The Essentials The Essentials --Microsoft PowerPoint 97Microsoft PowerPoint 97

Ross Metherell Ross Metherell

andand

Shaun RaebelShaun Raebel

ContentsContents

What is Microsoft PowerPoint?What is Microsoft PowerPoint? Basic featuresBasic features

– Auto presentation wizardAuto presentation wizard– Working with templatesWorking with templates– Creating new slidesCreating new slides– FormattingFormatting

Making your presentation catchyMaking your presentation catchy Colour schemes that workColour schemes that work The readability testThe readability test

– Slide TransitionsSlide Transitions– Catchy Vs. DistractingCatchy Vs. Distracting– Setting slide timingSetting slide timing– Playing your showPlaying your show

Advanced FeaturesAdvanced Features– Packing your show for transportPacking your show for transport– Adding multimediaAdding multimedia

What is Microsoft What is Microsoft PowerPoint?PowerPoint?

Microsoft PowerPoint is a powerful software tool Microsoft PowerPoint is a powerful software tool which can be used by anyone; from novices to which can be used by anyone; from novices to professional salespeople. professional salespeople.

PowerPoint is used to create slide shows for any PowerPoint is used to create slide shows for any use. These slides can be formatted and use. These slides can be formatted and personalised in many different ways.personalised in many different ways.

The hardest part of creating any successful The hardest part of creating any successful presentation is making it aesthetically appealing; presentation is making it aesthetically appealing; PowerPoint makes this easy by the use of Colour PowerPoint makes this easy by the use of Colour Schemes. Schemes.

Basic FeaturesBasic Features Auto Content WizardAuto Content Wizard

– This is an easy to use guide which will create, for This is an easy to use guide which will create, for you, a personalised presentation for a common you, a personalised presentation for a common purpose. purpose.

– To use the Auto Content Wizard, open To use the Auto Content Wizard, open PowerPoint and choose File, New. Click on the PowerPoint and choose File, New. Click on the Content tab. Then select acwiz.pwz. Content tab. Then select acwiz.pwz.

– First you choose the presentation type: generic, First you choose the presentation type: generic, project overview, company meeting, marketing project overview, company meeting, marketing plan etc.plan etc.

Basic FeaturesBasic Features

– Choose output optionsChoose output options

– Choose the style: on screen, overhead, or Choose the style: on screen, overhead, or slides. Do you want handouts?slides. Do you want handouts?

– Choose a title, your name and additional info.Choose a title, your name and additional info.

– Click finish - it’s that easy!Click finish - it’s that easy!

Basic FeaturesBasic Features Working with templatesWorking with templates

– Templates are standard slide layouts and Templates are standard slide layouts and colours which can be used to create a colours which can be used to create a catchy presentation quickly and easily. catchy presentation quickly and easily.

– To use a template, start PowerPoint and To use a template, start PowerPoint and select File, New. Then select the Designs select File, New. Then select the Designs tab. Then browse through the list of tab. Then browse through the list of templates until you see one that you like the templates until you see one that you like the look of. look of.

– Now you’re ready to enter your own text Now you’re ready to enter your own text and hey presto! It’s that easy!and hey presto! It’s that easy!

Basic FeaturesBasic Features

Creating new slidesCreating new slides– Sometimes you will need to add new slides Sometimes you will need to add new slides

to a template or autocontent presentation, to a template or autocontent presentation, or to a presentation of your own. or to a presentation of your own.

– To add a slide to your presentation, simply To add a slide to your presentation, simply choose Insert, Add slide. choose Insert, Add slide.

– The slide will be inserted immediately after The slide will be inserted immediately after the current slide; ie if slide 6 is on the the current slide; ie if slide 6 is on the screen, the new slide will become slide 7.screen, the new slide will become slide 7.

FormattingFormatting– Making your presentation catchyMaking your presentation catchy

To make a presentation catchy, it must have the To make a presentation catchy, it must have the following thingsfollowing things

– a theme ( uniform colours etc, with some deviation )a theme ( uniform colours etc, with some deviation )– a structured layouta structured layout– appropriately sized text (note that this bullet point is appropriately sized text (note that this bullet point is

smaller than headings above it?)smaller than headings above it?)– easy to read, with short bullet points, as opposed to long, easy to read, with short bullet points, as opposed to long,

slide filling paragraphs.slide filling paragraphs.– some form of animation, or sounds; be careful not to some form of animation, or sounds; be careful not to

overdo it!overdo it!

Basic FeaturesBasic Features

Basic FeaturesBasic Features

– Colour schemes that workColour schemes that work PowerPoint makes it easy for you to choose a set PowerPoint makes it easy for you to choose a set

of colours which look good together in a of colours which look good together in a presentation. To facilitate this, PowerPoint includes presentation. To facilitate this, PowerPoint includes colour schemes. Colour schemes are sets of colour schemes. Colour schemes are sets of colours which are automatically applied to different colours which are automatically applied to different objects. These colour schemes help improve objects. These colour schemes help improve readability and continuity within a presentation.readability and continuity within a presentation.

To choose a colour scheme, choose Format, Slide To choose a colour scheme, choose Format, Slide Colour Schemes.Colour Schemes.

Basic FeaturesBasic Features

Slide TransitionsSlide Transitions– The “Page Up” and “Page Down” keys can be used to move The “Page Up” and “Page Down” keys can be used to move

backwards and forwards through the slides during a presentation or backwards and forwards through the slides during a presentation or even when typing the presentation.even when typing the presentation.

– The space bar can be used to advance the to the next slide during a The space bar can be used to advance the to the next slide during a presentation.presentation.

– When the presentation moves from one slide to the next, you can When the presentation moves from one slide to the next, you can make the presentation look even more professional by adding what make the presentation look even more professional by adding what are known as slide transitions. are known as slide transitions.

– To add slide transitions, choose Slide Show, Slide TransitionTo add slide transitions, choose Slide Show, Slide Transition

Basic FeaturesBasic Features Catchy vs. DistractingCatchy vs. Distracting

– When you are creating a presentation, it is easy to ignore When you are creating a presentation, it is easy to ignore the actual content. PowerPoint will no doubt blow you the actual content. PowerPoint will no doubt blow you away with endless features which you will want to explore. away with endless features which you will want to explore.

– This is great, but DON’T LET THEM DISTRACT or DETRACT This is great, but DON’T LET THEM DISTRACT or DETRACT FROM THE CONTENT OF THE PRESENTATION. Slide FROM THE CONTENT OF THE PRESENTATION. Slide transitions, fancy colour schemes and easy to read text transitions, fancy colour schemes and easy to read text are no good if you fail to ignore this point. are no good if you fail to ignore this point.

– The best kind of presentation in our experience has been The best kind of presentation in our experience has been one which utilises SOME of the features; in style. Similar one which utilises SOME of the features; in style. Similar transitions and a constant colour scheme aretransitions and a constant colour scheme are best. Avoid best. Avoid distracting entrances of text, word by word! distracting entrances of text, word by word!

Basic FeaturesBasic Features Setting slide timingSetting slide timing

– Slide timing is used to automatically advance Slide timing is used to automatically advance slides. This can be useful where the presentation slides. This can be useful where the presentation will be left to run without manual interference, or at will be left to run without manual interference, or at computer kiosks where the keyboard must be computer kiosks where the keyboard must be removed. removed.

– The best way to set slide timing is to use the The best way to set slide timing is to use the rehearse slide timing option. rehearse slide timing option.

– To do this, choose Slide Show, Rehearse Slide To do this, choose Slide Show, Rehearse Slide Timings. Then read the slides as if you were the Timings. Then read the slides as if you were the audience - press enter about 3 seconds after YOU audience - press enter about 3 seconds after YOU finish reading to allow for slow readers. Easy!finish reading to allow for slow readers. Easy!

Basic Features Basic Features Playing your show.Playing your show.

– Once you have set options Once you have set options and finished creating your and finished creating your presentation, you will presentation, you will obviously want to sit back obviously want to sit back and marvel at your and marvel at your laborious efforts. laborious efforts.

– To play your presentation, To play your presentation, click on the button under click on the button under the red dot as shown to the red dot as shown to the left. the left.

Advanced FeaturesAdvanced Features

Packing your Show For TransportPacking your Show For Transport– This wizard helps you pack your entire This wizard helps you pack your entire

PowerPoint presentation to give on another PowerPoint presentation to give on another computer. By clicking on the “File” menu, and computer. By clicking on the “File” menu, and clicking on the “Pack and Go” button, you will clicking on the “Pack and Go” button, you will activate the ‘Pack and Go Wizard”. From there, activate the ‘Pack and Go Wizard”. From there, the wizard will guide you through packing your the wizard will guide you through packing your files. You can even include a PowerPoint Viewer files. You can even include a PowerPoint Viewer so you can view a presentation on a computer so you can view a presentation on a computer that doesn’t have PowerPoint installed.that doesn’t have PowerPoint installed.

Advanced FeaturesAdvanced Features

Adding MultimediaAdding Multimedia– To enhance your slide show, you may wish to To enhance your slide show, you may wish to

include multimedia or other OLE objects. OLE include multimedia or other OLE objects. OLE objects are objects which support a protocol objects are objects which support a protocol known as Object Linking and Embedding, which known as Object Linking and Embedding, which basically means that these objects can be basically means that these objects can be included within other documents across a included within other documents across a number of client/server programs. number of client/server programs.

– Examples of these OLE objects are Bitmap Examples of these OLE objects are Bitmap Image, Microsoft Equation, MS Org Chart, etc. Image, Microsoft Equation, MS Org Chart, etc.

Advanced FeaturesAdvanced Features To add an OLE object to your To add an OLE object to your

presentation, select Insert, Object. presentation, select Insert, Object. You can either create a new object You can either create a new object and it will auto embed when you and it will auto embed when you save, or you can choose the Create save, or you can choose the Create from File option to insert an existing from File option to insert an existing object. object.

Below is an example of an embedded Below is an example of an embedded MS Excel Worksheet...MS Excel Worksheet...

A B C1 2 34 5 6

Now you know the Now you know the essentials of Microsoft essentials of Microsoft

PowerPoint.PowerPoint.

Thankyou for your time, and Thankyou for your time, and

happy showings!happy showings!

© Ross Metherell and Shaun Raebel 1999