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4 Steps for a Good-looking PowerPoint Table in a Presentation

Last Updated on August 31, 2023 by Anastasia

Tables are used everywhere in business – price lists, KPI comparisons, project meetings, quarter review meet-ups, accounting audits… Sounds familiar? Table infographics are one of the most common ways to present data. Making a table in PowerPoint or Excel is simple and quick. However, usually, those tables look pretty basic and boring. It’s time to change that!

Read on to find out four easy steps you can follow to quickly change default data tables into more attractive and professional-looking table graphics.

All graphics can be found in the Creative Tables Graphics slides collection . Click on the pictures to see the details.

All the presented table makeovers you’re about to see are done using only standard MS Office PowerPoint tools.  You don’t need any special software, only your computer and a bit of imagination. Let’s have a quick view of how tables can be redesigned.

Before and After PowerPoint Table Redesign

Below you can see a standard table comparing three product features created in PowerPoint. If you use the standard table style it will look like this – a grid with black lines and plain white cells filling:

Here’s an example of how such a table can be facelifted in a few steps to look consistent, and easier to read and remember.

Which table would resonate longer with your audience? Is the one above or below?

And the best part is that it took me 5-10 minutes, using just colors, basic shapes, and a few simple symbols. So don’t worry, you don’t need to have profound design skills to achieve similar results.

For more table examples, check out this table graphics collection here.

Below you can see four steps that are easy to follow. Even if you don’t feel like a graphic designer, you can do it :).

1. Replace the grid of your standard presentation table

The table cell borders separate the content of your table cells. They are far less important than the content itself. Therefore it is a mistake to make them strong black as in the example. Make them look less important by replacing the high-contrast black grid with light gray (or any other color, which will suit your style, gray is one of the most neutral colors). You can also remove the borders completely if you have wide table margins. Here are two examples of such change:

Believe me, your tables will look more elegant and professional without the default black borders.

Eventually, you can get rid only of the outside grid and it will also look better.

To edit the table border click on the table itself and then select in the PowerPoint top menu: Design Table Tab: Borders .

2. Add shapes to table columns and rows headers

The next step is to enhance the headers. Adding a simple arrow shape behind the table will do the trick.

Then adjust the colors of added shapes. Depending on what the goal of the presentation slide is, select the colors:

• Use vivid colors like I did if you want people to focus on that part – in this case, the three products in my example.
• Use calmer colors for less important parts (e.g. shades of gray or blue)

Don’t forget to check if the text on the header is still readable after you add colors. Ensure the contrast – change the header font color to white from black if needed.

3. Illustrate your PowerPoint table with icons

If you have a few more minutes and want to move your tables to the next level, enrich them further with illustrative symbols. Using icons related to the concepts and ideas creates a strong visual association. That will help your audience focus on the information you want to present to them.

In the product table example below, the three features are replaced with simple flat icons – a shield for security, a gauge for efficiency, and cogs representing production.

For increasing visual power I also replaced the third column with discrete Yes / No values but Check / Uncheck icons.

If you need to represent a specific concept with a symbol, check the list of common business concept visualization ideas . We put together various concept visuals on how to illustrate ideas like strategy, competence, deadlines, taxes… Let us know if we missed anything.

By adding small pictures you can focus people’s attention on the points you want: whether you want to emphasize the functionality of a product, the status of a project, or numeric values.

4. Highlight the key table cell content

Most probably there’s one key piece of information in the table you want to show in the context of other table data. Make this key value stand out. The easiest thing is to make the text or number bold or use a different color. However, to make it visually more attractive, I’d suggest other ways of highlighting it:

• make the table cell dark and the text white. This way the whole cell will stand out.
• add an extra shape e.g. a circle with an outline and transparent filling over the table. Or even better, add a hand-drawn swoosh shape . Using such a style will add a personal touch to the table – like you marked it with a pen on paper.

That’s all. Four tricks you can use to make your presentation tables fancier:

• Replace the default black table grid
• Add shapes under the table headers
• Illustrate items with icons to create a mnemonic association
• Highlight the key information in the table.

Most importantly, these simple do-it-yourself instructions will help you save time and create engaging infographic table designs using only PowerPoint shapes, markers, and icons. You can choose your favorite trick from above and try using it in every presentation (e.g. contrast colors, or icons), and see how it changes your slides.

If you like the slides above, you can download them directly here:

Creative Tables PPT Graphics Collection

See the full instructions in this YouTube movie:

I hope this blog inspired you, and I’ll be happy to know if you could apply those steps in your presentation. If you have any other challenges which stop you from slide design, let me know in the comments, and I’ll be glad to share my advice.

Happy designing!

Peter Zvirinsky CEO, Chief Slide Designer, Co-founder at infoDiagram.com

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Chief Diagram Designer, infoDiagram co-founder View all posts by Peter Z

8 thoughts on “4 Steps for a Good-looking PowerPoint Table in a Presentation”

Very helpful… thanks

thanks, Himanshu. we’re glad you find it useful 🙂

Thanks a lot for this!

we’re glad you found inspiration in this blog, Gaston.

If using shapes and table from PowerPoint how do I reference them

Hi, what do you mean by referencing them? Their objects (e.g. inside a VBA macro) or you mean something else? You can try to open the Selection pane window to see all objects on the slide, including shapes and tables if they are present there. Let me know if that helps.

This is a simple but great trick that brings a usual table to a special table. I get inspired by this instruction. Many thanks

we’re glad the tricks were useful for you 🙂

Comments are closed.

How-To Geek

How to insert and format a table in microsoft powerpoint.

Present your data in a clean, structured format using a table. Then format the table to match your slideshow perfectly.

Quick Links

Insert a table in powerpoint, format a table in powerpoint.

Tables are flexible yet clean tools for displaying data. So if you need a bit of structure to show numbers, figures, or text in your Microsoft PowerPoint slideshow, consider using a table.

If you already have the data you need, you can certainly embed an Excel sheet in a PowerPoint slide . But if you don't have a spreadsheet of data or simply want to structure new items just for the presentation, you can easily insert and then format your table with an array of features.

There are two simple ways to insert a table into a slide in PowerPoint. So depending on if you're starting with a slide that has a content box or a blank slide, use one of these methods.

Insert a Table Using a Content Box

Within a slide content box, you can add all sorts of media and items with a simple click. Move your cursor over the table icon in the content box and click.

When the tiny Insert Table window opens, select the number of columns and rows you want for your table and click "OK."

Insert a Table on a Blank Slide

If you're using a blank slide, head to the Insert tab and click the "Table" drop-down box. You can either move your cursor to cover the number of columns and rows you want to insert, or click "Insert Table" and use the tiny window shown above.

The nice thing about using the grid in the Table drop-down box is that as you drag across the columns and rows, you'll see a preview of the table on your slide.

Once you insert your table in PowerPoint, you may see some upfront formatting. This can include a shaded table with alternating colors and a header row. You can keep this formatting or choose your own along with many other features.

Select your table, and then click the Table Design tab to start sprucing it up.

Table Style Options

Starting on the left side of the ribbon, you'll see Table Style Options. If you saw the mentioned formatting when you inserted the table, this is where it all began. So you might see the Header Row and Banded Rows options checked.

Along with these two, you can use a Total Row, First Column, Last Column, and Banded Columns. Each option will highlight the corresponding part of the table.

The Banded Rows and Banded Columns refer to alternating colors.

Table Styles

Depending on the theme or color scheme you're using in your slideshow, you may want to choose a matching table style. Use the up and down arrows to see a quick view of the styles.

Or click the lined arrow at the bottom to display all available styles. If you see one you want to use, simply select it, and your table will update immediately.

To the right of the Table Styles, you have options for Shading, Borders, and Effects.

Shading lets you apply a gradient, texture, picture, or table background. This can give your table a unique look or one tailored to your presentation.

Borders give you basic options for top, bottom, left, right, outside, or all borders. These can help you distinguish the data into the cells or call out specific portions of the table.

And if you want to get super detailed with your table or cell borders, incorporate the Draw Borders section all the way to the right in the ribbon. You can select a line style, size, and color and then draw borders exactly where you want them.

Effects let you add a bevel, reflection, or shadow to your table. One of these can give your table that little extra pizzazz that adds to its appearance.

WordArt Styles

Maybe you're taking a subtle approach to the formatting for the table. Or perhaps you've copied the table from somewhere like Word. You can give your content a boost for the presentation with the WordArt Styles section.

Related: How to Copy a Table From Word to PowerPoint

Like the shading, border, and effects for the table itself, you can liven up the table content by choosing one of the Quick Styles, fill and line colors, or a special effect.

Whether you want to make a table the star of the show or make the content within it shine bright in your PowerPoint slideshow, you have a great number of flexible features. And remember, you can insert other things to make your presentations pop, like a useful calendar or helpful organizational chart .

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Tables in PowerPoint: Full Video Tutorial, Samples, and Practice Exercise

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to insert tables in PowerPoint, format them, change key settings, and use them to create useful slide layouts.

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Tables in PowerPoint are useful for displaying text more visually without creating annoying alignment and distribution issues.

PowerPoint handles all the alignment and distribution for you because it ensures that each cell in a table lines up perfectly with the other cells in the same row and column.

Video Table of Contents:

0:51:  Why Tables?

6:02:  Inserting and Formatting Tables

13:20:  Exercise: “Management Assumptions” Slide

20:47:  Recap and Summary

[Click the “Files & Resources” tab to get all the PowerPoint files for this lesson.]

Tables in PowerPoint are most common in investment banking and finance-related presentations when:

1) You are laying out the assumptions for a valuation, forecast, or other financial analysis, and you want something more interesting than bullets or paragraphs of text.

2) You want to summarize deal or investment terms with a bit of visual flair to avoid the “long boring blobs of text” syndrome.

3) You are creating “timelines” for product launches, deal processes, or other future events, and you want to display calendars or use a mix of shapes and tables to create better visuals.

Here’s a quick example of a table in PowerPoint based on real bank presentations and our own materials:

To understand the value of tables in PowerPoint, think about the image above, but imagine it as a collection of shapes instead:

Let’s say that you edit it and accidentally change the positions of these shapes, which creates many alignment issues:

With a shape-based layout like this, you need to manually fix and tweak everything because there’s no quick, simple way to make all the shapes line up perfectly.

Various PowerPoint macro packages – including our own – can save time and fix some of these problems, but nothing’s perfect.

By contrast, if you had set up this slide as a table, you wouldn’t have had any issues with the edits because tables are automatically aligned properly.

And if the rows and columns in the table are not evenly distributed, you can fix that with a single click in the “Layout” tab after selecting the table:

That said, there are some downsides to tables in PowerPoint.

First, they may contain only text , so there’s no way to “insert” an image or Excel object and make it follow the table everywhere.

Second, copying text to and from tables can be cumbersome because you may have to go cell-by-cell, depending on your source and destination content.

Third, it’s difficult to align tables to other objects in PowerPoint, so it can be tricky to create complex layouts using images and shapes.

Finally, formatting tables can be annoying – unless you’re using macros in PowerPoint – because you cannot copy and paste formatting from an entire table to another entire table .

Tables in PowerPoint: Key Shortcuts for Inserting and Formatting Them

The “Insert Table” command is within the “Insert” (Alt, N) tab in PowerPoint:

The “Table Design” tab appears once you have selected a table or inserted a new table, and it lets you change various formatting elements of the table:

The “Layout” tab, which also appears once you have selected a table, has the commands for adding and deleting rows and columns, splitting and merging cells, and distributing rows and columns:

Key Shortcuts for Inserting Tables in PowerPoint (PC/Windows):

Alt, N, T: Insert Table (no Mac Equivalent)

Alt, JT: Table Design Tab (no Mac Equivalent)

Alt, JL: Table Layout Tab (no Mac Equivalent)

Tab: Move to Next Cell / Insert Row at End of Table (also works on Mac)

Shift + Tab: Move to Previous Cell (also works on Mac)

MAC NOTE:   If you’re on the Mac, we recommend using a tool like Accelerator Keys to replicate these Alt-key shortcuts or a program such as Parallels to run the PC/Windows version of PowerPoint.

If you open a new PowerPoint file and insert a table with Alt, N, T, you can select the number of rows and columns:

Once you’ve inserted the table and picked the size you want, you can enter text in the individual cells:

You can then use the “Design” and “Layout” tabs to change anything from the color scheme to the horizontal/vertical alignment, text direction, and margins in individual cells:

You can apply most of these changes to each cell individually or the entire table , depending on what you’ve selected:

In most cases, you do not want to format cells individually because it makes tables look very inconsistent.

One exception to this ability to change individual cell properties is that if you change the “cell size” within the “Layout” menu, every cell in the same row or column also changes.

In other words, it’s impossible to change the height and width of just one individual cell – the only options are:

1) Change the height of an entire row or multiple rows in the table.

2) Change the width of an entire column or multiple columns in the table.

You can see an example of what happens here when we try to change the height of just one cell:

Tables in PowerPoint are collections of shapes that are automatically aligned and distributed into perfect rows and columns.

This is why they work well for “regular” layouts in grid structures but not so well for corporate hierarchy charts, maps, and anything else with irregular spacing.

Navigating Tables in PowerPoint

Typically, the fastest way to navigate cells is to use the mouse and click the cell you want to edit or click and drag to select the row(s) or column(s) you want.

However, the Tab shortcut (for both PC and Mac) will advance you to the next cell, and the Shift + Tab shortcut will take you to the previous cell.

Tab is more useful because if you’re in the last cell of the table and you press it, PowerPoint will add another row to your table:

Practice Exercise for Tables in PowerPoint: The “Management Assumptions” Slide

In the practice exercise in this lesson, you have to insert a table with the correct number of rows and columns and then format it to match the “Management Assumptions” slide in the reference slides .

Do not worry about copying and pasting in the text, as that does not require any special knowledge of PowerPoint.

Step 1 is to insert a table with 9 columns and 8 rows:

Step 2 is to enable drawing guides (Alt, W, S) and then resize the table so it fits the width and height of the slide:

Step 3 is to fix the formatting, such as the fill colors, the font colors, the font sizes, and the borders:

We can access most of these shortcuts from the “Home” menu or the Quick Access Toolbar (QAT) that we recommend installing in the PowerPoint course.

The table looks better after changing the colors and fonts everywhere, but we still need to fix the borders:

To do this, we can start by selecting the entire bottom area of the table, going to Table Design (Alt, JT), and selecting “No Borders”:

Then, we can keep these rows selected, return to “Table Design,” change the border formatting (color and style), and set the borders for just this region to “Inside Horizontal”:

This gets us close to the finished product in the “After” file .

The key points are that you can format individual cells, rows, and columns differently , but you cannot change the heights and widths of individual cells – only rows and columns.

And when you resize an entire table, the heights of all the rows and the widths of all the columns also change.

More Advanced Features of Tables in PowerPoint: Merging and Splitting Cells and Combining Shapes with Tables

In our full PowerPoint Pro course , we cover additional features of tables, such as how to merge and split cells and combine them with images, Excel objects, and shapes to create diagrams.

Here are a few examples of slides we create using these features:

To learn about these features and get a crash course on tables in PowerPoint, including macros to automate your slides, check out our full PowerPoint Pro course .

About Brian DeChesare

Brian DeChesare is the Founder of Mergers & Inquisitions and Breaking Into Wall Street . In his spare time, he enjoys lifting weights, running, traveling, obsessively watching TV shows, and defeating Sauron.

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Make the Most out of Tables in Your Presentation

Tables are used everywhere in business. They are one of the most practical ways to present key data and figures. So it makes sense that they have become a design staple for PowerPoint presentations. Unfortunately, poor design and formatting have given tables a bad name. Here are some tips to create standout table graphics.

Here’s a question you need to ask yourself from the start: Does my presentation really need a table? Remember, you may not have the time to explain the content of your table during your presentation. If the table isn’t working for you, you can be sure it isn’t working for the audience.

The following tips will help you make the most out of tables in your presentation:

• Make sure the table isn’t too large. Ideally, the audience should be able to see key data at a glance. If the table is large and contains too much content, you risk losing your audience’s attention.

• Make text elements as legible as possible, focusing specifically on the font and font size. Choose a typeface that can be seen from the back of the room. Also make sure that spacing is sufficient and clear.

• Highlight important content. Use color to emphasize key figures, e.g., green for positive numbers and red for negative numbers. Or, use one color to highlight important data. But don’t go overboard. Using too many colors will overwhelm your table, making the content hard to read.

• Remove unnecessary content. Omit anything redundant and condense your content to the essentials. There are other ways of avoiding repeated content. For example, write “all data as percentages” in a footnote instead of adding a percentage sign to each number. Figures should always be rounded up or down to be as legible as possible.

• Have a practical approach to sorting data. Designing tables always depends on the context of the presentation. Data is usually arranged alphabetically or chronologically. However, it may make more sense to sort your data according to key figure amounts. This is when Excel comes in handy. Choose the “Sort and Filter” function before inserting the table into PowerPoint.

• Use icons or infographics to visually enhance your tables . Tables benefit greatly from appealing graphics. Icons, such as check marks or red crosses, can be used to indicate an accomplishment. Symbolic images for specific data groups – e.g., a car icon to display automobile sales figures – can help convey numbers in a more memorable way. Process bars can be displayed in the bottom corner to show milestones or the current progress of a project.

It’s worth taking the time to make your tables as coherent as possible. The audience will be able to follow along, won’t lose focus, and will need fewer clarifications. Careful preparation and clear content will ensure your presentation is a success.

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PowerPoint  - Tables

Powerpoint  -, powerpoint tables.

PowerPoint: Tables

Lesson 22: tables.

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Introduction

Tables are another tool you can use to display information in PowerPoint. A table is a grid of cells arranged in rows and columns . Tables are useful for various tasks, including presenting text information and numerical data. You can even customize tables to fit your presentation.

Optional: Download our practice presentation .

Watch the video below to learn more about inserting tables in PowerPoint.

To insert a table:

• From the Insert tab, click the Table command.

• The table will appear on the currently selected slide. In our example, that's slide 3.

You can also insert a table by clicking the Insert Table command in a placeholder .

Modifying tables

PowerPoint includes several options for customizing tables, including moving and resizing , as well as adding rows and columns .

To move a table:

To resize a table:

To add a row or column:

• Click the Layout tab on the right side of the Ribbon.

To delete a row or column:

You can also access the Insert and Delete commands by right-clicking a table.

To delete a table:

• Click the edge of the table you want to delete, then press the Backspace or Delete key on your keyboard.

Modifying tables with the Layout tab

When you select a table, the Design and Layout tabs will appear on the right side of the Ribbon. You can make a variety of changes to a table using the commands on the Layout tab.

Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn about the different commands on the Layout tab.

Add or Remove Rows and Columns

You can insert or delete rows and columns in your table as needed.

Merge and Split Cells

Some tables require a layout that doesn't fit the standard grid. In these cases, you may need to merge or split cells.

Here, you can type a desired row height or column width for your cells. If you prefer, you can click the AutoFit command to automatically adjust the cells based on their content.

Distribute Rows and Columns

To keep your table looking neat and organized, you may want to distribute the rows or columns equally, which makes them all the same size.

Text Alignment

By changing the text alignment , you can control where the text is located within cells.

Text Direction

Changing the text direction can add style to your table. It can also help to save space if you need to fit more columns in your table.

Customizing tables

PowerPoint makes it easy to change the look and feel of your tables. For example, you can quickly apply different table styles and customize the table borders .

To apply a table style:

• Select any cell in your table, then click the Design tab on the right side of the Ribbon.

To change table style options:

You can turn various options on or off to change the appearance of the table. There are several options: Header Row , Total Row , Banded Rows , First Column , Last Column , and Banded Columns .

• Select any cell in your table.

These options can affect your table style in various ways, depending on the type of content in your table. You may need to experiment with a few options to find the exact style you want.

To add borders to a table:

You can add borders to help define different sections of a table. Certain table styles may include borders automatically, but it's easy to add them manually or customize them. You can control the border weight , color , and line style for some or all of a table.

• Select the cells where you want to add borders. In our example, we'll select every cell in our table.

• To remove borders, select the desired cells, click the Borders command, and select No Border .
• Open our practice presentation .
• On the last slide, insert a table with 5 columns and 3 rows.
• In the first row, type the name of the months January through May. In the second and third rows, type sale amounts of your choice (for example, $1329).
• Change the style of the table.
• Insert a column on the left side of the table.
• On the second row of the new column, type North Region . On the third row , type South Region .
• Delete the last column.
• Resize your table so it takes up a majority of the slide.
• Center your text horizontally and vertically.

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Table Infographics help a lot of purposes. Use them to talk about the prices of memberships, to compare different concepts or ideas, to give percentages related to your company, to summarize a difficult chapter or even to talk about the symptoms of a patient. They appear as lists, blocks, arrows… Some of them are rounded, some others look like arrows or 3D elements and they contain 4 or 5 items per slide.

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Make your PowerPoint presentations accessible to people with disabilities

This topic gives you step-by-step instructions and best practices for making your PowerPoint presentations accessible and unlock your content to everyone, including people with disabilities.

PowerPoint has many features built-in that help people with different abilities to read and author presentations. In this topic, you learn, for example, how to work with the Accessibility Checker to tackle accessibility issues while you're creating your presentation. You'll also learn how to add alt texts to images so that people using screen readers are able to listen to what the image is all about. You can also read about how to use slide design, fonts, colors, and styles to maximize the inclusiveness of your slides before you share or present them to your audience.

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Best practices for making powerpoint presentations accessible.

Check accessibility while you work

Create accessible slides

Avoid using tables

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Create accessible hyperlink text and add screentips, use accessible font format and color, use captions, subtitles, and alternative audio tracks in videos, save your presentation in a different format, test accessibility with a screen reader.

The following table includes key best practices for creating PowerPoint presentations that are accessible to people with disabilities.

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The Accessibility Checker is a tool that reviews your content and flags accessibility issues it comes across. It explains why each issue might be a potential problem for someone with a disability. The Accessibility Checker also suggests how you can resolve the issues that appear.

In PowerPoint, the Accessibility Checker runs automatically in the background when you're creating a presentation. If the Accessibility Checker detects accessibility issues, you will get a reminder in the status bar.

To manually launch the Accessibility Checker, select  Review  >  Check Accessibility . The  Accessibility  pane opens, and you can now review and fix accessibility issues. For more info, go to  Improve accessibility with the Accessibility Checker .

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The following procedures describe how to make the slides in your PowerPoint presentations accessible. For more info, go to Video: Create slides with an accessible reading order and Video: Design slides for people with dyslexia .

Use an accessible presentation template

Use one of the accessible PowerPoint templates to make sure that your slide design, colors, contrast, and fonts are accessible for all audiences. They are also designed so that screen readers can more easily read the slide content.

To find an accessible template, select File > New .

In the Search for Online templates and themes text field, type accessible templates and press Enter.

In the search results, select a suitable template.

In the template preview, select Create .

Give every slide a title

One simple step towards inclusivity is having a unique, descriptive title on each slide, even if it isn't visible. A person with a visual disability that uses a screen reader relies on the slide titles to know which slide is which.

Use the Accessibility ribbon to make sure every slide has a title. For instructions, go to  Title a slide  and expand the "Use the Accessibility ribbon to title a slide" section.

Hide a slide title

You can position a title off the slide. That way, the slide has a title for accessibility, but you save space on the slide for other content. For instructions, go to  Title a slide  and expand the "Put a title on a slide, but make the title invisible" section.

If you want all or many of your slide titles to be hidden, you can modify the slide master. For instructions, go to  Title a slide  and expand the "Systematically hide slide titles" section.

Restore a slide design

If you've moved or edited a placeholder on a slide, you can reset the slide to its original design. All formatting (for example, fonts, colors, effects) go back to what has been assigned in the template. Restoring the design might also help you find title placeholders which need a unique title.

To restore all placeholders for the selected slide, on the Home tab, in the Slides group, select Reset .

Set the reading order of slide contents

Some people with visual disabilities use a screen reader to read the information on the slide. When you create slides, putting the objects in a logical reading order is crucial for screen reader users to understand the slide. 

Use the Accessibility Checker and the Reading Order pane to set the order in which the screen readers read the slide contents. When the screen reader reads the slide, it reads the objects in the order they are listed in the Reading Order pane. 

For the step-by-step instructions how to set the reading order, go to  Make slides easier to read by using the Reading Order pane .

Use built-in slide designs for inclusive reading order, colors, and more

PowerPoint has built-in, predesigned slide designs that contain placeholders for text, videos, pictures, and more. They also contain all the formatting, such as theme colors, fonts, and effects. To make sure that your slides are accessible, the built-in layouts are designed so that the reading order is the same for people who use assistive technologies such as screen readers and people who see. For more info, go to Video: Use accessible colors and styles in slides .

On the View tab, select  Normal .

On the Design tab, do one or both of the following:

Expand the Themes gallery and select the slide layout that you want. PowerPoint automatically applies this layout to the presentation.

Select Design Ideas  and select one of the predesigned designs.

In general, avoid tables if possible and present the data another way, like paragraphs with headings. Tables with fixed width might prove difficult to read for people who use Magnifier, because such tables force the content to a specific size. This makes the font very small, which forces Magnifier users to scroll horizontally, especially on mobile devices.

If you have to use tables, use the following guidelines to make sure your table is as accessible as possible:

Avoid fixed width tables.

Make sure the tables render properly on all devices, including phones and tablets.

If you have hyperlinks in your table, edit the link texts, so they make sense and don't break mid-sentence.

Make sure the slide content is easily read with Magnifier. View it on a mobile device to make sure people won’t need to horizontally scroll the slide on a phone, for example.

Use table headers.

Test accessibility with Immersive Reader.

Use table headers

Screen readers keep track of their location in a table by counting table cells. If a table is nested within another table or if a cell is merged or split, the screen reader loses count and can’t provide helpful information about the table after that point. Blank cells in a table could also mislead someone using a screen reader into thinking that there is nothing more in the table. Use a simple table structure for data only and specify column header information. Screen readers also use header information to identify rows and columns.

To ensure that tables don't contain split cells, merged cells, or nested tables, use the  Accessibility Checker .

Place the cursor anywhere in a table.

On the  Table Design  tab, in the  Table Styles Options group, select the  Header Row  checkbox.

Type your column headings.

Alt text helps people who use screen readers to understand what’s important in the visuals in your slides. Visual content includes pictures, SmartArt graphics, shapes, groups, charts, embedded objects, ink, and videos.

In alt text, briefly describe the image, its intent, and what is important about the image. Screen readers read the description to users who can’t see the content.

Tip:  To write a good alt text, make sure to convey the content and the purpose of the image in a concise and unambiguous manner. The alt text shouldn’t be longer than a short sentence or two—most of the time a few thoughtfully selected words will do. Do not repeat the surrounding textual content as alt text or use phrases referring to images, such as, "a graphic of" or "an image of." For more info on how to write alt text, go to  Everything you need to know to write effective alt text .

Avoid using text in images as the sole method of conveying important information. If you use images with text in them, repeat the text in the slide. In alt text of such images, mention the existence of the text and its intent. 

PowerPoint for PC in Microsoft 365 automatically generates alt texts for photos, stock images, and the PowerPoint icons by using intelligent services in the cloud. Always check the autogenerated alt texts to make sure they convey the right message. If necessary, edit the text. For charts, SmartArt, screenshots, or shapes, you need to add the alt texts manually.

For the step-by-step instructions on how to add or edit alt text, go to  Add alternative text to a shape, picture, chart, SmartArt graphic, or other object  and Video: Improve image accessibility in PowerPoint .

In the Alt Text pane, spelling errors are marked with a red squiggly line under the word. To correct the spelling, right-click the word and select from the suggested alternatives.

In the Alt Text pane, you can also select Generate a description for me to have Microsoft cloud-powered intelligent services create a description for you. You see the result in the alt text field. Remember to delete any comments PowerPoint added there, for example, "Description automatically generated."

To find missing alternative text, use the Accessibility Checker.

Note:  For audio and video content, in addition to alt text, include closed captioning for people who are deaf or have limited hearing.

People who use screen readers sometimes scan a list of links. Links should convey clear and accurate information about the destination. For example, avoid using link texts such as "Click here," "See this page," "Go here," or "Learn more." Instead include the full title of the destination page. You can also add ScreenTips that appear when your cursor hovers over text or images that include a hyperlink.

Tip:   If the title on the hyperlink's destination page gives an accurate summary of what’s on the page, use it for the hyperlink text. For example, this hyperlink text matches the title on the destination page:  Create more with Microsoft templates .

For the step-by-step instructions on how to create hyperlinks and ScreenTips, go to Add a hyperlink to a slide .

An accessible font doesn't exclude or slow down the reading speed of anyone reading a slide, including people with low vision or reading disability or people who are blind. The right font improves the legibility and readability of the text in the presentation.

For the step-by-step instructions on how to change fonts in PowerPoint go to Change the fonts in a presentation or  Change the default font in PowerPoint .

Use accessible font format

To reduce the reading load, select familiar sans serif fonts such as Arial or Calibri. Avoid using all capital letters and excessive italics or underlines.

A person with a vision disability might miss out on the meaning conveyed by particular colors. For example, add an underline to color-coded hyperlink text so that people who are colorblind know that the text is linked even if they can’t see the color. For headings, consider adding bold or using a larger font.

Use accessible font color

Here are some ideas to consider:

The text in your presentation should be readable in a high contrast mode. For example, use bright colors or high-contrast color schemes on opposite ends of the color spectrum. White and black schemes make it easier for people who are colorblind to distinguish text and shapes.

Use the predesigned Office Themes to make sure that your slide design is accessible. For instructions, go to  Use an accessible presentation template  or  Use built-in slide designs for inclusive reading order, colors, and more .

Use the Accessibility Checker to analyze the presentation and find insufficient color contrast. It finds insufficient color contrast in text with or without highlights or hyperlinks in shapes, tables, or SmartArt with solid opaque colors. It does not find insufficient color contrast in other cases such as text in a transparent text box or placeholder on top of the slide background, or color contrast issues in non-textual content.

PowerPoint supports the playback of video with multiple audio tracks. It also supports closed captions and subtitles that are embedded in video files.

Currently, only PowerPoint for Windows supports insertion and playback of closed captions or subtitles that are stored in files separate from the video. For all other editions of PowerPoint (such as PowerPoint for macOS or the mobile editions), closed captions or subtitles must be encoded into the video before they are inserted into PowerPoint.

Supported video formats for captions and subtitles vary depending on the operating system that you're using. Each operating system has settings to adjust how the closed captions or subtitles are displayed. For more information, go to Closed Caption file types supported by PowerPoint .

Closed captions, subtitles, and alternative audio tracks are not preserved when you use the Compress Media or Optimize Media Compatibility features. Also, when turning your presentation into a video , closed captions, subtitles, or alternative audio tracks in the embedded videos are not included in the video that is saved.

When you use the Save Media as command on a selected video, closed captions, subtitles, and multiple audio tracks embedded in the video are preserved in the video file that is saved.

To make your PowerPoint presentations with videos accessible, ensure the following:

Videos include an audio track with video descriptions, if needed, for users who are blind or have low vision.

Videos that include dialogue also include closed captions, in-band closed captions, open captions, or subtitles in a supported format for users that are deaf or hard-of-hearing.

For more information, refer to  Add closed captions or subtitles to media in PowerPoint . 

You can save your presentation in a format that can be easily read by a screen reader or be ported to a Braille reader. For instructions, go to  Video: Save a presentation in a different format or  Create accessible PDFs . Before converting a presentation into another format, make sure you run the Accessibility Checker and fix all reported issues.

When your presentation is ready and you've run the Accessibility Checker to make sure it is inclusive, you can try navigating the slides using a screen reader, for example, Narrator. Narrator comes with Windows, so there's no need to install anything. This is one additional way to spot issues in the navigation order, for example.

Start the screen reader. For example, to start Narrator, press Ctrl+Windows logo key+Enter.

Press F6 until the focus, the blue rectangle, is on the slide content area.

Press the Tab key to navigate the elements within the slide and fix the navigation order if needed. To move the focus away from the slide content, press Esc or F6.

Exit the screen reader. For example, to exit Narrator, press Ctrl+Windows logo key+Enter.

Rules for the Accessibility Checker

Everything you need to know to write effective alt text

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Make your Word documents accessible to people with disabilities

Make your Excel documents accessible to people with disabilities

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Closed Caption file types supported by PowerPoint

Use built-in slide designs for inclusive reading order, colors, and more

Use accessible hyperlink texts and screentips.

Use accessible text alignment and spacing

Create accessible lists

Test the accessibility of your slides with a screen reader.

The Accessibility Checker is a tool that reviews your content and flags accessibility issues it comes across. It explains why each issue might be a potential problem for someone with a disability. The Accessibility Checker also suggests how you can resolve the issues that appear.

PowerPoint has built-in slide designs that contain placeholders for text, videos, pictures, and more. They also contain all the formatting, such as theme colors, fonts, and effects. To make sure that your slides are accessible, the built-in layouts are designed so that the reading order is the same for people who see and people who use technology such as screen readers.

Tip:  For more info on what to consider when you're creating slides for people with dyslexia, go to  Design slides for people with dyslexia .

To find an accessible template, select File > New from Template .

In the Search  text field, type accessible templates , and then press Return.

Off-white backgrounds are better for people with perceptual disabilities, like dyslexia.

Select templates and themes with sans serif fonts that are 18 points or larger.

Look for solid backgrounds with contrasting text color.

Use the  Accessibility  ribbon to make sure every slide has a title. For the step-by-step instructions, go to  Title a slide  and expand the "Use the Accessibility ribbon to title a slide" section.

Tip:  If you've moved or edited a placeholder on a slide, you can reset the slide to its original design. All formatting (for example, fonts, colors, effects) go back to what has been assigned in the template. Restoring the original design might also help you find title placeholders which need a unique title. To restore all placeholders for the selected slide, on the Home tab, select Reset .

You can position a title off the slide. That way, the slide has a title for accessibility, but you save space on the slide for other content. For the step-by-step instructions, go to  Title a slide  and expand the "Put a title on a slide, but make the title invisible" section.

If you want all or many of your slide titles to be hidden, you can modify the slide master. For the step-by-step instructions, go to  Title a slide  and expand the "Systematically hide slide titles" section.

When someone who can see reads a slide, they usually read things, such as text or a picture, in the order the elements appear on the slide. In contrast, a screen reader reads the elements on a slide in the order they were added to the slide, which might be very different from the order in which things appear.

Use the Selection Pane to set the order in which screen readers read the slide contents. Screen readers read the objects in the reverse of the order they are listed in the Selection Pane .

To find slides with a problematic reading order, use the Accessibility Checker .

On the Home tab, select Arrange .

In the Arrange menu, select Selection Pane .

In the Selection Pane , to change the reading order, drag and drop items to the new location.

Avoid using tables 

In general, avoid tables if possible and present the data another way, like paragraphs with headings. Tables with fixed width might prove difficult to read for people who use magnifying features or apps, because such tables force the content to a specific size. This makes the font very small, which forces magnifier users to scroll horizontally, especially on mobile devices.

Make sure the slide content is easily read with magnifying features, such as Zoom . View it on a mobile device to make sure people won’t need to horizontally scroll the slide on a phone, for example.

Use table headers .

Test the accessibility of your slides with a screen reader .

If you do need to use tables, add headers to your table to help screen readers keep track of the columns and rows. If a table is nested within another table or if a cell is merged or split, the screen reader loses count and can’t provide helpful information about the table after that point. Blank cells in a table could also mislead someone using a screen reader into thinking that there is nothing more in the table. Screen readers also use header information to identify rows and columns. 

Type the column headers.

Avoid using text in images as the sole method of conveying important information. If you use images with text in them, repeat the text in the slide. In alt text of such images, mention the existence of the text and its intent.

For the step-by-step instructions on how to add or edit alt text, go to  Add alternative text to a shape, picture, chart, SmartArt graphic, or other object .

For audio and video content, in addition to alt text, include closed captioning for people who are deaf or have limited hearing.

In the  Alt Text  pane, spelling errors are marked with a red squiggly line under the word. To correct the spelling, select and right-click the word, and then select an option from the suggested alternatives.

In the  Alt Text  pane, you can also select  Generate a description for me  to have Microsoft cloud-powered intelligent services create a description for you. You'll see the result in the alt text field. Remember to delete any comments PowerPoint added there, for example, "Description automatically generated."

To find missing alternative text, use the  Accessibility Checker .

People who use screen readers sometimes scan a list of links. Links should convey clear and accurate information about the destination. For example, avoid using link texts such as "Click here," "See this page," "Go here," or "Learn more." Instead include the full title of the destination page. You can also add ScreenTips that appear when your cursor hovers over text or images that include a hyperlink. 

Tip:  If the title on the hyperlink's destination page gives an accurate summary of what’s on the page, use it for the hyperlink text. For example, this hyperlink text matches the title on the destination page: Create more with Microsoft templates .

For the step-by-step instructions on how to create hyperlinks, go to  Add a hyperlink to a slide . 

Use accessible font format and color

For the step-by-step instructions on how to change fonts in PowerPoint, go to  Change the fonts in a presentation . 

Use the predesigned themes to make sure that your slide design is accessible. For instructions, go to  Use an accessible presentation template  or  Use built-in slide designs for inclusive reading order, colors, and more .

Use the Accessibility Checker to analyze the presentation and find insufficient color contrast. It finds insufficient color contrast in text with or without highlights or hyperlinks in shapes, tables, or SmartArt with solid opaque colors. It does not find insufficient color contrast in other cases such as text in a transparent text box or placeholder on top of the slide background, or color contrast issues in non-textual content.

Use accessible text alignment and spacing 

People with dyslexia perceive text in a way that can make it difficult to distinguish letters and words. For example, they might perceive a line of text compressing into the line below, or adjacent letters seeming to merge. Also, having multiple blank lines or consecutive spaces can make keyboard navigation slow and screen reader usage more cumbersome.

Align your paragraph to the left to avoid uneven gaps between words, and increase or decrease the white space between lines to improve readability. Include sufficient white space between lines and paragraphs but avoid more than two spaces between words and two blank lines between paragraphs.

Select the piece of text you want to modify.

To make it easier for screen readers to read your slides, organize the information into small chunks such as bulleted or numbered lists.

Design lists so that you do not need to add a plain paragraph without a bullet or number to the middle of a list. If your list is broken up by a plain paragraph, some screen readers might announce the number of list items wrong. Also, the user might hear in the middle of the list that they are leaving the list.

Place the cursor where you want to create a list.

Type the text you want for each bullet or numbered item in the list.

Closed captions or subtitles must be encoded into the video before it is inserted into PowerPoint. PowerPoint does not support closed captions or subtitles that are stored in a separate file from the video file.

Supported video formats for captions and subtitles vary depending on the operating system that you're using. Each operating system has settings to adjust how the closed captions or subtitles are displayed. For more information, go to  Closed Caption file types supported by PowerPoint.

Closed captions, subtitles, and alternative audio tracks are not preserved when you use the Compress Media or Optimize Media Compatibility features. To learn more about optimizing media for compatibility, go to the section "Optimize media in your presentation for compatibility" in  Are you having video or audio playback issues?  Also, when turning your presentation into a video , closed captions, subtitles, or alternative audio tracks in the embedded videos are not included in the video that is saved.

When you use the Save Media as command on a selected video, closed captions, subtitles, and multiple audio tracks embedded in the video are preserved in the video file that is saved. For more info, go to  Save embedded media from a presentation (audio or video) .

Videos include an audio track with video descriptions, if needed, for users that are blind or have low vision.

Videos that include dialogue also include closed captions, in-band closed captions, open captions, or subtitles in a supported format for users that are deaf or hard-of-hearing.

When your presentation is ready and you've run the Accessibility Checker to make sure it is inclusive, you can try navigating the slides using a screen reader, for example, VoiceOver. VoiceOver comes with macOS, so there's no need to install anything. This is one additional way to spot issues in the navigation order, for example.

Start the screen reader. For example, to start VoiceOver, press Command+F5.

Press F6 until the focus, the black rectangle, is on the slide content area.

Exit the screen reader. For example, to exit VoiceOver, press Command+F5.

Best practices for making PowerPoint presentations accessible

Use accessible hyperlink texts

Use accessible text format and color

Test the accessibility of your slides

PowerPoint has built-in, predesigned slide designs that contain placeholders for text, videos, pictures, and more. They also contain all the formatting, such as theme colors, fonts, and effects. To make sure that your slides are accessible, the built-in layouts are designed so that the reading order is the same for people who use assistive technologies such as screen readers and people who see.

Select  Home > Design .

Select  Themes , and then select the theme you want.

One simple step towards inclusivity is having a unique, descriptive title on each slide, even if it isn't visible. A person with a visual disability that uses a screen reader relies on the slide titles to know which slide is which. With descriptive titles on each slide, everyone can quickly scan through a list of slide titles and go right to the slide they want.

On a slide, select the title placeholder, and then type the title.

Go through each slide in your presentation to make sure they all have titles.

Hide a slide title 

You can position a title off the slide. That way, the slide has a title for accessibility, but you save space on the slide for other content.

On a slide, tap and hold the title element.

Drag the title element outside the slide boundary and then lift your finger off the screen to drop the element off the slide.

Test the accessibility of your slides .

Screen readers keep track of their location in a table by counting table cells. If a table is nested within another table or if a cell is merged or split, the screen reader loses count and can’t provide helpful information about the table after that point. Blank cells in a table could also mislead someone using a screen reader into thinking that there is nothing more in the table. Use a simple table structure for data only and specify column header information. Screen readers also use header information to identify rows and columns. 

Select  Style Options and then select Header Row .

In your table, type the column headings.

Select the visual, for example, an image.

Select  Alt Text , and then type a description for the visual.

Mark visuals as decorative

If your visuals are purely decorative and add visual interest but aren't informative, you can mark them as such without needing to write any alt text. Examples of objects that should be marked as decorative are stylistic borders. People using screen readers will hear that these objects are decorative, so they know they aren’t missing any important information. 

Select the visual, for example, a picture or chart.

Select Alt Text .

Turn on the Mark as decorative switch, and then select Done .

Use accessible hyperlink texts 

People who use screen readers sometimes scan a list of links. Links should convey clear and accurate information about the destination. For example, avoid using link texts such as "Click here," "See this page," "Go here," or "Learn more." Instead include the full title of the destination page.

Tip:  If the title on the hyperlink's destination page gives an accurate summary of what’s on the page, use it for the hyperlink text. For example, this hyperlink text matches the title on the destination page:  Create more with Microsoft templates .

Select the piece of text you want to turn into a hyperlink. The context menu opens.

In the context menu, select Link . The Insert Hyperlink dialog box opens.

Type or paste the hyperlink URL to the ADDRESS text field.

If you want to change the hyperlink text, modify the text in the DISPLAY text field.

Use accessible text format and color

An accessible font doesn't exclude or slow down the reading speed of anyone reading a slide, including people with low vision or reading disability or people who are blind. The right font improves the legibility and readability of the text in the presentation. 

Use accessible text format 

Select the piece of text you want to format.

On the Home tab, select the current font type to open the font menu, and then select the font type you want or adjust the font size to your liking.

Use accessible text color

Use the predesigned Themes  to make sure that your slide design is accessible. For instructions, go to  Use built-in slide designs for inclusive reading order, colors, and more .

On the Home tab, select Font Color , and then pick the font color you want.

Select the text you want to modify.

Create accessible lists 

Design lists so that you do not need to add a plain paragraph without a bullet or number to the middle of a list. If your list is broken up by a plain paragraph, some screen readers might announce the number of list items wrong. Also, the user might hear in the middle of the list that they are leaving the list. 

On a slide, place the cursor where you want to create a list.

On the Home tab, select Bullets or Numbering , and then select the bullet or numbering style you want.

Type the first bulleted or numbered item in the list, and then select return on the on-screen keyboard. A new list item is added. Repeat this step for each list item you want to add.

When your slides are ready, you can try a few things to make sure they are accessible:

Switch to the full desktop or web version of PowerPoint, and then run the Accessibility Checker. The Accessibility Checker is a tool that reviews your content and flags accessibility issues it comes across. It explains why each issue might be a potential problem for someone with a disability. The Accessibility Checker also suggests how you can resolve the issues that appear. For instructions, go to  Improve accessibility with the Accessibility Checker .

In the PowerPoint for iOS app, you can try navigating the slides using the built-in screen reader, VoiceOver. VoiceOver comes with iOS, so there's no need to install anything. This is one additional way to spot issues in the navigation order, for example.

To turn on VoiceOver, do one of the following:

In your device settings, select  Accessibility  >  VoiceOver , and then turn on the  VoiceOver  switch.

Press the power button of your device three times.

To navigate the content in the slide, swipe left or right. Modify the reading order of the elements on the slides if necessary.

Tip:  To select an item in focus when VoiceOver is on, double-tap the screen.

To turn off VoiceOver, do one of the following:

In your device settings, select  Accessibility  >  VoiceOver , and then turn off the  VoiceOver  switch.

Make your OneNote notebooks accessible to people with disabilities

PowerPoint has built-in, predesigned slide designs that contain placeholders for text, videos, pictures, and more. They also contain all the formatting, such as theme colors, fonts, and effects. To make sure that your slides are accessible, the built-in layouts are designed so that the reading order is the same for people who use assistive technologies such as screen readers and people who see. 

Give every slide a title 

One simple step towards inclusivity is having a unique, descriptive title on each slide, even if it isn't visible. A person with a visual disability that uses a screen reader relies on the slide titles to know which slide is which. With descriptive titles on each slide, everyone can quickly scan through a list of slide titles and go right to the slide they want. 

Select  Style Options , and then select Header Row .

In the table, type the column headings.

On a slide, select a visual.

Select the visual.

Select  Alt Text .

Select the Mark as decorative checkbox.

Select the piece of text you want to turn into a hyperlink.

Select Home > Insert > Link .

Do one of the following:

To insert a hyperlink to a web page, select Insert Link . Type or paste the hyperlink URL to the  Address text field. If you want to change the hyperlink text, modify the text in the  Text to display text field.

To insert a link to a recent document, browse the Recent Items list until you find the one you want, and then select it.

On the  Home  tab, you can do, for example, the following:

To change the font type, select the current font type to open the Font menu, and then select the font type you want.

To adjust the font size, select the current font size, and then select the new font size.

Use the predesigned  Themes  to make sure that your slide design is accessible. For the step-by-step instructions, go to  Use built-in slide designs for inclusive reading order, colors, and more .

On the  Home  tab, expand the  Font Color menu, and then pick the color you want.

On the  Home  tab, select  Bullets  or  Numbering , and then select the bullet or numbering style you want.

Test the accessibility of your slides 

In the PowerPoint for Android app, you can try navigating the slides using the built-in screen reader, TalkBack. TalkBack comes with Android, so there's no need to install anything. This is one additional way to spot issues in the navigation order, for example.

To turn on TalkBack, do one of the following:

In your device settings, select  Accessibility  >  TalkBack , and then turn on the  Use service  switch.

Press and hold the volume keys of your device until the device vibrates.

Tip:  To select an item in focus when TalkBack is on, double-tap the screen.

To turn off TalkBack, do one of the following:

In your device settings, select  Accessibility  >  TalkBack , and then turn off the  Use service  switch.

Best practices for making PowerPoint for the web presentations accessible

Add alt text to visuals and tables.

The following table includes key best practices for creating PowerPoint for the web presentations that are accessible to people with disabilities.

Check accessibility while you work 

To manually launch the Accessibility Checker, select  Review  >  Check Accessibility . The  Accessibility  pane opens, and you can now review and fix accessibility issues. For more info, go to  Improve accessibility with the Accessibility Checker .

PowerPoint for the web has built-in slide designs that contain placeholders for text, videos, pictures, and more. They also contain all the formatting, such as theme colors, fonts, and effects. To make sure that your slides are accessible, the built-in layouts are designed so that the reading order is the same for people who see and people who use technology such as screen readers.

Tip:   For more info on what to consider when you're creating slides for people with dyslexia, go to  Design slides for people with dyslexia .

In your browser, go to Accessible PowerPoint template sampler .

On the Accessible PowerPoint template sampler  page, select Download . The template sampler is downloaded to your device.

Open the sampler in the full desktop version of PowerPoint, select a suitable slide design, and save it.

Open PowerPoint for the web in your browser, open the selected design, and create your presentation.

Use the  Accessibility  ribbon to make sure every slide has a title. For the step-by-step instructions, go to the section "Use the Accessibility ribbon to title a slide" in  Title a slide .

You can position a title off the slide. That way, the slide has a title for accessibility, but you save space on the slide for other content. For the step-by-step instructions, go to the section "Put a title on a slide, but make the title invisible" in  Title a slide .

Use an accessible reading order for the slide contents

Use the  Selection Pane  to set the order in which screen readers read the slide contents. Screen readers read the objects in the reverse of the order they are listed in the  Selection Pane .

To find slides with a problematic reading order, use the  Accessibility Checker .

On the Home tab, select Arrange > Selection Pane .

If you do need to use tables, add headers to your table to help screen readers keep track of the columns and rows. If a table is nested within another table or if a cell is merged or split, the screen reader loses count and can’t provide helpful information about the table after that point. Blank cells in a table could also mislead someone using a screen reader into thinking that there is nothing more in the table. Screen readers also use header information to identify rows and columns.

Select Table Design .

In the alt text description field, spelling errors are marked with a red squiggly line under the word.

In the visual's Alt Text  pane, you can also select  Generate a description for me  to have Microsoft cloud-powered intelligent services create a description for you. You'll see the result in the alt text field. Remember to delete any comments PowerPoint added there, for example, "Description automatically generated."

To add alt text to visuals and tables, do one of the following:

To add alt text to an image, do one of the following:

Right-click an image. Select Alt Text... .

Select an image. Select Picture  > Alt Text .

To add alt text to a SmartArt graphic, select a SmartArt graphic, and then select SmartArt  > Alt Text .

To add alt text to a shape or embedded video, select a shape or video, and then select Shape > Alt Text .

To add alt text to a table, place the cursor in any cell, and then select  Table Layout > Alt Text .

For images, type a description. For SmartArt graphics, shapes, videos, and tables, type a title and description.

For the step-by-step instructions on how to create hyperlinks, go to  Add a hyperlink to a slide .

To change the font format or color, select the piece of text you want to modify

Select the Home tab.

In the Font group, select your formatting options, for example, a different font type or color.

Type the text you want for each bulleted or numbered item in the list.

PowerPoint supports the playback of video with multiple audio tracks. It also supports closed captions and subtitles that are embedded in video files.

Closed captions or subtitles must be encoded into the video before it is inserted into PowerPoint. PowerPoint does not support closed captions or subtitles that are stored in a separate file from the video file.

Closed captions, subtitles, and alternative audio tracks are not preserved when you use the  Compress Media  or Optimize Media Compatibility features. To learn more about optimizing media for compatibility, go to the section "Optimize media in your presentation for compatibility" in  Are you having video or audio playback issues?  Also, when turning your presentation into a video, closed captions, subtitles, or alternative audio tracks in the embedded videos are not included in the video that is saved.

When you use the  Save Media as  command on a selected video, closed captions, subtitles, and multiple audio tracks embedded in the video are preserved in the video file that is saved. For more info, go to  Save embedded media from a presentation (audio or video) .

To make your PowerPoint presentations with videos accessible, ensure the following:

Improve accessibility with the Accessibility Checker

Make your Outlook email accessible to people with disabilities ​​​​​​​

Technical support for customers with disabilities

Microsoft wants to provide the best possible experience for all our customers. If you have a disability or questions related to accessibility, please contact the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk for technical assistance. The Disability Answer Desk support team is trained in using many popular assistive technologies and can offer assistance in English, Spanish, French, and American Sign Language. Please go to the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk site to find out the contact details for your region.

If you are a government, commercial, or enterprise user, please contact the enterprise Disability Answer Desk .

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How to Create Slides That Suit Your Superiors: 11 Tips

When you’re pitching ideas or budgets to execs in your organization, you need to deliver slides that fit those particular people just right. This checklist identifies the key considerations.

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I recently interviewed 20 of my customers, all in senior roles at Fortune 100 companies, and asked them their biggest pain point in presenting to higher-ups and even colleagues. What I heard consistently was that it can feel like Goldilocks bouncing from one option to the next, testing to figure out what’s “just right.” Does the audience want deep reports? Sparse slides? Something in between? Like … what?

Teams often come to presentation meetings with vast amounts of backup content just in case an exec wants to take a deep dive on any given point. There’s often a struggle to anticipate every direction attendees might want to go. It’s frustrating, and it’s not efficient.

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There are many ways to build slides. I’m not just talking about crafting them well versus poorly. I’m talking about all of the important decisions regarding how to organize them, how much text to use, when to lean into a chart, the best ways to use bullets and color, and whether to include an appendix with additional information. Before you make your next proposal or request of the executive team, use this list of 11 tips for your next set of slides as a guide.

Four Things You Must Have in Every Exec’s Slides

Before we drill down into the harder aspects, the ones where your executives’ tastes may vary widely, let’s quickly cover four aspects that you can consider the building blocks — the basics you should never proceed without.

Start with an executive summary. Begin the slide deck with a tight executive summary that follows a three-act structure. First, start with stating the current realities. Second, clearly state the problem or opportunity your idea addresses and its potential impact. Third, explain how your recommendation solves the problem or exploits the opportunity and the next steps you’re proposing.

Have a logical organization. The arc of the deck — the package from beginning to end — should make sense. If your audience reads only the headline of every slide, the order should be coherent and make most of the case for you. The content below each slide’s headline must support the statement made in the title. Remove everything that doesn’t support your point; as writers will tell you, you sometimes need to “kill your darlings” when you’re editing.

Begin the slide deck with a tight executive summary that follows a three-act structure.

Make it skimmable. Help your audience to quickly grasp the point without getting bogged down in details. Create a clear visual hierarchy. Guide the reader’s eye through the content: Use bold headings, bullet points, and numbered lists to break down information into digestible pieces. Highlight key takeaways or conclusions in a different color or font size to draw attention to these critical points.

Focus on concise insights. Succinct statements with clear insights are everyone’s jam. Every slide should serve a purpose and contribute directly to the decision-making process. Distill complex information. Don’t use 100 words when 20 words will nail it. If you’re having difficulty trimming, consider using company-approved AI tools to help you take out the fluff.

Five Preferences to Confirm With the Person You Want to Reach

Now we’ll delve into what your particular audience does and does not want. If you haven’t yet, start by asking the person you’re presenting to what they generally prefer. They probably know themselves well but have not been asked to articulate how they like to receive information.

Ask how dense is too dense. Some executives prefer detailed slides with comprehensive data. Others favor a more high-level approach. You’re weighing how to balance informative content with readability, ensuring that slides are not overloaded yet are sufficiently detailed to support decision-making.

Confirm the delivery format and timing. Some execs like information presented to them. Others prefer a pre-read of the material followed by a discussion. I always recommend our tool Slidedocs (I’ve written a free e-book on them), which are visual documents using both words and images. The templates help presenters organize their thoughts into a document for a pre-read or a read-along. They are designed to be skimmable and able to travel through your organization without the help of a presenter.

I’m a huge fan of pre-reads and prefer to use my time in meetings to ask questions and build alignment. If your audience didn’t review your material in advance, ask at the top of the meeting whether they would like you to present it or would prefer to read through it and then discuss it.

Find out how much data visualization they prefer. Charts, graphs, photos, and illustrations often communicate complex data more clearly than words alone. When execs can see what you’re saying, they often can better understand the impact of your idea. Does the exec want to understand exact numbers? Bar charts allow them to move their eyes across a series of specifics. Does the exec want to know the shape of a trend over time? Line charts can show the pattern. (See “Classic Charts Communicate Data Quickly.”) Some prefer charts with annotations that draw attention to what you think is the most important point. Others want to make their own conclusions from the data.

One of my clients, the CEO of a massive commercial real estate company, doesn’t want anything visualized. He prefers numbers, only in a table, and only in two colors — black and red. You might think this is archaic. But the fact that he’s clear to his teams about what he wants takes all the mystery out of how to communicate with him.

When the stakes are high, have a conceptual thinker help with diagrams and concepts. If you don’t have one on your team, and when it’s high stakes, find an internal designer to help you or hire one. You can’t afford to have the baby (your idea) thrown out with the bathwater (terrible slides).

Identify which details need spelling out. How well do the people you’re presenting to know the landscape and function of the company and products you’re talking about? For example, if your engineering team threw a slide into a deck about an issue that requires executive approval, do the execs all speak geek? Or do you need to explain the technology so that they will really understand the ask? Either eliminate internal jargon and acronyms or unpack those bits, especially if your proposal deeply involves expertise outside of the executives’ domain.

Ask whether appendices will be useful. When you’re organizing a presentation, you often troll data, read through complicated reports, and even hire external experts to figure out what’s best for the company. Do your execs want access to that supporting data? You can add a document to the end of the presentation as an appendix to show all of the data and source material. This allows the main content of the slides to remain focused and accessible while still providing comprehensive background information for those who want more.

Two Tips to Improve Your Presentation Skills

Getting materials in place is the biggest step. They will be your best tools for selling your ideas. But there are two extra areas to pay attention to as a presenter: how you handle questions and how you use every experience to improve.

Anticipate questions, and practice your answers. Before you have your meeting, gather a small team to challenge every point you make. Invite colleagues you trust to role-play as “a rapidly inquisitive exec” or “the doubting naysayer exec” so you are prepared to present your idea well. They’re gonna grill you, and practicing will help you remain unruffled when it happens.

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Ask for feedback after the presentation. Establish a feedback loop with those you presented to. Ask what worked well and how you can improve. If attendees don’t have the time, find people who have had their ideas funded and talk to them about what they did that worked. Advice and some perspective will help you nail your performance even better next time.

Empathetically understanding your audience members and how they process information, whether it’s executives or peers, sets up your ideas for success. Clarity creates efficiency. When a presentation fits just right, you’ve given your great thinking the best chance of moving through your organization and having maximum impact.

About the Author

Nancy Duarte is CEO of Duarte Inc. , a communication company in the Silicon Valley. She’s the author of six books, including DataStory: Explain Data and Inspire Action Through Story (Ideapress Publishing, 2019).

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Keep Party Hors D'oeuvres Chilled With A Genius Ice And Lettuce Trick

From stuffing cherry peppers to making vegan deviled eggs , you've put in some solid effort to create beautiful hors d'oeuvres for tonight's dinner party. The only issue is that you know they would be much better if served chilled. Instead of risking soggy ingredients and bowls of melted ice, a little hostessing strategy can go a long way in keeping presentations pretty and morsels tasting fresh all night long. 

Just before serving, fill a shallow dish with ice cubes and lay lettuce leaves on top to build a fresh, cool bed of green for your culinary creations. When assembling your icy platters, opt for sturdier greens that can withstand colder temperatures without wilting: Iceburg lettuce, kale, romaine, and butter lettuce can serve as cool platforms for the  shrimp cocktail and sliced cucumbers you have ready to set on the kitchen counter. For helpful cleanup — or should your party run later than expected — you can fill sealable plastic bags with ice before draping lettuce over them. Unless they look, no guest will know what is hidden beneath the fresh layer of produce.

More than meets the eye with this easy hostessing hack

Use this same hidden ice technique to keep fresh sauces and creamy dips chilled. You can also use the cool base to rest silverware that is meant to be spooned into colder dishes like ice creams and desserts. Delicate salads, cold meats, seafood dishes, and fresh fruit will stay crisp while resting on the concealed platforms of ice, and the pop of green that the lettuce offers will add an aesthetic touch to your dinner party presentations. 

Create variety by using different-sized dishes and bowls or stack plates to build levels within the hors d'oeuvres platters you've assembled. Though covering ice with lettuce is a simple addition to your list of hostessing duties, it is a professional one — and an essential tactic if you're looking to keep cold food at optimal temperatures and your hors d'oeuvres looking sharp until the last guest leaves.

What Is HTML Table Border And How To Use It

HTML table borders play a pivotal role in enhancing web design, offering structure and visual appeal to data presentation. In this article, we'll explore the nuances of styling table borders using CSS, from basic applications to advanced techniques.

💡KEY INSIGHTS

• The border attribute in HTML tables defines the thickness of the border around table cells.
• For more styling flexibility , CSS is preferred over the HTML border attribute for table borders.
• Collapsing borders using CSS creates a single border shared between adjacent table cells.
• Using CSS, the appearance of table borders can be customized with different styles, widths, and colors.

HTML table borders are a fundamental aspect of web design, allowing for structured and visually appealing data presentation.

While they might seem straightforward, there's more to them than meets the eye. Let's explore the nuances and best practices to enhance your web pages.

Basics Of HTML Table Borders

Applying border styles, setting border width and color, collapsing and spacing table borders, styling individual cells and rows, frequently asked questions.

Tables in HTML are a powerful tool for displaying structured data. The borders of these tables help in visually separating and defining the content. By default, HTML tables don't have borders. However, with a bit of CSS, you can easily add them.

Adding A Basic Border

Styling individual cells, border collapse property, frequently used border styles.

To give your table a border, you can use the border property in CSS. For example:

However, this will only add a border around the entire table.

To add borders to individual cells, you'll need a bit more styling.

Each cell within a table can have its own border. This is achieved by applying the border property to the <td> or <th> elements.

When you add borders to individual cells, you might notice double borders where cells meet. This is because each cell has its own border. To make these borders collapse into a single border, use the border-collapse property:

There are various styles available for borders. Some of the commonly used ones include:

• solid : A single line border.
• dotted : A series of dots.
• dashed : A series of short lines.

Common Border Styles

Styling rows and cells, using the border-style property.

When it comes to HTML tables, the style of the border plays a crucial role in the overall appearance. CSS offers a variety of border styles that can be applied to tables, rows, and individual cells to achieve the desired look.

CSS provides several styles that can be used to customize the appearance of borders. Here are some of the most commonly used styles:

• solid : A continuous line.
• dotted : A series of small dots.
• dashed : A series of short line segments.
• double : Two parallel lines.
• groove : A 3D grooved border.
• ridge : A 3D ridged border.

For instance, to apply a dashed border to a table:

Not only can the entire table have a border style, but individual rows and cells can also be styled differently. This allows for a more detailed and customized appearance.

The border-style property in CSS can be used to specify different styles for different sides of an element. For example, you can have a solid top border, a dotted right border, a dashed bottom border, and a double left border for a cell:

Experimenting with different border styles can lead to unique and visually appealing table designs. It's all about finding the right combination that aligns with the content and the overall design of the webpage.

Adjusting Border Width

Choosing border colors, individual side styling, combining width and color.

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A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship.

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In web design, the thickness and color of table borders can significantly influence the visual impact of the content. By adjusting the border width and color , you can make tables stand out or blend seamlessly with the rest of the page.

The width of the border determines its thickness. You can set it using pixel values, em units, or other CSS length units. A larger value results in a thicker border, while a smaller value gives a thinner border.

Color plays a pivotal role in setting the mood and drawing attention. CSS allows you to specify border colors using names, hex codes, RGB values, and more.

For more granular control, you can style each side of a table or cell separately. This allows for creative designs, such as having different colors or widths on each side.

When setting both the border width and color, the order matters. The width always comes before the color in the CSS declaration.

By understanding and effectively using border width and color, you can enhance the aesthetics of your tables. Whether you aim for subtlety or emphasis, the right combination can make your content more engaging and visually appealing.

When working with HTML tables, managing the appearance of borders between cells is crucial.

Two primary CSS properties come into play here: border-collapse and border-spacing . These properties help in refining the look of the table by controlling the borders' behavior and spacing.

The Border-Collapse Property

The border-spacing property, effects on table appearance.

The border-collapse property determines how borders of adjacent cells behave. There are two main values:

• separate : This is the default value. Each cell has its own distinct border.
• collapse : Adjacent cell borders are merged into a single border.

For a more unified look, you might prefer the collapse value:

When using border-collapse: separate; , the border-spacing property becomes relevant. It controls the space between the borders of adjacent cells. You can set horizontal and vertical spacing values:

Collapsing borders provide a compact and cohesive appearance, ideal for dense data tables.

On the other hand, separate borders with spacing can give a more airy and distinct look, suitable for tables with minimal data or where cell distinction is vital.

In conclusion, the choice between collapsing and spacing table borders depends on the desired visual effect. By mastering these properties, you can ensure your tables are both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

Cell-Level Styling

Row-level styling, hover effects, using classes for reusability.

In HTML tables, sometimes there's a need to highlight specific cells or rows to draw attention or convey importance. CSS offers a plethora of options to style individual cells and rows , ensuring that your table communicates effectively.

Each cell in a table can be uniquely styled. Whether you want to emphasize a particular data point or differentiate header cells from data cells, CSS has got you covered.

Entire rows can also be styled to group related data or highlight a specific entry. For instance, you might want to give a different background to alternate rows for better readability.

Interactive styling, such as hover effects, can enhance user experience. By changing the style of a cell or row when a user hovers over it, you can create a more dynamic table.

Instead of inline styles, you can define CSS classes for common styles. This promotes reusability and keeps your HTML clean.

Then, apply the class to any cell:

By taking advantage of CSS, you can ensure that individual cells and rows in your tables are not only informative but also visually engaging.

Whether it's through colors, borders, or interactive effects, the right styling can make your data stand out.

A CSS Solution : Given his proficiency in CSS, Alan knew that he could easily remove the borders from the tables. He started by selecting the tables and their corresponding cells, and then set their borders to none.

Key Takeaways : This case study highlights the ease and efficiency of CSS in customizing web designs. Alan's task of removing table borders was made straightforward using a few lines of CSS.

This underscores the importance of understanding and utilizing CSS for web developers, as it provides quick solutions to common design challenges.

Why are there double borders between my table cells?

When you add borders to individual cells, each cell gets its own border, leading to double borders. To merge them into a single border, use the border-collapse: collapse; property on the <table> element.

Can I use gradient colors for table borders?

While CSS does support gradients for backgrounds, applying gradient colors to borders directly is more complex. You would typically use a workaround involving pseudo-elements or additional wrapper elements.

Is it possible to add a border only to the top and bottom of a table?

Yes, you can use the border-top and border-bottom properties on the <table> element to achieve this.

Let's see what you learned!

What Is the Default Border Style of an HTML Table?

Continue learning with these html guides.

• How To Use HTML Special Characters In Web Design
• How To Use HTML Preview Effectively
• How To HTML Encode Your Content Properly
• What Is Iframe HTML And How To Use It
• Comprehension HTML Attributes And Their Usage

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Dragon’s Dogma 2 gifts are used to increase character’s affinity, which may lead to certain romance options. As different NPCs like different things, however, you’ll have to find the best gifts to reach max affinity.

This Dragon’s Dogma 2 gift guide will explain all gift preferences, from flowers to monster drops.

Dragon's Dogma 2 Gifts Explained

In Dragon's Dogma 2, you can present gifts to almost any NPC in the game, as long as they have a name and you can speak with them. By offering gifts to characters, you can build their affinity (affection) for you. If an NPC's affinity becomes high enough, they will show up at your house, present you with gifts, and (if they're merchants) offer discounts. Once they reach max affinity , they will also start to visibly blush .

How to Present a Gift

If you want to give a gift to an NPC, you need to initiate the conversation and use the "gift" button - the default is the ‘X’ on a controller and the ‘Y’ on a keyboard. Don't just give any old item though! Each NPC has certain gift preferences , which you can see in the NPC Logbook (open your menu, then go to 'history'). Look them up by their name, and the logbook will tell you their likes, such as fancy items or beautiful items.

One problem: how to know which items correspond with the NPCs preferred category? In other words, what items fall under 'beautiful', 'fancy', or 'interesting' items? If you want to find a suitable gift for an NPC, the Dragon's Dogma 2 gift list below can help you out.

Dragon's Dogma 2 Gift Types

Here's a list of all gift categories in Dragon's Dogma 2:

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Trump's social media company loses billions in value as stock price swings wildly

By Aimee Picchi

Edited By Anne Marie Lee

Updated on: April 3, 2024 / 6:14 PM EDT / CBS News

Former President Donald Trump's fledgling media business is losing its sheen among investors a week after going public, with a sharp reversal in the company's stock price lopping $4 billion off its value.

Monday's plunge in Trump Media & Technology Group's shares, which debuted on the Nasdaq Composite Index on March 25 under the ticker "DJT" (after the former president's initials), comes as it disclosed mounting losses in a  regulatory filing . The company also noted that its accountant had issued a warning that its losses "raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern."

Shares of Trump Media & Technology Group, whose primary asset is the Truth Social platform, tumbled 21% on Monday, closing at $48.66, or below its opening price last Monday of $49.90 per share. It also represents a 39% plunge from the stock's high of $79.38 on March 26.  

Since then, the stock has whipsawed, rallying 6% on Tuesday, but then dipping 5.4% on Wednesday, when it closed at $48.81, again below its opening price when Trump Media went public last week.

Still, the stock also remains higher than before a deal that took Trump's media company public last week. The shares had previously traded under the name Digital World Acquisition Corp., a shell company designed to take Truth Social public. Even after Monday's dip, the stock has surged 179% this year.

As of the close of trading on Tuesday, Trump, who owns 57% of the newly public company, has lost $2.5 billion — at least on paper — because of the stock slide. His stake is now worth $3.8 billion, down from $6.3 billion at the stock's peak last week.

Worth more than Harley-Davidson

To be sure, Trump Media continues to maintain a heady market capitalization for a business that's in the red and that booked just $4.1 million in revenue last year. Even after Monday's stock plunge, the business is worth $6.7 billion, making it more valuable than companies like Bausch & Lomb, Alcoa Corp. or Harley-Davidson, all of which have annual revenue in the billions. 

Trump Media's soaring valuation has prompted comparisons with so-called "meme" stocks like GameStop, which typically attract individual investors based on social media buzz, rather than the tried-and-true yardsticks relied on by institutional investors, such as profitability and revenue growth. 

Yet Truth Social has positioned itself as an alternative to more established tech giants such as Meta's Facebook, which also endured losses in its early years. 

"GameStop was the meme stock of a lifetime, but Trump Media has put it to shame," Michael Pachter, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, told the Associated Press last week. 

Despite the attention around Trump Media's debut on the public market, it's not giving a much of a boost to Truth Social, according to Similarweb. The web analytics firm found that traffic from daily active users of the platform fell 23% last week. 

"Even during the peak of excitement over the IPO (plus the release of a Trump-branded Bible), usage was less than 1% higher than the previous week," Similarweb said in a new report.

Trump Media CEO Devin Nunes: No debt

In a statement  on Tuesday, Trump Media & Technology Group CEO Devin Nunes said Truth Social "has no debt and over $200 million in the bank, opening numerous possibilities for expanding and enhancing our platform."

But details about Trump Media's finances show that the company's revenue is far lower than other social media platforms. On Monday, the company said it booked $4.1 million in revenue last year, compared with $1.5 million in the year-earlier period. 

That means Trump Media had about $750,000 in revenue in the fourth quarter, as the company had previously disclosed sales of $3.38 million for the first nine months of 2023. By comparison, Reddit, another money-losing tech company that recently went public, booked $804 million in revenue last year.

Trump Media & Technology Group also posted a loss of $58 million in 2023, compared with a profit of $50 million in the prior year. 

Additionally, it noted that its accountant flagged that the company's losses raise doubts about its ability to continue operating. Such a warning, however, reflects the company's current situation; the company could grow its user base, revenue and reverse its losses, putting it on a more stable path. 

Trump's stake locked up

Trump stands to make billions from his majority stake in Truth Social's parent company, a windfall that comes at an opportune time for the former president given mounting financial pressures . 

Even so, Trump is unable to access the stock, at least for now. That's because Trump and other company executives are subject to a so-called "lock-up" provision that bars them from selling the stock for at least six months. Such provisions are common in IPOs as a way to keep insiders from dumping shares immediately after a company goes public.

"Trump cannot sell his stock in the company for six months, making it difficult to translate Truth Social's value into liquid cash that can be spent on the campaign," Europa Group analysts said in a report. "That outlook could change over the coming months, particularly if Trump obtains the waiver or can find a lender willing to accept shares in Trump Media as collateral."

Many of the investors in DJT appear to be small investors who want to show their support for the former president by buying shares in the company. On Truth Social, some of these shareholders posted rebuttals about the stock decline, blaming short sellers, or people who make bets that a stock will decline. 

Others predicted that Trump Media's shares will soon rebound, while others blamed the stock decline on the former president's detractors. "They don't like President @realDonaldTrump and his policies, especially his creation, Truth Social, so they are trying to destroy his company, DJT," one supporter on a DJT group on Truth Social wrote. 

• Donald Trump
• Truth Social

Aimee Picchi is the associate managing editor for CBS MoneyWatch, where she covers business and personal finance. She previously worked at Bloomberg News and has written for national news outlets including USA Today and Consumer Reports.

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• Open access
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Adulterants present in the San Diego county fentanyl supply: a laboratory analysis of seized law enforcement samples

• Henrik Galust 1 , 2 , 3 ,
• Justin A. Seltzer 1 , 2 , 3 ,
• Jeremy R. Hardin 1 , 2 , 3 ,
• Nathan A. Friedman 1 , 2 , 3 ,
• Jeff Salamat 4 ,
• Richard F. Clark 1 , 2 , 3 &
• Jennifer Harmon 4  

BMC Public Health volume  24 , Article number:  923 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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Metrics details

The opioid overdose crisis is one of the worst public health crises ever to face the US and emerging evidence suggests its effects are compounded by the presence of drug adulterants. Here we report our efforts to characterize the adulterants present within the local fentanyl supply of San Diego County, obtained from undifferentiated drug samples seized by local law enforcement over the calendar year 2021.

Thirty-two participating local law enforcement agencies across San Diego submitted 4838 unknown individual illicit drug samples (total of 312 kg) to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department Regional Crime Laboratory for identification.

Qualitative analysis of these samples via FTIR and GC-MS identified methamphetamine (38.7%), fentanyl (20.8%), diacetylmorphine (heroin) (10.2%), codeine (5.8%) and alprazolam (4.3%) as the most common illicit substances and the presence of 52 unique adulterants. The most common adulterants included 4-methylaminoantipyrine (4-MAAP) (10.9%), mannitol (9%), acetaminophen (8.5%), methamphetamine (4.2%), diacetylmorphine (heroin) (3.6%), tramadol (1.9%), and xylazine (1.7%). Several additional pharmacologically active adulterants and contaminants of interest were also identified.

This analysis is vital for public health use and harm reduction efforts at the level of the individual consumer. Continued direct surveillance of the drug supply is necessary for the detection of potentially harmful adulterants that may pose serious threats to the public.

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According to a nationwide survey conducted in 2020, 6.6% of individuals over the age of 12 reported at least one substance use disorder of an illicit drug of abuse in the prior year [ 1 ]. In the same year, more than 105,000 deaths were associated with drug overdoses; nearly 75% of these were attributed to illicit opioid use [ 2 ]. Within this context, there is an ongoing public health concern related to the presence of “adulterants” and “contaminants” within drug supplies [ 3 , 4 , 5 ].

Adulterants are pharmacologically active or inactive ingredients added to increase bulk as a cost-saving measure, produce synergistic drug effects to enhance or improve the effects of the diluted drug, help enhance drug absorption, or reduce the amount of drug necessary to achieve the desired effect [ 6 , 7 ]. Potentially harmful adulterants have historically been associated with morbidity and mortality [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]. On the other hand, contaminants are unintentional and have no role in augmenting the intended drug. They are commonly precursors or by-products of manufacturing or storage, remnants of low-quality manufacturing techniques and storage practices [ 6 ]. The landscape of drug adulterants specifically is complex and rapidly evolving, often subject to various economic and law-enforcement pressures experienced by illicit drug manufacturers. Consequently, routine public health surveillance of the drug supply is necessary [ 6 ].

Here we report our efforts to characterize the adulterants present within our local fentanyl supply in San Diego County. By analyzing seized fentanyl samples, we aim to provide insight into current adulteration trends and raise awareness of potentially harmful and clinically relevant adulterants in the drug supply.

From January 4, 2021 to December 30, 2022, 32 participating local law enforcement agencies across our county submitted 4838 unknown individual illicit drug samples (total of 312 kg) to the County Sheriff’s Department Regional Crime Laboratory for identification.

Non-targeted analysis was employed to identify controlled substances using identification criteria. Seized drug samples were initially analyzed using presumptive colorimetric testing and confirmed using FTIR and/or GCMS. FTIR was performed using a Thermo Scientific Nicolet iS10 infrared spectrometer with a Specac Golden Gate Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) attachment. The analyzed sample was directly placed onto a diamond crystal for analysis and pressure was applied via a sapphire-fitted anvil to create a uniform spread on the diamond crystal. The FTIR optical bench collected 32 scans at a resolution of 4.000 cm-1 with a sample gain of 8.0 and optical velocity of 0.6329 with the aperture set to 80.00. Omnic (Thermo Scientific: Version 8.3) was used for acquisition and analysis. The analyte spectrum was compared to our own created and verified reference spectrum library. GCMS libraries included SWGDRUG’s MS library, Wiley12/NIST11 MS library, Wiley’s Designer Drugs MS library (2021, 2022), Wiley’s MPW MS library, Cayman Chemical’s MS library, and the San Diego Sheriff’s Department in-house crime laboratory library.

Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is routinely employed in crime laboratories for the analysis of drugs of abuse [ 14 ]. The samples were prepared by dissolving approximately 1 mg of analyte in a suitable solvent (ethanol, methanol, chloroform, methylene chloride, or other suitable solvent). Liquid-liquid extractions were used when necessary and analyzed as filtrates. Proadifen was added to 1.5 mL of the extract as an internal reference at a concentration of approximately 1 mg/mL in a sample vial for monitoring instrument conditions. 1 µL was injected onto an Agilent 7890 Gas Chromatograph fitted with a crossbonded diphenyl dimethyl polysiloxane (5%) column (e.g. Restek Rxi-5Sil MS). The injection is generally on pulsed spitless mode with a pulse pressure of 50 PSI and held for 30 s. Column length was 15 m, with an internal diameter of 0.25 mm and film thickness of 0.25 μm. General method parameters started at 80 °C and increased up to 280 °C at a rate of 20 °C per minute with a 12-minute run time. Eluents were introduced into an Agilent 5977 mass spectrometer set to positive ion polarity. Fragmentation was by electron impact ionization at 70 eV. The MS was operated in full scan with a mass window of 25 to 600 m/z at a threshold of 150 with a scan speed of 781.

Following analysis of these samples, 39 individual drugs of abuse were identified. The most commonly identified substances were methamphetamine (38.7%), fentanyl (20.8%), diacetylmorphine (heroin) (10.2%), codeine (5.8%) and alprazolam (4.3%). Figure  1 details the relative percentages of each individual substance identified and Fig.  2 details the ten most common substances by weight.

39 individual drugs of abuse identified from 4838 submitted illicit drug samples

Most commonly identified illicit drugs by weight from among 4838 submitted samples

Of the 4838 total samples tested, 1007 (20.8%) were confirmed to contain fentanyl. Qualitative analysis via FTIR and/or GC-MS of these fentanyl samples revealed the presence of 52 unique adulterants (Fig.  3 ). The most common included 4-methylaminoantipyrine (4-MAAP) (10.9%), mannitol (9%), acetaminophen (8.5%), methamphetamine (4.2%), diacetylmorphine (3.6%), tramadol (1.9%), and xylazine (1.7%). Various fentanyl analogues were also identified, namely fluorofentanyl, acetylfentanyl, benzylfentanyl, and methyl acetyl fentanyl. Several other opioids were detected including diacetylmorphine (heroin), morphine, 6-monoacetylmorphine, oxycodone, codeine, methadone, fluonitazene, protonitazene, and isotonitazene. Table  1 details the complete list of opioid adulterants found.

52 unique adulterants and contaminants identified within 1007 confirmed and analyzed fentanyl samples

A large number of pharmaceutical non-opioid adulterants were detected. These included acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, methamphetamine, xylazine, lidocaine, cocaine, alprazolam, procaine, caffeine, clonazepam, levamisole, phenobarbital, etizolam, delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol, carisoprodol, bupivacaine, and diazepam. Table  2 details the complete list of pharmaceutical non-opioid adulterants. The diluents mannitol and sorbitol were also detected.

In terms of contaminants, several fentanyl precursors were noted. Among those precursors, 4-anilino- N -phenethylpiperidine (4-ANPP) and phenethyl-4-anilino-N-phenethylpiperidine (phenethyl 4-ANPP) were the most common. Other contaminants identified include 1-hexadecanol and 1-hexadecene. Table  3 highlights a complete listing of contaminants found within submitted fentanyl samples.

San Diego is an epicenter for opioid trafficking given its large population and proximity to the US-Mexico border. This results in more opioid seizures than at any other domestic port of entry. In 2022, more than 2300 kg of fentanyl were seized by San Diego-based law enforcement officers, accounting for nearly 60% of all trafficked fentanyl nationwide [ 15 , 16 ]. Given this proximity to upstream trafficking, it is possible that the drug supply in San Diego and the surrounding region is likely to be closer to the original trafficked product, containing fewer adulterants and contaminants than would be seen in locations distant from the entry point.

Notably, several opioid adulterants were identified, of which diacetylmorphine (heroin) was the most common. This is consistent with the Drug Enforcement Agency’s Fentanyl Signature Profiling Program, which also found diacetylmorphine (heroin) was the most common opioid adulterant in domestic illicit fentanyl supplies [ 17 ]. Fentanyl analogs fluorofentanyl, acetyl fentanyl, and benzylfentanyl have been implicated in overdoses and deaths [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ]. The benzimidazole opioids flunitazene, protonitazine, and isotonitazene, are highly potent and have been associated with several fatalities [ 17 ].

Of the many pharmaceutical non-opioid adulterants identified, a large number were sedative-hypnotic drugs of various classes, including benzodiazepines, carisoprodol, phenobarbital, and xylazine. Co-ingestion of sedative-hypnotic agents and opioids can produce synergistic euphoric effects as well as potentially synergistic respiratory depression [ 22 ]. The combination of opioids and xylazine, or “tranq dope,” in particular, is a concerning emerging phenomenon occurring across the United States. Though the highest prevalence of xylazine overdoses and deaths has, thus far, been observed in the Northeastern United States, our data show that xylazine adulteration is present in a small percentage of recently trafficked fentanyl in our geographic region as well [ 23 ]. Acetaminophen is commonly used as a bulking agent [ 24 ].

We suspect that the presence of stimulant adulterants such as methamphetamine, cocaine, and caffeine is likely intentional. Combining opioids and stimulants in a single ingestion is known to produce a synergistic, longer-lasting euphoric effect. The combination also limits the adverse effects of either alone [ 25 , 26 , 27 ]. Our findings of stimulants as fentanyl adulterants may correspond with the “fourth wave” of the US drug overdose crisis, marked by escalating deaths involving cocaine and methamphetamine, alongside or without fentanyl. Despite the crisis being primarily labeled as an “opioid” or “fentanyl crisis,” recent data indicate a significant surge in overdose deaths related to psychomotor stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine [ 28 ]. However, it is also possible this data represents cross-contamination with other drugs during manufacturing and/or trafficking.

Though possibly adulterants of unclear value, it is more likely that the detected local anesthetics and levamisole are associated with cocaine and not added intentionally to the fentanyl. Local anesthetics are commonly used to mimic the anesthetic qualities of cocaine, whereas levamisole is reported to cause synergistic effects with cocaine [ 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 ].

In terms of contaminants, the most common were fentanyl precursors, 4-ANPP and phenethyl 4-ANPP. Though both possess mild mu-opioid receptor agonism, these more likely represent sequelae of poor manufacturing processes than adulterants [ 21 , 32 , 33 ].

The results of this study are limited by several factors. First, we analyzed convenience samples submitted by participating law enforcement agencies, which do not necessarily represent a true random sample of the drug supply in our county. Second, we cannot account for drug sample storage, processing, and handling by distributors before analysis, allowing for the possibility of contamination after seizure. Third, this study is limited in terms of its generalizability. Though our findings reflect regional trends and likely reflect the state of the supply early in the domestic trafficking pipeline, they may not necessarily be reflective of drug adulterant trends nationally. Fourth, our analysis was qualitative rather than quantitative and did not generate relative composition data. Consequently, we could not report relative concentrations of drug versus adulterants nor the proportion of pure samples. Fifth, our study conducted non-targeted analysis of unknown drug supplies, with the recognition that intentionality behind the adulterants could not be discerned due to limitations inherent in the data provided by law enforcement. We focused on characterizing the adulterants present within these samples within the constraints of the provided data. Finally, this study lacks individual case details or any outcomes data from the sample’s use.

Ultimately, we feel this information is vital for public health use and harm reduction at the level of the individual consumer. Continued direct surveillance of the drug supply is necessary for the detection of potentially harmful adulterants that may pose serious threats to consumers. However, the extent to which these unique adulterants impact drug use as well as associated morbidity and mortality remains uncertain and an area of interest for further study.

Data availability

All relevant data sets made available by the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department Regional Crime Laboratory. In accordance with California state and San Diego local regulatory requirements the collected data sets cannot be made public due to their sensitive nature. Please email Ms. Jennifer Harmon at [email protected] to discuss requesting data from this study.

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Henrik Galust, Justin A. Seltzer, Jeremy R. Hardin, Nathan A. Friedman & Richard F. Clark

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Dr. Galust was responsible for study conception, manuscript drafting, data analysis, and data interpretation. Drs. Seltzer, Friedman, Hardin, and Clark were responsible for manuscript drafting with substantial revisions. Mr. Salamat was responsible data acquisition, data analysis, and manuscript drafting. Ms. Harmon was the principle investigator and responsible for manuscript drafting with substantial revisions. All listed authors have approved the submitted version.

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Galust, H., Seltzer, J.A., Hardin, J.R. et al. Adulterants present in the San Diego county fentanyl supply: a laboratory analysis of seized law enforcement samples. BMC Public Health 24 , 923 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-18459-0

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How to Insert a Table in PowerPoint Notes? [Full Guide!]

By: Author Shrot Katewa

Sometimes when presenting to a group, you don’t necessarily want to show long tables and complicated numbers. This would overwhelm the audience and, let’s face it, explaining it will take a lot more time. But you might still want to have it as a ready reference for yourself. That’s perhaps one reason why you would insert this table into PowerPoint Notes!

But, how do you insert a table in the notes section of PowerPoint?

To insert a table into PowerPoint Notes, first you will access the Notes page through the View tab. Then you can copy and paste the Table that you want into this page using the basic keyboard functions of Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V

For a more in-depth explanation of how this process can be done and how you can view, print, and insert other objects into Notes, read on.

1. Can You Insert a Table in PowerPoint Notes?

You can insert a table in PowerPoint notes. The “ Notes View ” in Microsoft PowerPoint allows you to add and read speaker notes. You can add tables and other graphic visuals in your speaker notes to aid your presentation.

2. How to Insert a Table in PowerPoint Notes?

There are actually a couple of different ways to insert a table in the Notes section in PowerPoint.

To insert a table in Microsoft PowerPoint, you have to first access the “Notes Page” screen. In the “Notes Page” , you can insert a new table, paste an existing table from another source, or edit and remove the tables.

This is the most common method. Nevertheless, let’s take a look at both the methods below –

2.1 Method 1 – Adding a Table in the Notes View

In the notes view, you can insert a new table using the “Insert” tab. All you have to do is follow the 5 simple steps.

Step-1: Click on the “Notes Page” option

To access the notes screen, you have to first open the “ View ” menu. To do so, click on the “View” tab in the menu ribbon located at the top of the screen. In the “View” menu, click on the “Notes Page” option from the “Presentation Views” group.

Step-2: Click on the “Insert” tab

In the “Notes Page” , the next step is to scroll down to find the slide where you want to add the note. Then click on the “Insert” tab in the menu ribbon to open the “Insert” menu.

Step-3: Click on the “Insert Table” option

Now you can insert the table in the slides notes. All you have to do is click on the “Table” option in the “Insert” menu. In the dropdown menu under the “Table” option, click on the “Insert Table” option to launch a dialog.

Step-4: Select the number of columns and rows

In the “Insert Table” dialog box, you have to first click on the “Number of columns” box and type in how many columns you want in the table. Similarly, you have to click on the “Number of rows” box to type in your preferred number of rows for the table.

Step-5: Click on the “OK” button

Finally, all you have to do is click on the “OK” button at the bottom of the “Insert Table” dialog box to insert the table in the slide notes (as shown above).

2.2 Method 2 – Pasting an Existing Table as an Image

In the PowerPoint notes, you can also paste a table from another source. For instance, you can insert a table from excel into your PowerPoint . You will need to use the paste special options such as “Use Destination Theme” , “Keep Source Formatting” , and “Picture” .

To paste an existing table as an image, follow the 4 quick steps.

Step-1: Click on the “View” tab

In the menu ribbon located at the top of the screen, click on the “View” tab. In the “View” menu, click on the “Notes Page” option in the “Presentation Views” group.

Step-2: Click on the “Picture” option under “Paste Options”

In the notes view, you have to first “Right Click” in the text box for notes. Then click on the “Picture” icon under “Paste Options” in the right-click menu. Alternatively, you can press the “Ctrl+V” keys on your keyboard.

Step-3: Reposition the table

The copied table from another source will be pasted outside of the notes text box. Now all you have to do is click on the table and drag it to reposition it on the notes text box.

Step-4: Click on the “Normal” option

The final step is to return to the normal view. To do so, click on the “Normal” option in the “Presentation Views” group of the “View” tab. You can now return to editing the presentation slides.

3. How to View the Table in PowerPoint Notes?

In Microsoft PowerPoint, you can view the notes using the “Notes Page” view. You can also print PDF notes to view them in a PDF file. The notes will include all objects like text, tables, graphs, images, etc.

3.1 Method 1 – Using the Notes View

The quickest way to view the presentation notes in PowerPoint is to use the “Notes Page” screen. All you have to do is click on the “View” tab in the menu ribbon.

Then click on the “Notes Page” button in the “Presentation Views” group of the “View” tab. In the “Notes Page” , each page shows a slide and the speaker notes for it. You can scroll through the pages to view the tables inserted in the notes.

3.2 Method 2 – Print PowerPoint With Notes

Using the “Print” feature in PowerPoint, you can create a PDF file containing all the speaker notes of a specific presentation. You can also create handouts for your PowerPoint presentation and view the tables in the notes section that way!

You can use this method to view the tables that are inserted in the notes. All you have to do is follow the 6 easy steps.

Step-1: Click on the “File” tab

The first step is to open the “File” screen. To do so, click on the “File” tab which is the first tab in the menu ribbon located at the top of the screen.

Step-2: Click on the “Print” option

The next step is to open the “Print” screen. In the sidebar on the left side of the “File” menu, click on the “Print” option.

Step-3: Click on the “Notes Pages” option

In the left column of the “ Print ” screen, click on the “Print Layout” option under the “Settings” section (shown before).

The “Print Layout” option in the box shows “Full Page Slides” by default. In the “Print Layout” pop-up menu, click on the “Notes Pages” option. The preview screen in the right column will switch from the slides to the notes.

Step-4: Click on the “Microsoft Print to PDF” option

The next step is to click on the “Printer” option in the left column of the “Print” screen. Then click on the “Microsoft Print to PDF” option from the dropdown menu under the “Printer” option.

Step-5: Click on the “Print” button

Now all you have to do is click on the “Print” button (as shown in the previous image) located at the top of the “Print” screen. This will prompt the “Save Print Output As” dialog box.

Step-6: Click on the “Save” button

In the “Save Print Output As” dialog box, select the folder in your computer where you want to save the PDF file containing the presentation notes. Then all you have to do is click on the “Save” button at the bottom of the dialog box. You can now view the tables in the presentation notes by opening the PDF file.

More Related Articles

• How to Add Tables in PowerPoint? [Complete Guide!]
• How to Move or Resize a Table in PowerPoint? [An EASY Way!]
• How to Transpose a Table in PowerPoint? [A Simple Solution!]
• Pivot Table in PowerPoint? Here’s How to do It! [With Slicers!]
• How to Format a Table in PowerPoint? [The ULTIMATE Guide!]

Credit to  benzoix  (on Freepik) for the featured image of this article (further edited).