transition effect.

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2. Click the Transitions tab, then locate the Transition to This Slide group . By default, the None option is applied to each slide.

3. Click the More drop-down arrow to display all transitions.

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4. Click a transition effect to apply it to the selected slide. This step will automatically give you a preview of the selected transition effect.

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You can use the Apply To All command in the Timing group to apply the same transition effect to all slides in the presentation. Remember that this will modify any other transitions you have applied.

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Try applying a few different types of transitions to the remaining slides in your presentation. You may find that some transitions work better than others, depending on your slide content.

How to preview transition effects

You can preview the transition effects for a selected slide at any time using one of these two methods:

1. Click the Preview command on the Transitions tab.

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1. Click the Play Animations command in the Slide Navigation panel .

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Modify transition effects

How to modify transition effects

You can quickly customize the look of your transition by changing its direction.

1. Select the slide you want to modify.

2. Click the Effect Options command and select the desired option. These options will vary depending on the selected transition effect.

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3. The transition effect will be modified and a preview of the transition effect will appear.

Some transitions do not allow you to modify direction.

How to modify the duration of a transition effect

1. Select the slide you want to modify.

2. In the Duration field in the Timing group, enter the desired duration for the transition. In this example, we'll reduce the time to half a second - or 00.50 - to make the transition faster.

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How to add sound

1. Select the slide you want to modify.

2. Click the Sound drop-down menu in the Timing group.

3. Click a sound to apply it to the selected slide, then preview the transition to hear the sound.

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Sound is best used in moderation. Applying sound between every slide can be counterproductive or even annoying for the audience when listening to the presentation.

How to remove transition effects

1. Select the slide with the transition you want to delete.

2. Select None from the Transition to This Slide group . The transition effect will be removed.

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To remove transitions from all slides, apply the None option to one slide, then click the Apply to All command .

Automatically advance slides

Normally, in Slide Show view, you will move to the next slide by clicking the mouse or by pressing the spacebar or arrow keys on the keyboard. The Advance Slides setting in the Timing group allows the presentation to advance automatically and display each slide for a specific period of time. This feature is especially useful for unattended presentations, such as those at trade show booths.

How to automatically advance slides

1. Select the slide you want to modify.

2. Locate the Timing group on the Transitions tab. In Advance Slide, uncheck the box next to the On Mouse Click option.

3. In the After field, enter the amount of time you want to display the slide. In this example, the slides will automatically advance after 1 minute and 15 seconds or 01:15:00.

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4. Select another slide and repeat the process until all slides have the desired timing. You can also click the Apply to All button to apply the same timing to all slides.

If you need to move to the next slide before the automatic transition takes place, you can always click or press the space bar to advance these slides as normal.

Practice!

1. Open the sample presentation.

2. With the first slide selected, apply the Push transition effect from the Subtle category .

3. Change the Effect Options to have a push effect from the right.

4. Change Duration to 2.00.

5. Set the slides to Automatically Advance after 3 seconds or 00:03.00.

6. Use the Apply to All command to apply your changes to every slide.

7. Use the Slide Show button at the bottom of your window and start the presentation. Each slide will automatically advance as shown in the image below:

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Micah Soto

Update 10 July 2024