Slide Basics

Understanding slides and slide layouts
When you insert a new slide, it will usually have placeholders to

show you where content will be placed. Slides have
different layouts for placeholders, depending on the type of
information you want to include. Whenever you create a new slide,
you'll need to choose a slide layout that fits your content.
Placeholders can contain different types of content, including

text, images, and videos. Many placeholders have thumbnail
icons you can click to add specific types of content. In the
example below, the slide has placeholders for
the title and content.
To insert a new slide:
Whenever you start a new presentation, it will contain one

slide with the Title Slide layout. You can insert as many slides as
you need from a variety of layouts.
1. From the Home tab, click the bottom half of

the New Slide command.
2. Choose the desired slide layout from the menu that appears.
3. The new slide will appear. Click any placeholder and begin typing
to add text. You can also click an icon to add other types of
content, like a picture or chart.
To change the layout of an existing slide, click
the Layout command, then choose the desired layout.
To quickly add a slide that uses the same layout as the selected
slide, click the top half of the New Slide command.
Organizing slides
PowerPoint presentations can contain as many slides as you need.
The Slide Navigation pane on the left side of the screen makes it
easy to organize your slides. From there, you
can duplicate, rearrange, and delete slides in your presentation.
Working with slides
 Duplicate slides: If you want to copy and paste a slide quickly, you
can duplicate it. To duplicate slides, select the slide you want
to duplicate, right-click the mouse, and choose Duplicate
Slide from the menu that appears. You can also duplicate multiple
slides at once by selecting them first.
 Move slides: It's easy to change the order of your slides. Just click
and drag the desired slide in the Slide Navigation pane to the
desired position.
 Delete slides: If you want to remove a slide from your presentation,
you can delete it. Simply select the slide you want to delete, then
press the Delete or Backspace key on your keyboard.
To copy and paste slides:
If you want to create several slides with the same layout, you may
find it easier to copy and paste a slide you've already created
instead of starting with an empty slide.
1. Select the slide you want to copy in the Slide Navigation pane, then
click the Copy command on the Home tab. You can also
press Ctrl+C on your keyboard.
2. In the Slide Navigation pane, click just below a slide (or between
two slides) to choose a paste location. A horizontal insertion
point will appear.
3. Click the Paste command on the Home tab. You can also
press Ctrl+V on your keyboard.
4. The slide will appear in the selected location.
Customizing slide layouts
Sometimes you may find that a slide layout doesn't exactly fit
your needs. For example, a layout might have too many—or too
few—placeholders. You might also want to change how the
placeholders are arranged on the slide. Fortunately, PowerPoint
makes it easy to adjust slide layouts as needed.
Adjusting placeholders
 To select a placeholder: Hover the mouse over the edge of the
placeholder and click (you may need to click the text in the
placeholder first to see the border). A selected placeholder will
have a solid line instead of a dotted line.
 To move a placeholder: Select the placeholder, then click and drag

it to the desired location.
 To resize a placeholder: Select the placeholder you want to

resize. Sizing handles will appear. Click and drag the sizing
handles until the placeholder is the desired size. You can use the
corner sizing handles to change the
placeholder's height and width at the same time.
 To delete a placeholder: Select the placeholder you want to delete,
then press the Delete or Backspace key on your keyboard.
To add a text box:
Text can be inserted into both placeholders and text boxes.

Inserting text boxes allows you to add to the slide layout. Unlike
placeholders, text boxes always stay in the same place, even if
you change the theme.
1. From the Insert tab, select the Text Box command.
2. Click and drag to draw the text box on the slide.
3. The text box will appear. To add text, simply click the text box and
begin typing.
Using blank slides
If you want even more control over your content, you may prefer
to use a blank slide, which contains no placeholders. Blank slides
can be customized by adding your own text boxes, pictures,
charts, and more.
 To insert a blank slide, click the bottom half of the New

Slide command, then choose Blank from the menu that appears.
While blank slides offer more flexibility, keep in mind that you
won't be able to take advantage of the predesigned layouts
included in each theme.
To play the presentation:
Once you've arranged your slides, you may want to play your
presentation. This is how you will present your slide show to an
audience.
1. Click the Start From Beginning command on the Quick Access

Toolbar to see your presentation.
2. The presentation will appear in full-screen mode.
3. You can advance to the next slide by clicking your mouse or
pressing the spacebar on your keyboard. You can also use
the arrow keys on your keyboard to move forward or backward
through the presentation.
4. Press the Esc key to exit presentation mode.
You can also press the F5 key at the top of your keyboard to start
a presentation.
Customizing slides
To change the slide size:
By default, all slides in PowerPoint 2013 use a 16-by-9—

or widescreen—aspect ratio. You might know that widescreen TVs
also use the 16-by-9 aspect ratio. Widescreen slides will work
best with widescreen monitors and projectors. However, if you
need your presentation to fit a 4-by-3 screen, it's easy to change
the slide size to fit.
 To change the slide size, select the Design tab, then click the Slide
Size command. Choose the desired slide size from the menu that
appears, or click Custom Slide Size for more options.
To format the slide background:
By default, all slides in your presentation use a white background.

It's easy to change the background style for some or all of your
slides. Backgrounds can have a solid, gradient, pattern,
or picture fill.
1. Select the Design tab, then click

the Format Background command.
2. The Format Background pane will appear on the right. Select the
desired fill options. In our example, we'll use a Solid fill with
a light gold color.
3. The background style of the selected slide will update.
4. If you want, you can click Apply to All to apply the same
background style to all slides in your presentation.
To apply a theme:
A theme is a predefined combination of colors, fonts, and effects
that can quickly change the look and feel of your entire slide
show. Different themes also use different slide layouts, which can
change the arrangement of your existing placeholders. We'll talk
more about themes later in our Applying Themes lesson.
1. Select the Design tab on the Ribbon, then click the More drop-
down arrow to see all of the available themes.
2. Select the desired theme.

3. The theme will be applied to your entire presentation.

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Understanding slides and slide layouts

When you insert a new slide, it will usually have placeholders to

Placeholders can contain different types of content, including

Whenever you start a new presentation, it will contain one

1. From the Home tab, click the bottom half of

To copy and paste slides:

 To move a placeholder: Select the placeholder, then click and drag

 To resize a placeholder: Select the placeholder you want to

To add a text box:

Text can be inserted into both placeholders and text boxes.

1. From the Insert tab, select the Text Box command.

2. Click and drag to draw the text box on the slide.

 To insert a blank slide, click the bottom half of the New

To play the presentation:

1. Click the Start From Beginning command on the Quick Access

By default, all slides in PowerPoint 2013 use a 16-by-9—

By default, all slides in your presentation use a white background.

1. Select the Design tab, then click

2. Select the desired theme.

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