How Do I Use MS PowerPoint?

Getting Started

  1. Double click on the Microsoft PowerPoint icon on your Desktop or in your Programs Menu
  2. Click on Blank Presentation
  3. Click OK

Entering Text

  1. Choose layout design
  2. Click OK
  3. Click on Click to add title
  4. Type title info
  5. Click on Click to add sub-title
  6. Type sub-title info

Adding more slides

  1. Click on the pull down menu Insert
  2. Click New Slide (keyboard short cut Ctrl+M)
  3. Choose the appropriate layout
  4. Click OK
  5. Add your info
  6. Notice that in the Normal View (the default one that the program starts in) the right frame is the slide you are working on and the left frame shows you a list of all slides and their info.

Using the Slide Sorter View

  1. This allows you to see several or all of your slides at one time in miniature.  This view is good for reorganizing the order of slides and getting an overall view of your presentation.
  2. Click on the pull down menu option View
  3. Click Slide Sorter

Using the Slide Show View

  1. Click on the pull down menu option View or the option Slide Show
  2. Click Slide show or View Show (keyboard short cut F5)
  3. Advance one slide at a time by clicking, pressing the Enter key, or using the Right or Down Arrow keys (you can go backwards by using the Left or Up Arrow keys).

Saving your work

1.      To save a document you have just created click on the pull down menu File and click Save or click the little floppy disk icon on the tool bar.  A little window will pop up giving you several options.  The most important of these are as follows:

2.      At the top is the “Save in” option.  This tells your computer where to save the document file.

3.      At the bottom is the “File name” option.  This assigns the document file a name.

4.      Below the file name option is the “Save as type” option.  This can be used to change the extension of the file currently being saved.  This option will be more useful later when opening different types of files and placing them in the same folder.

5.      If you have already saved a document at least once, you can save it to a different location or give it a different name by using the file pull down menu, then click on Save As.  You will now get a chance to save the file in a different location or with a different name.

6.      Remember, the first time you save a new file in just about every Windows program (i.e.: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, etc.) you will be prompted to name it.  Thereafter, when it is saved it will overwrite the old version of the file with the newer one.

7.      If you want to keep the old version and save a newer version with changes use the Save As command listed under the File pull down menu and assign a different name.

Changing Fonts & Point Sizes

  1. Highlight the Text you want to alter
  2. Once it is highlighted click on the Font box or the Point Size box on the main tool bar
  3. Select a different Font or Point Size

Media clips

  1. If you choose a layout with media clips you will have to make sure your computer has them available
  2. Or you can get them online, save them to disk as a file and insert them
  3. Motion clips are inserted as GIF and JPG files
  4. Sound clips are inserted as WAV and MIDI files

Changing the Background

  1. Right-Click on a blank portion of any slide
  2. From the dialog box Click on Background
  3. Choose the options you want

Adding color

  1. Click on the pull down menu Format
  2. Click Apply Design
  3. Scroll though the list to preview and select a layout design
  4. Click Apply when you have selected one that you want
  5. You can also change each page, object or block of text individually by selecting or highlighting it and choosing among various menu options and/or Right-Click options.

Adding Special Effects

  1. Click on the pull down menu Slide Show
  2. Click Slide Transition
  3. Click the drop down menu in the Effect dialog box
  4. Scroll through the list to preview and select the effect you want
  5. Select the speed you want
  6. Click the Apply button to apply that Effect to the page you are currently working on
  7. Click the Apply to All button to apply that Effect to ALL the pages in your presentation

Using the Build Slide Effect

  1. It is possible to single parts of any particular slide to appear one at a time instead of all at once
  2. Click the pull down menu Slide Show
  3. Click Preset Animation
  4. Scroll through the list to preview and select the Effect you want

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