making your powerpoint presentation shine

Making your PowerPoint presentation shine

Things to Consider:

Font : style, size, colour, contrast or contrast

Content : notes, headings, bulleted list

Design

Use of images




Design

Use of images


Wait!! The background?

The purple is a nice colour but there’s not much contrast between the background colour and the text colour.It’s hard to read, doesn’t grab your attention.



Design

Use of images

OK, with a right click on the slide and click Slide Background, you can change the colour and fill effects so that the text stands out a bit more.

What about the list? The title? The design? The size of the text? Work needs to be done.


A shadow has been added to this text box. To do this, select a text box and in the Picture Toolbar, click the Shadow icon and try different shadow effects.

The colour, transparency and border have been changed in this text box.To make these changes, click the Picture Toolbar and Format AutoShape.

A shadow has been added to this text box. To do this, select a text box and in the Picture Toolbar, click the Shadow icon and try different shadow effects.

The colour, transparency and border have been changed in this text box.To make these changes, click the Picture Toolbar and Format AutoShape.

Bomb : an explosive device fused to detonate under specified condition

Detonate : to explode with sudden violence

Weapon : something (as a club, knife, or gun) used to injure, defeat, or destroy

Shell : a metal or paper case which holds the charge of powder and shot or bullet used with breech-loading small arms

Explode : to burst violently as a result of pressure from within

Missile : an object (as a weapon) thrown or projected usually so as to strike something at a distance

Let’s now redesign a list of terms which could be used in a presentation -

Let’s now redesign a list of terms which could be used in a presentation -







There’s a lot of reading here. You risk losing the attention of the audience.

There’s a lot of reading here. You risk losing the attention of the audience.

Keep it simple - perhaps in this case we could just use the headings we are planning to talk about.

Keep it simple - perhaps in this case we could just use the headings we are planning to talk about.

Bomb

Detonate

Weapon

Shell

Explode

Missile

We could change the size of the text so that the words grab the audience.

We could change the size of the text so that the words grab the audience. Bomb

Detonate

Weapons

Shell

Explode

Missile

We could add bullets or numbers.

This arrow was found in Zapf Dingbats.

We could add bullets or numbers.

This arrow was found in Zapf Dingbats.

Bomb

Detonate

Weapons

Shell

Explode

Missile

We could lessen the amount of information to read by just including one definition at a time.


Bomb

Detonate

Weapon

Shell

Explode

Missile

an explosive device fused to detonate under specified condition



to explode with sudden violence

Bomb

Detonate

Weapon

Shell

Explode

Missile



Bomb

Detonate

Weapon

Shell

Explode

Missile

something (as a club, knife, or gun) used to injure, defeat, or destroy

We could add a definition to each slide in turn - a new slide for each as the terms are being discussed -

We could add a definition to each slide in turn - a new slide for each as the terms are being discussed -




Bomb

Detonate

Weapon

Shell

Explode

Missile

The audience then has time to write down information about a previous one, and knows exactly where the discussion is up to.

The audience then has time to write down information about a previous one, and knows exactly where the discussion is up to.




a metal or paper case which holds the charge of powder and shot or bullet.

Bomb

Detonate

Weapon

Shell

Explode

Missile

Think of designs other than lists, too.

E.g. Add an Explosion with the words around the edge.

To do this, click on AutoShapes in the Drawing Toolbar.

Click Stars and Banners, then Explosion 1.

Think of designs other than lists, too.

E.g. Add an Explosion with the words around the edge.

To do this, click on AutoShapes in the Drawing Toolbar.

Click Stars and Banners, then Explosion 1.

On the slide, click and drag the explosion, to the size you want, and the position you want it to be in.

Double click the explosion to change its fill colour and line.

On the slide, click and drag the explosion, to the size you want, and the position you want it to be in.

Double click the explosion to change its fill colour and line.

Right click the slide background and click Slide background to change its effects. Add text -

Right click the slide background and click Slide background to change its effects. Add text -

shell

bombmortar

detonate

weapons

explode

shell

TNT

This style has a pattern found in the Fill Effects in the Slide Background choice.

The text is the most important part but doesn’t seem to stand out enough.

This style has a pattern found in the Fill Effects in the Slide Background choice.

The text is the most important part but doesn’t seem to stand out enough.

bombmortar

detonate

weapons

explode

shell

This Explosion has a quieter fill and stronger outline.

The text isn’t quite so lost.

The background could be improved -

This Explosion has a quieter fill and stronger outline.

The text isn’t quite so lost.

The background could be improved -

bombmortar

detonate

weapons

explode

shell

bombmortar

detonate

weapons

explode

shell

This background was found in Slide Background, Fill Effects, Diagonal Down and 2 colours.

Still the text could be more dominant -

This background was found in Slide Background, Fill Effects, Diagonal Down and 2 colours.

Still the text could be more dominant -

bombmortar

detonate

weapons

explode

weaponsshell

bombmortar

detonateexplode

shell

bombmortar

detonateexplode

weapons

shell

bombmortar

detonateexplode

weapons

Depending on the audience, a couple of slides to introduce this could be added, too -

Depending on the audience, a couple of slides to introduce this could be added, too -

shell

bombmortar

detonateexplode

weapons

Using Clip Art:

Using Clip Art: Insert / Picture / Clip Art

Choose an image from the clip art files and click Insert.

Select the image and move it to where you would like it to be placed.

Change its size by moving the corner handles.


Use the crop tool in the Picture Toolbar to keep what is important only - what looks best.


Try experimenting with different tools in the Picture Toolbar.

Black & White in the Image Control has been used to change the image here.

What to do if some text is hidden.

Using the Picture Toolbar:

To send an image to the back:

click the object with your right mouse button,

then click Arrange and Send to back.



Change the contrast and brightness of an image.

This can be useful as a background running through your slides.



Then try changing the effects by clicking Picture/Effects/Chalk Charcoal


Try some of the other effects, this one uses Fresco.

It has been cropped a bit more, too.

For this text box, a white fill has been added which is partly transparent.

You can see some of the image through it.

Tables are next

1st quarter -

Jan - March

32%

2nd quarter

April - June

21%

3rd quarter

July - Sept

33%

4th quarter

Oct - Dec

14%

This one was made using Insert Table, 1 row, 4 columns.

1st quarter -

Jan - March

32%

2nd quarter

April - June

21%

3rd quarter

July - Sept

33%

4th quarter

Oct - Dec

14%

Change the lines and fill:

Click Format AutoShape to add the Fill Effects in Colours and Lines. Select the table and right click its border to set white and purple lines.

We’ll go through the steps more slowly.

Inserting a table:Click Insert / Table. Choose 4 columns and 1 row. Select the table and drag it to the position you want it in.Click a corner handle to change its size.

Adding text:Put the cursor in the first cell and type in the text you want.Use the Formatting Toolbar to change its font, size, style, colour, left/centre/right adjustment and increase or decrease space between paragraphs.In the Picture Toolbar click Format Table and Text Box. Change the text alignment to the Top, Middle or Bottom and add space to the cell margins.

1st quarter -

Jan - March

32%

Adding the background:Select the table. In the Table Toolbar, click the Fill Colour down arrow and Fill Effects. Choose Horizontal, the 1st variant, 2 colours: white and purple, 0% and 70%, say.

1st quarter -

Jan - March

32%

2nd

1st quarter -

Jan - March

32%

2nd quarter

April - June

21%

3rd quarter

July - Sept

33%

4th quarter

Oct - Dec

14%

Adding lines:Select the table, click Format Table and open Borders.Click the left and right border lines to delete them.Choose purple and a line size of 1 point. Click the top and bottom table lines.Change the colour to white and the width to 3 points. Click the icon with the vertical line in the centre of the table.

Do you want to go further?

There are lots of good tutorials on the web. One excellent one is at:

http://www.awesomebackgrounds.com/powerpointtutorials.htm

What do you think of black text on a purple background?

Ah! We’re back where we started.

making your powerpoint presentation shine

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