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How to Make a PowerPoint Presentation (Step-by-Step)

• PowerPoint Tutorials
• Presentation Design
• January 22, 2024

In this beginner’s guide, you will learn step-by-step how to make a PowerPoint presentation from scratch.

While PowerPoint is designed to be intuitive and accessible, it can be overwhelming if you’ve never gotten any training on it before. As you progress through this guide, you’ll will learn how to move from blank slides to PowerPoint slides that look like these.

Table of Contents

Additionally, as you create your presentation, you’ll also learn tricks for working more efficiently in PowerPoint, including how to:

• Change the slide order
• Reset your layout
• Change the slide dimensions
• Use PowerPoint Designer
• Format text
• Format objects
• Play a presentation (slide show)

With this knowledge under your belt, you’ll be ready to start creating PowerPoint presentations. Moreover, you’ll have taken your skills from beginner to proficient in no time at all. I will also include links to more advanced PowerPoint topics.

Ready to start learning how to make a PowerPoint presentation?

Take your PPT skills to the next level

Start with a blank presentation.

Note: Before you open PowerPoint and start creating your presentation, make sure you’ve collected your thoughts. If you’re going to make your slides compelling, you need to spend some time brainstorming.

For help with this, see our article with tips for nailing your business presentation  here .

The first thing you’ll need to do is to open PowerPoint. When you do, you are shown the Start Menu , with the Home tab open.

This is where you can choose either a blank theme (1) or a pre-built theme (2). You can also choose to open an existing presentation (3).

For now, go ahead and click on the  Blank Presentation (1)  thumbnail.

Doing so launches a brand new and blank presentation for you to work with. Before you start adding content to your presentation, let’s first familiarize ourselves with the PowerPoint interface.

The PowerPoint interface

Here is how the program is laid out:

• The Application Header
• The Ribbon (including the Ribbon tabs)
• The Quick Access Toolbar (either above or below the Ribbon)
• The Slides Pane (slide thumbnails)

The Slide Area

The notes pane.

• The Status Bar (including the View Buttons)

Each one of these areas has options for viewing certain parts of the PowerPoint environment and formatting your presentation.

Below are the important things to know about certain elements of the PowerPoint interface.

The PowerPoint Ribbon

The Ribbon is contextual. That means that it will adapt to what you’re doing in the program.

For example, the Font, Paragraph and Drawing options are greyed out until you select something that has text in it, as in the example below (A).

Furthermore, if you start manipulating certain objects, the Ribbon will display additional tabs, as seen above (B), with more commands and features to help you work with those objects. The following objects have their own additional tabs in the Ribbon which are hidden until you select them:

• Online Pictures
• Screenshots
• Screen Recording

The Slides Pane

This is where you can preview and rearrange all the slides in your presentation.

Right-clicking on a slide  in the pane gives you additional options on the slide level that you won’t find on the Ribbon, such as  Duplicate Slide ,  Delete Slide , and  Hide Slide .

In addition, you can add sections to your presentation by  right-clicking anywhere in this Pane  and selecting  Add Section . Sections are extremely helpful in large presentations, as they allow you to organize your slides into chunks that you can then rearrange, print or display differently from other slides.

The Slide Area (A) is where you will build out your slides. Anything within the bounds of this area will be visible when you present or print your presentation.

Anything outside of this area (B) will be hidden from view. This means that you can place things here, such as instructions for each slide, without worrying about them being shown to your audience.

The  Notes Pane  is the space beneath the Slide Area where you can type in the speaker notes for each slide. It’s designed as a fast way to add and edit your slides’ talking points.

To expand your knowledge and learn more about adding, printing, and exporting your PowerPoint speaker notes, read our guide here .

Your speaker notes are visible when you print your slides using the Notes Pages option and when you use the Presenter View . To expand your knowledge and learn the ins and outs of using the Presenter View , read our guide here .

You can resize the  Notes Pane  by clicking on its edge and dragging it up or down (A). You can also minimize or reopen it by clicking on the Notes button in the Status Bar (B).

Note:  Not all text formatting displays in the Notes Pane, even though it will show up when printing your speaker notes. To learn more about printing PowerPoint with notes, read our guide here .

Now that you have a basic grasp of the PowerPoint interface at your disposal, it’s time to make your presentation.

Adding Content to Your PowerPoint Presentation

Notice that in the Slide Area , there are two rectangles with dotted outlines. These are called  Placeholders  and they’re set on the template in the Slide Master View .

To expand your knowledge and learn how to create a PowerPoint template of your own (which is no small task), read our guide here .

As the prompt text suggests, you can click into each placeholder and start typing text. These types of placeholder prompts are customizable too. That means that if you are using a company template, it might say something different, but the functionality is the same.

Note:  For the purposes of this example, I will create a presentation based on the content in the Starbucks 2018 Global Social Impact Report, which is available to the public on their website.

If you type in more text than there is room for, PowerPoint will automatically reduce its font size. You can stop this behavior by clicking on the  Autofit Options  icon to the left of the placeholder and selecting  Stop Fitting Text to this Placeholder .

Next, you can make formatting adjustments to your text by selecting the commands in the Font area and the  Paragraph area  of the  Home  tab of the Ribbon.

The Reset Command:  If you make any changes to your title and decide you want to go back to how it was originally, you can use the Reset button up in the Home tab .

Insert More Slides into Your Presentation

Now that you have your title slide filled in, it’s time to add more slides. To do that, simply go up to the  Home tab  and click on  New Slide . This inserts a new slide in your presentation right after the one you were on.

You can alternatively hit Ctrl+M on your keyboard to insert a new blank slide in PowerPoint. To learn more about this shortcut, see my guide on using Ctrl+M in PowerPoint .

Instead of clicking the New Slide command, you can also open the New Slide dropdown to see all the slide layouts in your PowerPoint template. Depending on who created your template, your layouts in this dropdown can be radically different.

If you insert a layout and later want to change it to a different layout, you can use the Layout dropdown instead of the New Slide dropdown.

After inserting a few different slide layouts, your presentation might look like the following picture. Don’t worry that it looks blank, next we will start adding content to your presentation.

If you want to follow along exactly with me, your five slides should be as follows:

• Title Slide
• Title and Content
• Section Header
• Two Content
• Picture with Caption

Adding Content to Your Slides

Now let’s go into each slide and start adding our content. You’ll notice some new types of placeholders.

On slide 2 we have a  Content Placeholder , which allows you to add any kind of content. That includes:

• A SmartArt graphic,
• A 3D object,
• A picture from the web,
• Or an icon.

To insert text, simply type it in or hit  Ctrl+C to Copy  and Ctrl+V to Paste  from elsewhere. To insert any of the other objects, click on the appropriate icon and follow the steps to insert it.

For my example, I’ll simply type in some text as you can see in the picture below.

Slides 3 and 4 only have text placeholders, so I’ll go ahead and add in my text into each one.

On slide 5 we have a Picture Placeholder . That means that the only elements that can go into it are:

• A picture from the web

To insert a picture into the picture placeholder, simply:

• Click on the  Picture  icon
• Find  a picture on your computer and select it
• Click on  Insert

Alternatively, if you already have a picture open somewhere else, you can select the placeholder and paste in (shortcut: Ctrl+V ) the picture. You can also drag the picture in from a file explorer window.

If you do not like the background of the picture you inserted onto your slide, you can remove the background here in PowerPoint. To see how to do this, read my guide here .

Placeholders aren’t the only way to add content to your slides. At any point, you can use the Insert tab to add elements to your slides.

You can use either the Title Only  or the  Blank  slide layout to create slides for content that’s different. For example, a three-layout content slide, or a single picture divider slide, as shown below.

In the first example above, I’ve inserted 6 text boxes, 3 icons, and 3 circles to create this layout. In the second example, I’ve inserted a full-sized picture and then 2 shapes and 2 text boxes.

The Reset Command:  Because these slides are built with shapes and text boxes (and not placeholders), hitting the  Reset button up in the  Home tab  won’t do anything.

That is a good thing if you don’t want your layouts to adjust. However, it does mean that it falls on you to make sure everything is aligned and positioned correctly.

For more on how to add and manipulate the different objects in PowerPoint, check out our step-by-step articles here:

• Using graphics in PowerPoint
• Inserting icons onto slides
• Adding pictures to your PowerPoint
• How to embed a video in PowerPoint
• How to add music to your presentation

Using Designer to generate more layouts ideas

If you have Office 365, your version of PowerPoint comes with a new feature called Designer (or Design Ideas). This is a feature that generates slide layout ideas for you. The coolest thing about this feature is that it uses the content you already have.

To use Designer , simply navigate to the  Design tab  in your Ribbon, and click on  Design Ideas .

NOTE: If the PowerPoint Designer is not working for you (it is grey out), see my troubleshooting guide for Designer .

Change the Overall Design (optional)

When you make a PowerPoint presentation, you’ll want to think about the overall design. Now that you have some content in your presentation, you can use the Design tab to change the look and feel of your slides.

For additional help thinking through the design of your presentation,  read my guide here .

A. Picking your PowerPoint slide size

If you have PowerPoint 2013 or later, when you create a blank document in PowerPoint, you automatically start with a widescreen layout with a 16:9 ratio. These dimensions are suitable for most presentations as they match the screens of most computers and projectors.

However, you do have the option to change the dimensions.

For example, your presentation might not be presented, but instead converted into a PDF or printed and distributed. In that case, you can easily switch to the standard dimensions with a 4:3 ratio by selecting from the dropdown (A).

You can also choose a custom slide size or change the slide orientation from landscape to portrait in the Custom Slide Size dialog box (B).

To learn all about the different PowerPoint slide sizes, and some of the issues you will face when changing the slide size of a non-blank presentation,  read my guide here .

 B. Selecting a PowerPoint theme

The next thing you can do is change the theme of your presentation to a pre-built one. For a detailed explanation of what a PowerPoint theme is, and how to best use it,  read my article here .

In the beginning of this tutorial, we started with a blank presentation, which uses the default Office theme as you can see in the picture below.

That gives you the most flexibility because it has a blank background and quite simple layouts that work for most presentations. However, it also means that it’s your responsibility to enhance the design.

If you’re comfortable with this, you can stay with the default theme or create your own custom theme ( read my guide here ). But if you would rather not have to think about design, then you can choose a pre-designed theme.

Microsoft provides 46 other pre-built themes, which include slide layouts, color variants and palettes, and fonts. Each one varies quite significantly, so make sure you look through them carefully.

To select a different theme, go to the  Design tab  in the Ribbon, and click on the  dropdown arrow  in the  Themes section .

For this tutorial, let’s select the  Frame  theme and then choose the third Variant in the theme. Doing so changes the layout, colors, and fonts of your presentation.

Note: The theme dropdown area is also where you can import or save custom themes. To see my favorite places to find professional PowerPoint templates and themes (and recommendations for why I like them), read my guide here .

C. How to change a slide background in PowerPoint

The next thing to decide is how you want your background to look for the entire presentation. In the  Variants area, you can see four background options.

For this example, we want our presentation to have a dark background, so let’s select Style 3. When you do so, you’ll notice that:

• The background color automatically changes across all slides
• The color of the text on most of the slides automatically changes to white so that it’s visible on the dark background
• The colors of the objects on slides #6 and #7 also adjust, in a way we may not want (we’ll likely have to make some manual adjustments to these slides)

Note: If you want to change the slide background for just that one slide, don’t left-click the style. Instead, right-click it and select Apply to Selected Slides .

After you change the background for your entire presentation, you can easily adjust the background for an individual slide.

Inside the Format Background pane, you can see you have the following options:

• Gradient fill
• Picture or texture fill
• Pattern fill
• Hide background

You can explore these options to find the PowerPoint background that best fits your presentation.

D. How to change your color palette in PowerPoint

Another thing you may want to adjust in your presentation, is the color scheme. In the picture below you can see the Theme Colors we are currently using for this presentation.

Each PowerPoint theme comes with its own color palette. By default, the Office theme includes the Office color palette. This affects the colors you are presented with when you format any element within your presentation (text, shapes, SmartArt, etc.).

The good news is that the colors here are easy to change. To switch color palettes, simply:

• Go to the  Design tab in the Ribbon
• In the Variants area, click on the  dropdown arrow  and select  Colors
• Select  the color palette (or theme colors) you want

You can choose among the pre-built color palettes from Office, or you can customize them to create your own.

As you build your presentation, make sure you use the colors from your theme to format objects. That way, changing the color palette adjusts all the colors in your presentation automatically.

E. How to change your fonts in PowerPoint

Just as we changed the color palette, you can do the same for the fonts.

Each PowerPoint theme comes with its own font combination. By default, the Office theme includes the Office font pairing. This affects the fonts that are automatically assigned to all text in your presentation.

The good news is that the font pairings are easy to change. To switch your Theme Fonts, simply:

• Go to the  Design tab  in the Ribbon
• Click on the  dropdown arrow  in the  Variants  area
• Select  Fonts
• Select  the font pairing you want

You can choose among the pre-built fonts from Office, or you can customize them to create your own.

If you are working with PowerPoint presentations on both Mac and PC computers, make sure you choose a safe PowerPoint font. To see a list of the safest PowerPoint fonts, read our guide here .

If you receive a PowerPoint presentation and the wrong fonts were used, you can use the Replace Fonts dialog box to change the fonts across your entire presentation. For details, read our guide here .

Adding Animations & Transitions (optional)

The final step to make a PowerPoint presentation compelling, is to consider using animations and transitions. These are by no means necessary to a good presentation, but they may be helpful in your situation.

A. Adding PowerPoint animations

PowerPoint has an incredibly robust animations engine designed to power your creativity. That being said, it’s also easy to get started with basic animations.

Animations are movements that you can apply to individual objects on your slide.

To add a PowerPoint animation to an element of your slide, simply:

• Select the  element
• Go to the  Animations tab in the Ribbon
• Click on the  dropdown arrow  to view your options
• Select the  animation  you want

You can add animations to multiple objects at one time by selecting them all first and then applying the animation.

B. How to preview a PowerPoint animation

There are three ways to preview a PowerPoint animation:

• Click on the Preview button in the Animations tab
• Click on the little star  next to the slide
• Play the slide in Slide Show Mode

To learn other ways to run your slide show, see our guide on presenting a PowerPoint slide show with shortcuts .

To adjust the settings of your animations, explore the options in the  Effect Options ,  Advanced Animation  and the  Timing  areas of the  Animation tab .

Note:  To see how to make objects appear and disappear in your slides by clicking a button,  read our guide here .

C. How to manage your animations in PowerPoint

The best way to manage lots of animations on your slide is with the Animation Pane . To open it, simply:

• Navigate to the  Animations tab
• Select the  Animation Pane

Inside the Animation Pane, you’ll see all of the different animations that have been applied to objects on your slide, with their numbers marked as pictured above.

Note: To see examples of PowerPoint animations that can use in PowerPoint, see our list of PowerPoint animation tutorials here .

D. How to add transitions to your PowerPoint presentation

PowerPoint has an incredibly robust transition engine so that you can dictate how your slides change from one to the other. It is also extremely easy to add transitions to your slides.

In PowerPoint, transitions are the movements (or effects) you see as you move between two slides.

To add a transition to a PowerPoint slide, simply:

• Select the  slide
• Go to the  Transitions tab in the Ribbon
• In the Transitions to This Slide area, click on the  dropdown arrow  to view your options
• Select the  transition  you want

To adjust the settings of the transition, explore the options in the  Timing  area of the Transitions tab.

You can also add the same transition to multiple slides. To do that, select them in the  Slides Pane  and apply the transition.

E. How to preview a transition in PowerPoint

There are three ways to preview your PowerPoint transitions (just like your animations):

• Click on the Preview  button in the Transitions tab
• Click on the little star  beneath the slide number in the thumbnail view

Note:  In 2016, PowerPoint added a cool new transition, called Morph. It operates a bit differently from other transitions. For a detailed tutorial on how to use the cool Morph transition,  see our step-by-step article here .

Save Your PowerPoint Presentation

After you’ve built your presentation and made all the adjustments to your slides, you’ll want to save your presentation. YOu can do this several different ways.

To save a PowerPoint presentation using your Ribbon, simply:

• Navigate to the  File tab
•  Select  Save As  on the left
• Choose  where you want to save your presentation
• Name  your presentation and/or adjust your file type settings
• Click  Save

You can alternatively use the  Ctrl+S keyboard shortcut to save your presentation. I recommend using this shortcut frequently as you build your presentation to make sure you don’t lose any of your work.

This is the standard way to save a presentation. However, there may be a situation where you want to save your presentation as a different file type.

To learn how to save your presentation as a PDF, see our guide on converting PowerPoint to a PDF .

How to save your PowerPoint presentation as a template

Once you’ve created a presentation that you like, you may want to turn it into a template. The easiest – but not technically correct – way, is to simply create a copy of your current presentation and then change the content.

But be careful! A PowerPoint template is a special type of document and it has its own parameters and behaviors.

If you’re interested in learning about how to create your own PowerPoint template from scratch, see our guide on how to create a PowerPoint template .

Printing Your PowerPoint Presentation

After finishing your PowerPoint presentation, you may want to print it out on paper. Printing your slides is relatively easy.

To open the Print dialog box, you can either:

• Hit Ctrl+P on your keyboard
• Or go to the Ribbon and click on File and then Print

Inside the Print dialog box, you can choose from the various printing settings:

• Printer: Select a printer to use (or print to PDF or OneNote)
• Slides: Choose which slides you want to print
• Layout: Determine how many slides you want per page (this is where you can print the notes, outline, and handouts)
• Collated or uncollated (learn what collated printing means here )
• Color: Choose to print in color, grayscale or black & white

There are many more options for printing your PowerPoint presentations. Here are links to more in-depth articles:

• How to print multiple slides per page
• How to print your speaker notes in PowerPoint
• How to save PowerPoint as a picture presentation

So that’s how to create a PowerPoint presentation if you are brand new to it. We’ve also included a ton of links to helpful resources to boost your PowerPoint skills further.

When you are creating your presentation, it is critical to first focus on the content (what you are trying to say) before getting lost inserting and playing with elements. The clearer you are on what you want to present, the easier it will be to build it out in PowerPoint.

If you enjoyed this article, you can learn more about our PowerPoint training courses and other presentation resources by  visiting us here .

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PowerPoint 2010  - Slide Basics

Powerpoint 2010  -, slide basics, powerpoint 2010 slide basics.

PowerPoint 2010: Slide Basics

Lesson 2: slide basics.

/en/powerpoint2010/getting-started-with-powerpoint/content/

Introduction

PowerPoint includes all of the features you need to produce professional-looking presentations. When you create a PowerPoint presentation, it is made up of a series of slides . The slides contain the information you want to communicate with your audience. This information can include text, pictures, charts, video, and sound. Before you begin adding information to slides, you'll need to know the basics of working with slides. In this lesson, you will learn how to insert new slides, modify a layout , and change your presentation view .

Slide basics

Every PowerPoint presentation is composed of a series of slides . To begin creating a slide show, you'll need to know the basics of working with slides. You'll need to feel comfortable with tasks such as inserting a new slide, changing the layout of a slide, arranging existing slides, changing slide view , and adding notes to a slide.

Optional: You can download this example for extra practice.

About slides

Slides contain placeholders , which are areas on the slide that are enclosed by dotted borders. Placeholders can contain many different items, including text, pictures, and charts. Some placeholders have placeholder text , or text you can replace. They also have thumbnail-sized icons that represent specific commands such as Insert Picture , Insert Chart , and Insert ClipArt . In PowerPoint, hover over each icon to see the type of content you can insert in a placeholder.

About slide layouts

Placeholders are arranged in different layouts that can be applied to existing slides or chosen when you insert a new slide . A slide layout arranges your content using different types of placeholders, depending on what information you might want to include in your presentation.

In the example above, the layout is called Title and Content and includes title and content placeholders. While each layout has a descriptive name, you can also tell from the image of the layout how the placeholders will be arranged.

Customizing slide layouts

To change the layout of an existing slide:.

To delete a placeholder:

You can easily customize your layout by deleting unwanted—or extra—placeholders from any slide.

• Press Backspace or Delete on your keyboard. The placeholder will be removed from the slide.

To add a text box:

Text boxes allow you to add to your current layout, so you can place text wherever you want on your slide.

Explore our Text Basics lesson to learn more about inserting and using text boxes in PowerPoint 2010.

To use a blank slide:

For more control over your content, you may prefer a blank slide—a slide without placeholders—over one of the existing layouts. Blank slides can be customized by adding your own text boxes, pictures, charts, and more.

Working with slides

To insert a new slide:.

• A new slide will be added your presentation.

To instantly add a slide that uses the same layout as the one you have selected, click the top half of the New Slide command.

To copy and paste a slide:

• On the Slides tab in the left pane, select the slide you want to copy.

To select multiple slides, press and hold Ctrl on your keyboard and click the slides you want to select.

To duplicate a slide:

An alternative to copying and pasting, duplicating slides copies the selected slide and—in one step—pastes it directly underneath. This feature does not allow you to choose the location of the copied slide, nor does it offer Paste Options for advanced users, so it's more convenient for quickly inserting similar slides.

• Select the slide you want to duplicate.
• Click the New Slide command.

To delete a slide:

• Select the slide you want to delete.
• Press the Delete or Backspace key on your keyboard.

To move a slide:

• Select the slide you want to move.

• Release the mouse button. The slide will appear in the new location.

Managing slides and presentations

As you add slides to your presentation, PowerPoint offers a variety of views and tools to help you organize and prepare your slide show.

About slide views

It's important to be able to access the different slide views and use them for various tasks. The slide view commands are located on the bottom-right of the PowerPoint window in Normal view.

Normal view : This is the default view where you create and edit your slides. You can also move slides in the Slides tab in the pane on the left.

Slide Sorter view : In this view, miniature slides are arranged on the screen. You can drag and drop slides to easily reorder them and to see more slides at one time. This is a good view to use to confirm that you have all the needed slides and that none have been deleted.

Reading view : This view fills most of the computer screen with a preview of your presentation. Unlike Slide Show view, it includes easily accessible buttons for navigation, located at the bottom-right.

Slide Show view : This view completely fills the computer screen and is what the audience will see when they view the presentation. Slide Show view has an additional menu that appears when you hover over it, allowing you to navigate slides and access other features you can use during a presentation.

Use the keys on your keyboard—including the arrow keys, Page Up and Page Down keys, spacebar, and Enter key—to move through the slides in Slide Show view. Press the Esc key to end the slide show.

To view an outline of your presentation:

The Outline tab shows your slide text in outline form. This allows you to quickly edit your slide text and view the contents of multiple slides at once.

• An outline of your slide text appears.

To organize slides into sections:

You can organize your slides into sections to make your presentation easier to navigate. Sections can be collapsed or expanded in the left pane and named for easy reference. In this example, we will add two sections: one for dogs that are available for adoption, and another for cats and other pets.

• Select the slide you want to begin your first section.
• From the Home tab, click the Section command.

• Repeat to add as many sections as you want.

Adding notes to slides

PowerPoint gives you the ability to add notes to your slides—often called speaker notes —to help you deliver or prepare for your presentation. You can enter and view your speaker notes using the Notes pane or the Notes Page view.

To use the Notes pane:

• Locate the Notes pane at the bottom of the screen, directly below the Slide pane.

To use Notes Page view:

• Go to the View tab.

• Open an existing PowerPoint presentation . If you want, you can use this example .
• Change the layout of a slide. If you are using the example, change the layout of slide 3 to Section Header .
• Add a new blank slide, then insert a text box .
• Copy and paste a slide, then move it to a new location.
• View your presentation in Normal view, Slide Sorter view, Reading view, and Slide Show view.
• View an outline of your presentation in the left pane.
• Divide your presentation into at least two sections , and try collapsing and expanding them. If you are using the example, create one section for dogs and another for cats and other pets.
• Experiment with adding speaker notes to your presentation using the Notes pane and the Notes Page view .

/en/powerpoint2010/text-basics/content/

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What is PowerPoint: A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners

What is PowerPoint? This blog provides the essence of PowerPoint, a versatile presentation software by Microsoft. Discover its features, uses, and the art of crafting compelling slideshows. Whether you're a student, professional, or simply curious, explore the power of PowerPoint and learn how to create impactful presentations effortlessly.

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According to Glassdoor , a PowerPoint designer's average salary in the UK is about £37,811 annually. In this blog, you will learn What is PowerPoint, its key features, its benefits, and how to use it, as well as learn some tips for creating effective presentations.   

Table of contents       

1)  What is PowerPoint?  

2)  Understanding the PowerPoint Interface  

3)  Key Features of PowerPoint 

4)  How to use PowerPoint to create a presentation? 

5)  Benefits of PowerPoint  

6)  Tips for Creating Effective PowerPoint Presentations 

7)  Conclusion      

What is PowerPoint?   

PowerPoint is a versatile and popular presentation software developed by Microsoft (MS). It is a part of the Microsoft Office Suite and offers various features and tools to create visually appealing and engaging presentations. MS PowerPoint allows users to combine text, graphics, multimedia elements, and animations to convey information effectively .   

Evolution of PowerPoint   

Understanding the PowerPoint Interface   

The PowerPoint interface provides a user-friendly environment for creating and editing presentations. Familiarising yourself with its essential components will help you navigate the software efficiently. Here's a breakdown of the MS PowerPoint interface:   

1)  Ribbon : The Ribbon is located at the top of the MS PowerPoint window and consists of multiple tabs, such as Home, Insert, Design, Transitions, and more.    

2) Slides pane : The Slides pane is on the left side of the PowerPoint window. It displays thumbnail images of your presentation slides, allowing you to navigate and rearrange them easily. You can add, delete, duplicate, or hide slides from this pane.   

3)   Notes pane : The Notes pane is located below the Slides pane. It provides space for adding speaker notes or additional information related to each slide.    

4)  Slide area : The Slide area occupies the central part of the PowerPoint window. It displays the selected slide, where you can add and arrange content such as text, images, charts, and multimedia elements .    

5)  Task panes : Task panes are additional panels on the PowerPoint window's right side. They offer various functionalities such as formatting options, slide layouts, animations, etc. Task panes can be opened or closed based on your specific needs.   

Understanding the MS PowerPoint interface will help you navigate the software effectively and make the most of its features. Whether you are creating slides, adding content, or applying formatting, having a good grasp of the interface ensures a smooth and productive experience .  

Key Features of PowerPoint  

When it comes to creating captivating and professional presentations, MS PowerPoint stands out as versatile and feature-rich software. Its array of tools and functionalities enables users to bring their imagination and ideas to life. Moreover, it also helps engage their audience effectively .    

1) Slide Templates : PowerPoint provides a collection of pre-designed templates that make it easy to create visually appealing slides.   

2)  Slide Master : The Slide Master feature allows users to define the overall layout, font styles, and colour scheme for the entire presentation .   

3)  Animations and transitions : PowerPoint offers various animation effects and slide transitions to add visual interest and captivate the audience .   

4)  Multimedia integration : Users can embed images, videos, and audio files directly into their presentations, enhancing the overall impact .   

5)   Collaboration tools : MS PowerPoint allows multiple users to work on a presentation simultaneously, making it ideal for team projects and remote collaboration .   

6) Presenter View : The Presenter View feature gives presenters access to speaker notes, a timer, and a preview of upcoming slides, enabling a seamless presentation experience .   

These features collectively contribute to PowerPoint's versatility and make it a powerful tool for developing engaging and impactful presentations.  

How to use PowerPoint to create a presentation?   

Creating a presentation in PowerPoint is a straightforward process. Whether it's simple animations or explainer videos learning H ow to use PowerPoint is an extremely valuable skill. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to create a presentation:   

1)  Launch PowerPoint and choose a template or start with a blank slide. 

2)  Add slides by clicking "New Slide" or using the shortcut key (Ctrl + M). 

3) Customise slide content by entering text and inserting visuals.  

4)  Rearrange slides for a logical flow by dragging them in the slide navigation pane.  

5)  Apply slide transitions for visual effects in the "Transitions" tab.  

6)  Add animations to objects in the "Animations" tab.  

7)  Preview your presentation by clicking "Slide Show".   

8)  Save your presentation and choose a format (.pptx or .pdf).  

9)  Share your presentation via email, cloud storage, or collaboration tools.   

By following these steps, you can create a well-structured and visually appealing presentation in Microsoft PowerPoint. Remember to keep your content concise, use engaging visuals, and practice your presentation skills to deliver an impactful presentation .   

Benefits of PowerPoint   

1) Visual appeal : Microsoft PowerPoint allows you to create visually appealing presentations with its wide range of design tools and features. You can use templates, themes, and customisable layouts to make your slides visually engaging and professional .   

2)  Easy to use : PowerPoint has a user-friendly interface, making it accessible to users of all levels. The intuitive tools and straightforward navigation make it easy to create, edit, and deliver presentations efficiently .   

3)   Flexibility : PowerPoint provides flexibility in terms of content creation. You can include various types of content, such as text, images, charts, graphs, videos, and audio files, to enhance your message and engage your audience effectively.   

4)   Organisation and structure : PowerPoint offers features to help you organise and structure your content. You can create multiple slides, use slide masters for consistent formatting, and arrange the sequence of slides to create a logical flow .   

5)  Presenter tools : PowerPoint includes built-in presenter tools that aid in delivering presentations smoothly. You can use presenter view to see your notes and upcoming slides while your audience sees only the presentation. Additionally, features like slide transitions and animations add visual interest and help you control the flow of information .   

6)  Collaboration and sharing : PowerPoint allows for easy collaboration and sharing of presentations. Several users can simultaneously work on the same presentation, making it convenient for team projects. You can also share your presentations via email, cloud storage, or online platforms, ensuring easy access for viewers .   

7)   Integration with other tools : PowerPoint can seamlessly integrate with other Microsoft Office applications, such as Word and Excel. You can import data and charts from Excel or copy and paste content between different Office applications, saving time and effort .  

8)   Presenter-audience interaction : PowerPoint provides features that facilitate interaction between the presenter and the audience. You can include interactive elements like hyperlinks, buttons, and quizzes to engage your audience and make your presentations more dynamic.   

9)   Portable and accessible : PowerPoint presentations can be saved in various formats, such as .pptx or .pdf, making them easily accessible on different devices. This portability allows you to deliver presentations on laptops, tablets, or even projectors without compatibility issues .   

10)  Time and effort savings : PowerPoint simplifies the process of creating presentations, saving you time and effort. The pre-designed templates, slide layouts, and formatting options enable you to create professional-looking presentations efficiently .   

Unleash your creativity to deliver captivating presentations that leave a lasting impact with our Microsoft PowerPoint Masterclass – Sign up now!   

Tips for Creating Effective PowerPoint Presentations   

1) Simplicity is key : Keep your slides clean and uncluttered. Use concise bullet points and simple visuals to convey your message effectively .   

2)  Visuals matter : Incorporate relevant, high-quality visuals such as images, charts, and diagrams to enhance understanding and engagement .   

3)  Limit text : Avoid overwhelming your audience with excessive text on slides. Use brief phrases or keywords to communicate key points .   

4)  Choose legible fonts : Opt for clear and readable fonts that are easy to read, even from a distance. Maintain consistency in font styles throughout your presentation .   

5)  Consistent design : Maintain a consistent design theme, including colours, fonts, and layout, to create a visually appealing and professional presentation.   

6)  Emphasise important points : Use visual hierarchy techniques, such as font size, colour, and formatting, to draw attention to essential information .   

7)  Use transitions and animations sparingly : Incorporate slide transitions and animations thoughtfully, focusing on enhancing content and transitions without distracting the audience .   

8)  S lide notes for guidance : Utilise the slide notes feature to include additional details, explanations, or reminders for a well-prepared and confident presentation.   

9)  Practice and time yourself : Rehearse your presentation to ensure smooth delivery and stay within the allocated time. Practice helps you refine your content and delivery.   

10)  Engage the audience : Encourage audience participation through interactive elements, questions, or discussions to foster engagement and make your presentation more memorable.   

By implementing these tips, you can create effective MS PowerPoint presentations that capture attention, communicate information clearly, and engage your audience effectively.  

Conclusion      

We hope this blog has helped you understand What is PowerPoint and how it can help you. It offers powerful features with a user-friendly interface for creating visually appealing presentations. With its tools for organising information, incorporating text and visuals, and delivering impactful content, PowerPoint is a valuable tool for beginners to communicate their ideas effectively .   

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Slide Layouts in PowerPoint

Tips for setting up Slide Layouts

• Brock University

In This Article

Jump to a Section

• Understanding the Opening Slide
• Add a New Slide

Work With the Title and Content Slide

• Change Slide Layouts
• Work With the Slides Tab
• Customize a Slide

PowerPoint's built-in slide layouts give you the versatility and creativity you need to create slideshows that communicate your message clearly and effectively. Here are a few tips to help you use slide layouts in your workflow and structure information that reaches your audience.

These instructions apply to PowerPoint 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010; PowerPoint for Microsoft 365, PowerPoint Online, PowerPoint for Mac, PowerPoint for iPhone, and PowerPoint for Android.

Understand the Opening PowerPoint Slide

When you first open PowerPoint, your screen resembles the image above and includes these areas:

• Slide Pane : Each page of a presentation is called a​ slide . New presentations open with a Title slide in Normal view. The Slide Pane is where you'll add the text, images, and other screen-show elements that are a part of your presentation.
• Slides Tab : This area toggles between Slides view and Outline view . Slides view shows a tiny picture of all the slides in your presentation. Outline view shows the hierarchy of the text in your slides.
• Menus : This part of the user interface (UI) is known as the Ribbon . The Ribbon gives you access to all of PowerPoint's features and commands.

When you open a new presentation in PowerPoint, the first slide is the Title slide and contains text placeholders. To customize this slide layout, select the placeholder text and enter a new title and subtitle.

Add a New PowerPoint Slide

To add a new slide to your presentation, select Home > New Slide . This adds the Title and Content slide layout. This is the default slide layout and it contains placeholders for a title, bullet text, images , and illustrations.

If you need a different type of slide, select the New Slide down arrow . This opens a menu that contains nine different slide layouts. Choose one of these slide layouts to add it to your presentation.

When you select Home > New Slide , a new slide is added using the current slide layout. For example, if the current slide on the screen uses the Picture With Caption slide layout, the new slide will also be of that type.

The Title and Content slide layout contains placeholders for a title, a bullet list, images, and illustrations.

To add bullet text to this slide, select the bullet placeholder and enter your new text. Each time you press Enter , a new bullet appears for the next line of text.

To add content other than text to the Title and Content slide layout, select an icon from the set of six content types. The different types of content that can be inserted in this slide layout include a table, chart , SmartArt graphic, pictures, online pictures, and video.

Change PowerPoint Slide Layouts

If you've created a slide and you don't like the layout, change it to one of the nine different slide layout choices in PowerPoint. Display the slide you want to change in the Slide Pane and select Home > Layout (in PowerPoint 2019, select Slide Layout ) to see the list of available slide layouts. The current slide layout is highlighted. Select a different slide layout and the current slide takes on this new slide layout.

Here's a description of each of the built-in slide layouts:

• Title Slide : Use a title slide at the beginning of your presentation to introduce your topic.
• Title and Content : The default slide layout and the most commonly used slide layout.
• Section Header : Separates different sections of the same presentation.
• Two Content : Use this slide layout to show two columns of text and graphic content.
• Comparison : Similar to the Two Content slide layout, but this slide type also includes a heading text box over each type of content. Use this type of slide layout to compare two types of the same content type (for example, two different charts).
• Title Only : Use this slide layout if you want to place only a title on the page, rather than a title and subtitle. The area below the title is blank so that other content (such as clip art, WordArt , pictures, or charts) can be added as needed.
• Blank : A blank slide layout is often used when a picture or other graphic object needs no further information.
• Content With Caption : Contains two columns for text and content. The left column contains placeholders for text. The right column contains placeholders for images and illustrations.
• Picture With Caption : This slide layout is similar to the Content With Caption slide layout. The left side contains a placeholder for text and the right side contains a placeholder for a picture that is stored on your computer or cloud account.

Work With the PowerPoint Slides Tab

The Slides Tab is located on the left side of the PowerPoint screen. The default setting is Normal and shows thumbnail views of the slides in your presentation. If you'd rather see an outline of your presentation, select View > Outline View .

Each time you add a new slide, a miniature version of that slide appears in the Slides Tab on the left side of the screen. Select a thumbnail to place that slide in the Slides Pane for editing.

Customize a PowerPoint Slide

You're not limited to the layout of a slide as it first appears in PowerPoint. You may add, move, and remove text boxes and other objects at any time on any slide.

If no slide layout suits your specific needs, insert a Blank slide and add text boxes or other objects to fit the information you want to convey.

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Microsoft 365 Life Hacks > Presentations > How to Format Presentation Slides

How to Format Presentation Slides

Learn how to give your presentation slides a facelift so they captivate your audience.

Why is Presentation Design and Formatting Important?

A well-designed presentation can help you connect with your audience and gets your message across in an easily digestible manner. Great presentation design can impart a positive first impression and is more likely to draw in and engage an audience.

Pretend you’re attending a presentation and instead of formatted PowerPoint slides, each one is plain white with a lot of dark text that’s hard to read. And even though the background and text colors are the same, none of the text is lined up and multiple fonts are used. There are no transitions or title pages that help to differentiate between topics being discussed and you’re presented with slide after slide of confusing, jumbled text.

Tell your story with captivating presentations

Powerpoint empowers you to develop well-designed content across all your devices

Formatting slides in your presentation is what enhances the look of the slides and transforms them into something that complements the content and resonates with the audience.

What Else Should a Good Presentation Include?

While formatted slides can help to connect with the audience, a good presentation should also include:

• Well-written, concise content that clearly explains the problem that you’re trying to solve and the unique solution you’ve come up with.
• A great hook or emotionally compelling introduction.
• Visuals that support your message and aren’t too busy.

Most importantly, a good presentation should be efficient and engage with the audience. And that engagement can be found in the content as well as how the slides are formatted.

Tips for Creating & Formatting Presentation Slides

Before you start creating your PowerPoint presentation, make sure that your content is solid. Making an outline can help you keep information organized, clear, and concise before you put it into a presentation. The outline can also help you break down what information is shared on each slide to keep things from being overcrowded or wordy. Take a minute to consider your audience and the best ways to connect with them and present what you’re trying to share.

Once your content is finalized, you can get to work on creating and formatting your presentation slides.

How to Make a Slide

A PowerPoint presentation is sometimes known as a deck and is composed of different slides. When you’re putting your own deck together, you’ll certainly need to add slides and format them in different ways.

In order to make a new slide appear in your presentation, first select the slide that you’d like your new slide to follow. Then click Home and choose New Slide . From there, you can choose your desired layout , and start inputting content. The layout options in PowerPoint are great for keeping your text lined up and consistent through the deck. You can also rearrange, duplicate, and delete slides as necessary.

Formatting Your Presentation Slides

Once you’ve created your content or slides, it’s time to consider design and formatting. This is where you make choices about themes, templates, color schemes, and fonts.

If you don’t feel confident about your design abilities, you might want to try applying a template . This customizable option offers a variety of artistic skins that can give your deck a professional polish. There is even a range of downloadable templates available from Microsoft to suit any kind of presentation.

Don’t feel like you must use a template, though. Many users may prefer to use or create a theme to visually tie together their presentations. PowerPoint provides a variety of themes which include color schemes, backgrounds, fonts, and placeholder slides. In the Design tab, you can choose a theme that appeals to you or matches with your content. You can even try different color variations within the theme by selecting Variants . Each variant has built in options for colors, fonts, and background colors and styles that can help you format your slides and create a cohesive look throughout the deck.

There are a few things to keep in mind if you decide to eschew the suggestions made by PowerPoint:

• Consider the colors you’re using. There are definitely a few color combinations you should avoid .
• Choose fonts that are easy to read and make sure that your text isn’t too small to be read across a large room. You’ll also want to remember to keep the text on your slides relatively sparse, with no more than three bullet points per slide.

Using Visual Aids in Your Presentation

One way to break up the monotony of an all-text presentation is to use visual aids like charts, graphs, static images, gifs, and movies.

As with all other aspects of your deck, ensure that your visuals are easy to see and understand, and aren’t too wordy. Imagine trying to read a line graph with lots of muddy colors and small text from across a conference room. The goal of a visual aid is to make the presentation you’re giving more compelling and the information you’re sharing easier to understand.

Here are a few tips for adding visuals to your presentation:

• Make sure the images you use are of high quality and that they fit in your deck. They shouldn’t be distorted or pixelated, as this will distract from the content.
• All charts should be very easy to read and understand. If someone can’t immediately glean what information is presented, you may be trying to fit too much into a single chart.
• Don’t use more than one chart per slide unless it’s necessary. Keep it simple.
• If you’re including a brand or logo in your deck, make sure you’re adhering to that brand’s style guide .

A great way to get design ideas for slides in your presentation us to use the Designer feature in PowerPoint. It automatically generates design ideas for you to choose from based on the content of your slide. Designer detects when you’re using pictures, charts, and tables and gives you suggestions for arranging them on your slides in a cohesive layout that’s easy on the eyes. Designer can also help to format your lists and timelines into easy-to-read graphics and suggests relevant graphics to pair with keywords that it finds within your content.

Create a PowerPoint deck that stands out and resonates with your audience by formatting it in a professional manner. And don’t forget to prep for your presentation !

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How to Make a “Good” Presentation “Great”

• Guy Kawasaki

Remember: Less is more.

A strong presentation is so much more than information pasted onto a series of slides with fancy backgrounds. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others. Here are some unique elements that make a presentation stand out.

• Fonts: Sans Serif fonts such as Helvetica or Arial are preferred for their clean lines, which make them easy to digest at various sizes and distances. Limit the number of font styles to two: one for headings and another for body text, to avoid visual confusion or distractions.
• Colors: Colors can evoke emotions and highlight critical points, but their overuse can lead to a cluttered and confusing presentation. A limited palette of two to three main colors, complemented by a simple background, can help you draw attention to key elements without overwhelming the audience.
• Pictures: Pictures can communicate complex ideas quickly and memorably but choosing the right images is key. Images or pictures should be big (perhaps 20-25% of the page), bold, and have a clear purpose that complements the slide’s text.
• Layout: Don’t overcrowd your slides with too much information. When in doubt, adhere to the principle of simplicity, and aim for a clean and uncluttered layout with plenty of white space around text and images. Think phrases and bullets, not sentences.

As an intern or early career professional, chances are that you’ll be tasked with making or giving a presentation in the near future. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others.

• Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist at Canva and was the former chief evangelist at Apple. Guy is the author of 16 books including Think Remarkable : 9 Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference.

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Home Blog Google Slides Tutorials Google Slides vs. PowerPoint: A Detailed Comparison

Google Slides vs. PowerPoint: A Detailed Comparison

There was a time when anyone making a slide deck using presentation software was likely to use PowerPoint, with Apple’s Keynote being a close competitor. As time progressed, presentation platforms became available online and through mobile devices. In the initial years of this transition, PowerPoint lagged behind in the wake of online presentation suites and mobile device presentation apps. One of the most obvious competitors then was Google Slides, leading to the debate about Google Slides vs. PowerPoint.

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Importance of Presentation Tools

Google slides and microsoft powerpoint: historical context, accessibility and device compatibility, price comparison, presentation templates, basic editing features, media embedding capabilities, annotation and presentation options, animations and transitions, file conversion capability, collaboration and teamwork capabilities, pros and cons of powerpoint and google slides, case studies: powerpoint and google slides.

Presentations have become a staple for business professionals, teachers, students, and even people in the military. As using computers and mobile devices became easier with the improvement in easy-to-use graphical interfaces, people quickly switched to slide decks, video presentations, remote meetings, and other presentation delivery methods. People no longer needed whiteboards or oral presentations, as the visual aids offered by presentation software were just too good to let go of. This meant that presentation software was continuously improved and adapted for different devices.

Over the years, different presentation software has been accompanied by several accessories, such as presentation remotes and laser pointers. All of these have been virtually replaced in recent years with virtual apps or integrated features within presentation software that allow easy remote switching of slides through mobile devices and the ability to turn a cursor into a laser pointer. Furthermore, add-ins for different presentation platforms have emerged with innovative and ever-increasing options to enhance presentations. 

The Rise of PowerPoint as a Presentation Software

Developed by Robert Gaskins and Dennis Austin during the 80s, it was a presentation software developed for Mac computers. Along the way, Gaskins and Austin also employed the help of a third developer, Thomas Rudkin. PowerPoint 1.0 for Mac was released in 1987, and 10,000 copies were sold. Shortly afterward, Microsoft acquired Forethought Inc., the company that made PowerPoint. It took some convincing from colleagues, leading Bill Gates to seriously think about PowerPoint being an effective software.

For a long time, PowerPoint remained the major presentation software for desktop computer users, more precisely, Windows and Mac users. 

Emergence of Google Slides as a Viable PowerPoint Competitor

Nearly 20 years after its initial release, things began to change. The Internet had started taking the world by storm, and more people could use desktop computers than ever before. Not to mention, mobile devices started becoming ‘smarter.’ Then, Google launched its Google Docs Suite with an online version of a PowerPoint-like app. This app later became Google Slides. While Google was able to provide free online presentation software that could also enable the opening, editing, and sharing of PowerPoint-compatible files, Microsoft lagged in delivering a similar product. It wasn’t until 2012 that Microsoft PowerPoint came with proper online features. With the introduction of a free version called PowerPoint Online and later integration with Office 365 (now known as Microsoft 365), Microsoft caught up to Google Slides. Furthermore, the two became available for mobile devices, catering to the needs of smartphone users.

Google Slides vs PowerPoint: Feature Comparison

The first thing to consider when it comes to the Google Slides vs. PowerPoint debate is device compatibility. Back in the day, PowerPoint was limited to Windows and Mac computers, whereas Google Slides could mostly be used only through Internet-connected browsers. Much has changed since the launch of the Google Docs Suite, which led to what we now know as Google Slides. This means that both PowerPoint and Google Slides are now more compatible with different devices than ever before.

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft PowerPoint has Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS apps. While Windows Phone is no longer produced, Microsoft released a version back then. Other than apps, PowerPoint is accessible through Internet browsers via the free but limited version called PowerPoint Online and the full-featured Microsoft 365 suite.

Google Slides

Google Slides was initially an online presentation app available via Internet-connected browsers. Later, it produced various apps for Android, iOS, Chrome OS, and Wear OS devices. Furthermore, you can also use Google Slides offline on a desktop computer using the Google Docs Offline Chrome extension. This extension also works with other Chromium-based web browsers like Edge.

Before we discuss the features of both presentation platforms, it is worth discussing the pricing mechanism that Google and Microsoft use for their presentation software.

Microsoft provides a free version of PowerPoint via a Microsoft account that you can use to access an online version. Furthermore, it also comes with OneDrive integration and up to 5Gb of free cloud storage. The full-featured version of PowerPoint has different license types, with an annual recurring fee for personal, family, business, and enterprise use. Microsoft also offers free versions for educational institutions, teachers, and students. The classic 2021 version of PowerPoint is also available for one-time purchase and is called Office Home & Student 2021. However, this is for non-commercial use and is more of a version with limited features.

As of 2024, Microsoft 365 starts at $69.99 for a personal package or around $6 per user per month. Depending on your needs, you can opt for family, business, or enterprise packages.

While Google Slides has been free for users of Google accounts for quite some time, it also comes with premium packages. Unlike the Google Drive-integrated version with 15GB of cloud storage, the paid version of Google Slides comes integrated with Google Workspace, which has various versions for business use and an enterprise package. Google Workspace for Education provides free and discounted versions for educational use.

Unlike the free version of Google’s products, Google Workspace offers advanced security, cloud storage, and custom emails with all Google products like Gmail, Google Sheets, Google Slides, Google Docs, Google Drive, Google Calendar, and others integrated into one suite. Furthermore, it integrates with third-party apps for advanced integration for enterprise use.

Google Workspace can cost $6 per user per month or around $72 annually for a basic package. Other packages for business and enterprise use can cost more depending on the number of users.

Different presentation software has different templates, enabling end users to create customized slide decks to suit their needs. A number of native and third-party templates are available for both platforms.

Microsoft PowerPoint provides hundreds of templates that are accessible directly through its apps and online versions. You can also download PowerPoint templates from Office.com. Furthermore, more third-party developers provide customizable PowerPoint templates than Google Slides. SlideModel alone provides over 50,000 PowerPoint templates with various customizable characters, maps, diagrams, backgrounds, and layouts.

One of the things that Google Slides has lagged in is the provision of templates that are as good as PowerPoint. Not only are there fewer developers making templates for Google Slides, but the quality can also be often lacking. Compare that to the PowerPoint templates available via Office.com and third-party developers, and you will find PowerPoint to be a clear winner in this comparison. Suppose you are a Google Slides user searching for templates that can offer something similar to an experience provided by PowerPoint templates. In that case, you can either use PowerPoint templates in Google Slides or explore these Google Slides templates .

The basic editing features of PowerPoint and Google Slides are quite similar, with a few exceptions. If you are new to presentation making, you might want to first see our articles about how to start and end a presentation .

A glance at the Home tab of the Ribbon menu provides basic editing features, including the fonts, text styles, size, and alignment options. Moreover, you can use this menu or the left sidebar to create, duplicate, add, or hide slides.

Besides the left sidebar, Google Slides provides basic editing features via the Format menu. This menu caters to text, alignment, spacing, and other basic features. The Slide menu has many layout selections, slide duplication, and creation features. Many basic formatting options are also visible from the Google Slides toolbar. What sets apart Google Slides formatting options is mainly the availability of different font families, with fewer editing and enhancement features such as text stylizing options in Google Slides.

Both PowerPoint and Google Slides provide various embedding options to embed content within slides.

PowerPoint via the Insert tab offers options to add pictures from your device and online, including via Bing search stock photos provided by Microsoft. You can also insert illustrations, cutout people, stickers, and cartoon characters provided within the app. PowerPoint also comes with stock icons, shapes, 3D models, symbols, charts, and the ability to add videos and audio to slides. The videos include not only ones from within your device but also online videos and stock videos provided by Microsoft. Unlike past versions, Microsoft has come a long way in offering embedding capability for YouTube videos and other platforms such as Vimeo, SlideShare, Stream, and Flip. Additionally, you can instantly record a screencast and insert it into a PowerPoint slide.

PowerPoint supports MP4, WMV, AVI, MOV, MPEG, and SWF video formats, as well as audio formats such as MP3, WAV, M4A, and WMA.

Google Slides provides shapes, tables, diagrams, charts, and WordArt that is similar but arguably inferior to PowerPoint. The embedding options offered by Google Slides are a close replica of PowerPoint. Available via the Insert menu, you can add images from your device via URL, Google search, your device camera by taking an instant photo, and Google Drive. Similarly, you can insert Audio and videos from YouTube and Google Drive. 

Google Slides supports videos from  MP4, AVI, MOV, and WMV formats, whereas supported audio file formats include MP3, WAV, and OGG. In terms of embedding capabilities, Google Slides is more geared towards online users, whereas PowerPoint also provides enhanced offline capability to embed videos and reasonable support to embed videos from popular video streaming platforms. Other features, such as making a screencast, require using third-party add-ons for Google Slides.

PowerPoint’s Draw tab and the Pointer options in Slideshow mode (accessible via the right-click menu) can highlight and turn your cursor into an instant laser pointer. You can also move the cursor to the bottom to reveal many of these features in slideshow mode and find options to zoom into text, view slide thumbnails, etc.

Regarding annotation and presentation features, Google Slides lags far behind PowerPoint. The Line and Scribble options are pretty limited, and while you can turn your cursor to a laser pointer or highlight text in Slideshow mode, PowerPoint’s ability to zoom and sort slides and Drawing tools cannot be matched.

When it comes to animations and transitions, PowerPoint’s capability compared to Google Slides has often been overlooked.

The Transitions and Animations tab provides transitions and animations in PowerPoint. Slide switching is a pleasure if you know how to arrange the transitions from the very basic reveal, split, and fade to the advanced Morph transitions. Similarly, PowerPoint animations are divided into four major sections, including animations for Entrance, Emphasis, Exit, and Motion Paths. Motion Paths are the most complex PowerPoint animations, enabling the definition of a path for an animated object.

You can go to Insert -> Animation after selecting an object or Slide -> Transition after selecting a slide to reveal animations and transitions in Google Slides. Unfortunately, both animations and transitions in Google Slides are pretty basic and limited, unlike PowerPoint, which offers basic to advanced transitions and animations. For example, the PowerPoint morph transition can create the illusion of moving objects, and Motion Paths can reveal objects on a set path defined by the user.

Microsoft PowerPoint and Google Slides support file conversion to different formats. However, some conversion options require third-party apps.

PowerPoint supports converting files to PDF, XPS, MPEG 4, WMV, EMF, RTF, SVG, BMP, PNG, JPEG, TIFF, ODP, and other formats. Many file conversion formats in PowerPoint are also native, such as the legacy PPT, PPA, POT, and PPS formats and the new formats PPTX, POTM, PPTM, PPSX, and POTX.

Google Slides provides native file conversion options to download your file as a PPTX, ODP, PDF, TXT, JPEG, PNG, or SVG file. However, to convert Google Slides to video or other formats, you must use third-party add-ons such as Creator Studio.

In the wake of COVID-19 and remote working, the need for collaboration and teamwork, even for presentations, cannot be underestimated. Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace have often tried competing in this niche using various products woven into their presentation software.

The fact that Microsoft doesn’t simply produce a presentation suite but an entire environment, from operating systems to remote meeting apps, gives it quite an advantage. PowerPoint comes integrated with OneDrive, Teams, Loop, Skype, and various other apps you can use to collaborate online. Depending on your Microsoft 365 subscription, some features are limited to enterprise users, particularly for the desktop version of PowerPoint. You can share your files using OneDrive with specific people or by generating a publicly accessible link. Use the online version of PowerPoint to embed a code to share your presentation online.

Collaboration on a Live PowerPoint file can be performed through a browser, the desktop, or the mobile version of PowerPoint. Furthermore, its integration with Microsoft Teams helps integrate PowerPoint natively for remote meetings.

Google Slides initiated online collaboration and sharing long before Microsoft adapted to the concept. The initial version of Google Slides readily provided options such as sharing the file of online cooperation via a direct link that Microsoft later integrated into PowerPoint. Furthermore, you can also use the Publish on the Web option in Google Slides to embed the slides online.

In terms of collaboration, what makes the real difference is the close integration of various Microsoft products with PowerPoint. In contrast, Google Drive and Google Meet have been trying to do the same for Google Slides, with the latter being less popular for remote meetings than Microsoft remote meeting apps such as Teams and Skype. 

Unlike Microsoft, Google has struggled to leverage ChromeOS and Android as a primary choice for enterprise use since both operating systems lack the ability and compatible hardware to run heavy apps. Windows or Mac seems to be an obvious choice for end users when it comes to non-linear editing, research, graphic design, and other fields of work that require using resource-intensive apps. This also impacts the preference for Google Slides compared to Microsoft products such as PowerPoint, which integrates with the Microsoft-provided experience.

While much can be said about PowerPoint and Google Slides’ features, let’s examine some of the pros and cons of using both presentation platforms.

Pros of Using Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft PowerPoint has a number of handy features that make it a worthy presentation software and live up to its reputation as an industry leader.

Feature Rich

PowerPoint is a feature-rich presentation software with many advanced features to help you edit, create, design, and present your slides with many user-friendly options. 

Integration with Microsoft Products

PowerPoint, combined with the overall Microsoft experience, is based on its Windows operating systems, Teams, Skype, OneDrive, and other apps to provide support for PowerPoint.

Offline Access

Unlike Google Slides, which works best online, the offline version of PowerPoint allows users to create and present slides offline without requiring Internet connectivity.

Availability of PowerPoint Templates

You can find PowerPoint templates on any topic imaginable, with countless third-party developers adding free and premium templates daily. This ever-expanding resource is something that presenters can always leverage to make their presentation visually appealing and with easy-to-edit templates.

Advanced Collaboration Features

While PowerPoint was late in providing online collaboration features, the ability to work remotely has been expanding and improving once integrated.

Add-ins and Integration with Third-Party Apps

PowerPoint add-ins and third-party app integration have been seamless and ever-expanding. Not only can you use a wide array of add-ins to further enhance PowerPoint features, but you can also integrate it with various third-party platforms and apps such as Adobe Creative Cloud, Salesforce, LinkedIn, Zapier, Bing Translate, etc.

Integration of AI

In recent years, Microsoft has been quick to integrate AI in PowerPoint. From PowerPoint’s Designer feature and Bing Translation tool to the integration of Copilot, Microsoft has been quickly enabling end users to leverage AI to create and design slides.

Cons of using Microsoft PowerPoint

While PowerPoint has many benefits, end users should also consider a number of cons.

Expensive Cost Structure

PowerPoint can be quite costly, and not everyone will be willing or able to afford a hefty annual recurring fee. The free version and license for noncommercial use have stringent requirements from which few can benefit. The free version of PowerPoint available as PowerPoint online has limited features.

Platform Dependency

While PowerPoint has an online version with ever-increasing features and mobile versions for Android and iOS, it is still more of a desktop app. We can argue that the online version isn’t as smooth as the functionality of the desktop version, and the mobile apps still leave a lot to be desired. Other than the Mac version of PowerPoint, it has been designed to integrate with Microsoft OS and apps, making it somewhat platform-dependent.

Pros of Using Google Slides

Google Slides has various pros as a presentation app for different types of end users.

Cloud-Based and Cross-Platform Accessibility

The promise of Google Slides or Google’s suite was always ease of access through the Internet and cross-platform compatibility. Like other Google products of its kind, Google Slides provides ease of access via the Internet and accessibility regardless of what operating system you are using. Using a modern browser allows you to access and use Google Slides without any platform dependency.

Economical Option for Making Presentations

Using the full-featured PowerPoint can be quite expensive, whereas Google Slides provides all basic features in the free version, with the option to upgrade to Google Workspace for more advanced features. Furthermore, Google Drive comes with 15GB of free cloud storage space compared to the meager 5GB provided by OneDrive. This can be helpful for long-term use for storing presentations online.

Compatibility with PowerPoint Files

If you can’t afford PowerPoint, Google Slides can be the next best thing. It provides compatibility for PowerPoint files, with the option to convert files in various other file formats such as PDF, RTF, ODP, etc. You can even start a presentation using Google Slides and download it as a PowerPoint file for use with PowerPoint. While many other apps also offer such features, the compatibility of Google Slides with PowerPoint files is one of the best you can find.  

Integration of Google-Based Apps

Google Slides is integrated with other Google products, including Gmail, Google Drive, Google Meet, Google Forms, and Google Photos. You will find Google Slides quite convenient if you’re used to these products. 

Third-Party App Integration

Google Slides integrates with a number of third-party apps such as Adobe Spark, Canva, Lucidchart, Asana, etc. You can access Google Slides add-ons via the Extensions menu. The add-ons available for Google Slides are mainly for online platforms that integrate with Google Slides.

Cons of Using Google Slides

While Google Slides has been a great free alternative to PowerPoint, it does have various limitations.

Limited Features

When it comes to Google Slides vs. PowerPoint, the latter clearly offers more enhanced features that Google Slides has yet to match. Whether it’s the use of advanced transitions and animations, AI, design features, or basic editing and presentation options, PowerPoint wins by a mile.

Weak Offline Support

Google Slides is primarily an online app with weak offline support. Unlike PowerPoint, it is very hard, if not impossible, to create, edit, and present a presentation entirely offline using Google Slides.

Use by the US Military

There have been many instances where PowerPoint stood out as a presentation software and times when it took flak for the phenomenon called death by PowerPoint. The use of PowerPoint by the American military is well documented. The concept came to light amidst criticism of how bad the presentations were. This led to an article in The New York Times titled, ‘We Have Met the Enemy, and He Is PowerPoint’. Eventually, Microsoft intervened and sent in executive communications manager Dave Karle to rectify the problem. However, the case of death by PowerPoint in the US military is attributed not to the presentation software but to how it is inaccurately used to create presentations. 

Google Slides has many examples of case studies and events where it has been a regular feature. Google’s annual developer conference, called Google I/O, is famous for featuring presentations on Google Slides. In 2018, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and other senior officials used Google Slides during Google I/O as a part of the major event highlights. Google Slides has often been used in Google I/O events as a presentation platform by Google’s top management and remains the central app for keynote presentations.

While the US military might have a lot to learn about using PowerPoint, presenters at TED Talks often use it with quite some dexterity. PowerPoint and Google Slides have been regular features of TED Talks and are used by different types of presenters to express their ideas and explain various concepts.

While Google Slide provides an economical and easy-to-access alternative to PowerPoint, the latter remains an industry leader with features that Google Slides has yet to catch up to. While Google Slides had an edge in the past regarding online collaboration and sharing features, once PowerPoint became available online, Google struggled to match the features offered by PowerPoint and lacked the support of operating systems and other apps used by businesses that come integrated with PowerPoint. 

Windows-based operating systems, including client OS and servers, come integrated in an environment where the Office suite provides powerful support to PowerPoint users in an integrated environment. On the contrary, Google has failed to leverage Android or Chrome OS as a powerful operating system that can do the heavy lifting regarding enterprise-level software integration. Microsoft-based products are an obvious choice, even if some of the organization’s base infrastructure uses other operating systems, such as CentOS or Red Hat, to maintain its servers. This is because Windows is still a famous client operating system and Android and Chrome OS cannot match when running heavy applications for design, development, research, etc.

In conclusion, Google Slides serves as an economical alternative to PowerPoint. The latter is still the industry leader in presentation software and has yet to be dethroned.

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Google Slides, Microsoft PowerPoint Filed under Google Slides Tutorials , PowerPoint Tutorials

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5 Free Alternatives To Microsoft PowerPoint

M icrosoft PowerPoint has always been the default choice for creating professional meeting briefs or fun little project demonstrations in schools. Its inclusion as a free service for students or working professionals makes it a no-brainer to use. However, for the general public, it can get quite expensive to pay for a subscription just to be able to create simple presentation slides. Although you can subscribe to Microsoft's Office Suite and get more bang for your buck, the pricing still doesn't hit the affordable range for most. 

Fortunately, completion has been growing, and a sea of strong contenders offer similar services to PowerPoint. After considering feature sets, here are five of the best free alternatives to Microsoft PowerPoint. At the end of the article, you can find a detailed explanation of why we've chosen the services, alongside useful comparisons that may help you make your decision easier.

Read more: The 20 Best Mac Apps That Will Improve Your Apple Experience

When it comes to productivity apps, Zoho makes some of the better ones in the market. Zoho Sheet, for example, is one of the best Microsoft Excel alternatives out there  —  owing to its extensive product catalog, there is a great way to view and edit presentations. The aptly named Zoho Show lets you design and demonstrate professional-looking slides, all without having to download the program.

Zoho takes a minimal approach to most of its services, and its PowerPoint application is no different. You'll find that most menus are contextually aware of what tasks you're currently performing, which helps keep unnecessary tools out of the way and bring the important ones in focus. There is also a huge library of customizable templates you can choose from, making it easier to kickstart your presentation work. 

Zoho Show is completely free to use for individuals and offers unlimited cloud storage. No features are locked behind a paywall, and rest assured, you can fully rely on this online presentation-making tool for all your needs, be it for school or work. 

Canva is a service that can easily climb up to becoming everyone's favorite once they start using it. While most applaud it for its graphic designing prowess, there are many other things Canva can do that you probably aren't aware of . Among them is the ability to craft beautiful slides for your presentations and projects. 

By creating a free account, you can access thousands of templates on Canva. You can filter these by use case—maybe you need one for a professional business briefing or a casual one explaining why your pet dog is the best canine. There is a whole section of ready-to-use templates dedicated to mobile-friendly viewing as well, which is something you don't usually find to be as accessible with other tools. 

Like most presentation apps, Canva lets you collaborate with your team members and work across devices seamlessly. The Canva app for mobile also lets you control your slides remotely during your presentation. Some menus also feature AI-featured tools to add one-click enhancements to your slides -- unfortunately, these are locked behind premium subscription tiers. However, for the cent percent of the population, Canva can be used without spending a dime to meet a plethora of creative needs. 

Apple takes great pride in developing in-house solutions to meet every user requirement. While most of its products dominate the competition in popularity, the same cannot be said for Keynote , the company's version of Microsoft PowerPoint. The program was first released in 2003 with macOS Big Sur and has largely remained one of those icons you glance over and forget about. 

However, recent versions of Keynote have made it a compelling alternative to PowerPoint. Not only is it pre-installed on every Apple device, including your iPhone, but it also works best with the iPad touchscreen. Keynote has a largely clean and professional approach to the built-in templates, but nothing is stopping you from going creative. Animations are one of Keynote's strongest suits, allowing you to create near cinematic-looking presentations with just a few clicks. 

While you can still use Apple Keynote through iCloud on Windows devices, this alternative is clearly meant for people surrounded by the walled garden of Apple technology. It makes use of features like AirDrop, Live Photos, and VoiceOver  — all of which are technologies available across Apple devices. Using Apple Keynote is completely free, and the app has easy exporting tools that make working with Microsoft PowerPoint less of a hassle.

WPS Presentation

WPS Office makes some of the best solutions for creating and editing documents on smartphones , but their service offerings extend to Windows, macOS, and even Linux. WPS Presentation is perhaps the closest you'll get to Microsoft PowerPoint in terms of the user interface and how most tools are bundled in familiar locations.

This PowerPoint app offers real-time collaboration where you can invite your team members and work on the same document remotely. Like most collaboration tools, users can leave comments to suggest changes or add information for other people on the team.

WPS Presentation is not the only free product; you can utilize every app in the WPS Office suite. Unlike most competitors, you don't need to download or use a separate mini-app to make presentations. WPS Office has a document editor, PowerPoint creator, spreadsheet manager, and other tools all within its umbrella. Premium plans for this service exist, but they mostly cater to unlocking features for editing PDFs. 

Google Slides

As a netizen, you most likely already have a Google account. Not only is it required to make any meaningful use of your Android phone, but popular services that we take for granted, like Gmail and Drive, all fall under Google's umbrella. One such free service that the tech giant has at its disposal is Google Slides . While the barebones UI might seem lackluster at first, Slides has nearly the same level of functionality as Microsoft PowerPoint and can even be supercharged by add-ons. 

All of Google's workspace apps, such as Docs, Sheets, and Slides, provide an intuitive way to work in a team. You can add comments, use annotations, and share the presentation with limited access to others. You can use one of the many predesigned Google Slides templates for simple presentations , or browse for templates that cater to specific needs. Being part of a bigger service catalog has its obvious advantages, such as seamless integration with Google Meet, Gmail, and other products from Google that you already use. 

We recommend Google Slides to anyone who needs to create and edit PowerPoint presentations on the go and can't be bothered with working in a complicated environment. The service is also available as an app for Android and iOS, and you can export your presentations in a wide range of formats, including PPT, PDF, or PNG for individual slides. 

To Pay Or Not To Pay?

You'll notice that all the services we've mentioned on this list are free to use. In fact, you can use Office 365 apps online for free   — including PowerPoint, which makes purchasing a standalone subscription to the Microsoft PowerPoint app quite redundant. However, nearly every free alternative here short of Keynote also offers premium plans, but should you consider buying one?

For the vast majority of people who are looking for a robust software to create, edit, and share presentations with  —  these free options deliver exceptionally well in every aspect. Some apps like Google Slides and Apple Keynote let you work in smaller teams with the free tier as well. Apps like WPS Office and Canva tend to lock new and exciting features like AI tools behind a paywall, and while these are nice to have, you definitely can do without them. 

If you're looking for a presentation tool for a company with multiple people, you can scale up using any of the alternatives mentioned on this list. Both Google Workspace and Zoho offer reliable and enterprise-level plans you can upgrade to. For everyone else  — enjoy creating and demonstrating your PowerPoint presentations for free.

Read the original article on SlashGear .