Working With a PowerPoint Template? Here Are a Few Tips to Make Life Easier!
Creating a professional and visually appealing PowerPoint presentation can be a daunting task, especially if you’re not familiar with design principles or formatting tools. Fortunately, using a PowerPoint template can significantly simplify the process. Templates come with pre-designed layouts, styles, and color schemes that help ensure your presentation looks polished and cohesive.
However, to make the most out of these templates, you need to know how to effectively work with them. In this blog, we’ll share five essential tips to help you navigate PowerPoint templates like a pro.
1. Pick the Right Layout
When starting with a PowerPoint template, it’s recommended to find the right layout that matches your content needs. Templates often come with multiple slide layouts. Choosing the appropriate layout ensures that your information is presented clearly and effectively. Take the time to browse through the available options and select the ones that best fit your message and the type of content.
2. Reset Your Layout
If you’ve made changes to a slide and you suddenly broke alignment of the elements or did something wrong, you can easily reset the layout. This feature restores the slide to its original format. It’s a quick way to fix any formatting issues and ensure consistency across your PowerPoint presentation. To do this, simply select the slide, go to the 'Home' tab, and click 'Reset'. This will save you a lot of time.
3. Switch Layouts
Sometimes, the initial layout you chose might not be the best fit for your content. Don’t hesitate to change layouts if it helps to better organize and present your information. PowerPoint makes it easy to change the layout of a slide without losing your content. Just select the slide, go to the 'Home' tab, and click on 'Layout' to choose a different option. This flexibility allows you to adapt your presentation as needed and maintain a united look.
4. Use Placeholders for Text
Placeholders are pre-defined text boxes in PowerPoint that help you organize your content efficiently. Using placeholders ensures that your text aligns perfectly with the design of the slide, maintaining a consistent and polished appearance. Simply click on the placeholder and start typing.
Select a layout with placeholders
When creating a new slide, choose a layout that includes placeholders. Go to the “Home” tab, click on “New Slide,” and select a layout that suits your needs (e.g., Title and Content, Two Content, Comparison).Click on the placeholder
Click on the placeholder area that you want to use. It could be a title, content box, or any other predefined area.Add your text
Simply start typing your text into the placeholder. The placeholder will adjust to fit your content while maintaining the slide’s design consistency.Format the text
You can format the text within the placeholder just like you would in any text box. Use the options in the “Home” tab to change the font, size, color, and other text attributes.Resize or move the placeholder
If you need to adjust the size or position of the placeholder, click on its border and drag the sizing handles or move it to a different location on the slide.Add Additional Content
If your slide layout includes other types of placeholders (e.g., for images, charts, or tables), click on them and add the corresponding content.
This method helps keep your formatting uniform and leverages the design elements of the template to enhance your content.
5. Use One Layout for Multiple Purposes
Don’t feel limited by the original purpose of a layout. Many layouts can be versatile and serve multiple functions. For example, a comparison slide can be repurposed to show pros and cons, a timeline, or even different product features. Think creatively about how you can use each layout to its fullest potential. This approach not only maximizes the utility of your template, but also helps in creating varied and interesting slides within the same presentation.
