PowerPoint 2016: Managing Slides in PowerPoint

About slide views

PowerPoint includes several different slide views, all of which are useful for different tasks. Slide view commands are located in the lower right corner of the PowerPoint window. There are four main slide views:

PowerPoint 2016: Managing Slides in PowerPoint Picture 1

1. Normal view: This is the default view where you create and edit slides. You can also move slides around in the Slide Navigation panel on the left.

PowerPoint 2016: Managing Slides in PowerPoint Picture 2

1. Slide sorter view: In this view, you'll see thumbnail versions of each slide. You can drag and drop slides to quickly rearrange them.

PowerPoint 2016: Managing Slides in PowerPoint Picture 3

1. Reading view: This view fills the PowerPoint window with a preview of your presentation. It includes easy-to-access navigation buttons in the bottom right.

PowerPoint 2016: Managing Slides in PowerPoint Picture 4

1. Slide show view: This is the view you will use to present to your audience. This command will start the presentation from the current slide. You can also press F5 on your keyboard to start from the beginning. A menu will appear in the lower left corner as you move your mouse. These commands allow you to navigate through slides and access other features, such as the Pen and Highlighter.

PowerPoint 2016: Managing Slides in PowerPoint Picture 5

Outline view

Outline view displays your slide text in outline form. This allows you to quickly edit slide text and view the content of multiple slides at once. You can use this layout to review the organization of your slide show and prepare to deliver your presentation.

How to view outline

1. From the View tab, click the Outline View command.

PowerPoint 2016: Managing Slides in PowerPoint Picture 6

2. The outline of the text in the slide will appear in the Slide Navigation panel.

3. You can type directly into the outline to make changes to the text in your slide.

PowerPoint 2016: Managing Slides in PowerPoint Picture 7

Slide notes

You can add notes to your slides from the Notes panel . Often called speaker notes, they can help you deliver or prepare for your presentation better.

How to add notes

1. Click the Notes command at the bottom of the screen to open the Notes panel .

PowerPoint 2016: Managing Slides in PowerPoint Picture 8

2. Click and drag the edge of the panel to resize it if desired.

PowerPoint 2016: Managing Slides in PowerPoint Picture 9

3. Click the Notes panel and start typing to add a note.

PowerPoint 2016: Managing Slides in PowerPoint Picture 10

You can also access Notes Page view to edit and review your notes. Just click the Notes Page command from the View tab. From there, you can type notes into the text box below each slide.

PowerPoint 2016: Managing Slides in PowerPoint Picture 11

Sections in the slide

If you have a lot of slides, you can organize them into sections to make your presentation easier to navigate. Sections can be collapsed or expanded in the Slide Navigation pane and are named for easy reference.

How to create sections in a slide

In the example in this article, we will add two sections: One for dogs available for adoption and one for cats and other pets.

1. Select the slide where you want to start creating a section.

PowerPoint 2016: Managing Slides in PowerPoint Picture 12

2. From the Home tab, click the Section command, and then select Add Section from the drop-down menu.

PowerPoint 2016: Managing Slides in PowerPoint Picture 13

3. A section named Untitled Section will appear in the Slide Navigation panel.

PowerPoint 2016: Managing Slides in PowerPoint Picture 14

4. To rename this section, click the Section command, and then select Rename Section from the drop-down menu.

PowerPoint 2016: Managing Slides in PowerPoint Picture 15

5. Enter a new section name in the dialog box, and then click Rename.

PowerPoint 2016: Managing Slides in PowerPoint Picture 16

6. Repeat steps to add as many sections as desired.

7. In the Slide Navigation panel , click the arrow next to the section name to collapse or expand it.

PowerPoint 2016: Managing Slides in PowerPoint Picture 17

To delete a section, click the Section command, then click Remove Section. You can also click Remove All Sections to remove all sections from your slide.

PowerPoint 2016: Managing Slides in PowerPoint Picture 18

Practice!

1. Open the sample presentation.

2. Select the first slide and create a section.

3. Rename the Introduction section.

4. Select the slide titled Man's Best Friend and create a section called Dogs.

5. Select the slide titled The Little Things In Life and create a section called Cats & Other .

6. Move the slide titled Pogo so that it is in the Dogs section.

7. Change to Outline view .

8. Create a note on slide 4 with the text ' Move before slide 3 or delete ".

9. Switch back to Normal view .

10. When you're done, your presentation should look like this:

PowerPoint 2016: Managing Slides in PowerPoint Picture 19

Marvin Fry

Update 31 August 2024