How to Create a Slideshow
Open the program., Create your title page., Add slides., Add finishing touches., Do a practice run.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Open the program.
This guide assumes that you will be using Microsoft PowerPoint, since it's the most commonly used software for making slideshows.
You will see a blank slide with title and text prompts in separate text fields on it, plus various menus and buttons. , Click in the upper text field and name your presentation, then add your name and today's date in the lower text field.
This is also a good chance to get used to changing stylistic elements on your slideshow, like background color and font.
Choose a short title.
Unless you're making a high-level academic presentation intended for a conference, it is better to think of a short, straightforward title that explains your general topic to the audience quickly.
Use a simple font.
Visually complex fonts, such as “old English” fonts and puffy letters, are fun to look at on a computer screen, but hard for an audience to read.
Feel free to experiment, but settle on a simple font with clean lines so that your audience won't have to squint to read it.
You can change fonts by choosing them from the drop-down menu along the top of the screen.
If you have text highlighted when you change fonts, that text will change to the selected font.
Experiment with color.
Your title page can have a different background color than the rest of your presentation, but most people choose one theme for the entire slideshow.
Right-click the background of the slide and choose the “slide background” or “format background” option from the menu that pops up.
From there, you can play with the color as you like.
Be sure that your background color and text color pop from each other so that the slide is easy to read.
Generally speaking, text should be black or white for maximum readability, and backgrounds should not be neon or extremely bright.
There is nothing wrong with a plain-looking slideshow for business or academic purposes; in fact, simpler is generally considered better in these environments. , You can type control-m to add a slide to your slideshow, or you can choose the “new slide” option from the top of the screen.
Try to keep your pacing to one idea or point per slide so that it's easy to follow.
Add layouts.
Each slide has a large number of preset layout options, so choose the one that's best for each slide.
Most slides without pictures can use one of the two basic text slide layouts.
One has a title bar, the other is simply a text field.
Choose whichever one you prefer.
Choosing a slide layout designed to accommodate pictures, movies, or sound files is the easiest way to insert them.
Simply choose the field you want to add a file to, click the icon that represents the type of file you want, and add it by selecting it from the window that pops up.
Try adding text in one field and a picture in another field for a professional look.
Don't go overboard on images, movies, or sounds.
Less is more, in most cases.
Clean up.
You can delete extra slides by right-clicking on them and choosing “delete slide.” Organize.
You can reorder slides by dragging them along the timeline and inserting them in the appropriate spots.
The timeline is the overview list of your slides along the top or side of the screen. , There are a few more things you can do to complete your slideshow project.
Once you're satisfied, save it so that you can be sure you'll still have it when it's time to use it.
Be wary of transitions.
PowerPoint and most similar programs come preloaded with a wide array of slide transitions.
These are visual effects, sometimes accompanied by sounds, that occur when switching between slides.
They're generally seen as tacky and distracting, but may be appropriate in some cases.
Never use sound effects with your transitions.
They get in the way of your speech.
Use simple transitions rather than fancy ones.
A page wipe from top to bottom is fancy enough; there's no need to use silly shapes or gradient effects.
Use transitions sparingly.
Even if you've decided transitions are a useful element for your slideshow, avoid applying a transition to every slide.
Instead, use them to denote different sections of your show, once per section.
Add sources and legal information.
After your slideshow, add one more slide (or as many as are needed) where you briefly list all your information sources (for business or academic slideshows), image sources (if copyrighted), and any thanks or acknowledgments you wish to include. , Typically, you can run the slideshow by pushing the F5 key on your computer.
You can advance slides by clicking the left mouse button.
Exit the show by pushing the Esc key at any time, or reaching the end of the slideshow and clicking again.
Go back and make any last-minute adjustments that need to be made.
Watching your slideshow before you plan to use it can often reveal typos and other small errors you missed during creation.
Speak along with your slideshow.
Make sure that the slideshow is streamlined enough so that it doesn't steal your thunder, but detailed enough that you don't run out of slides halfway through your speech.
Practice timing your slide changes until you feel comfortable. -
Step 2: Create your title page.
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Step 3: Add slides.
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Step 4: Add finishing touches.
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Step 5: Do a practice run.
Detailed Guide
This guide assumes that you will be using Microsoft PowerPoint, since it's the most commonly used software for making slideshows.
You will see a blank slide with title and text prompts in separate text fields on it, plus various menus and buttons. , Click in the upper text field and name your presentation, then add your name and today's date in the lower text field.
This is also a good chance to get used to changing stylistic elements on your slideshow, like background color and font.
Choose a short title.
Unless you're making a high-level academic presentation intended for a conference, it is better to think of a short, straightforward title that explains your general topic to the audience quickly.
Use a simple font.
Visually complex fonts, such as “old English” fonts and puffy letters, are fun to look at on a computer screen, but hard for an audience to read.
Feel free to experiment, but settle on a simple font with clean lines so that your audience won't have to squint to read it.
You can change fonts by choosing them from the drop-down menu along the top of the screen.
If you have text highlighted when you change fonts, that text will change to the selected font.
Experiment with color.
Your title page can have a different background color than the rest of your presentation, but most people choose one theme for the entire slideshow.
Right-click the background of the slide and choose the “slide background” or “format background” option from the menu that pops up.
From there, you can play with the color as you like.
Be sure that your background color and text color pop from each other so that the slide is easy to read.
Generally speaking, text should be black or white for maximum readability, and backgrounds should not be neon or extremely bright.
There is nothing wrong with a plain-looking slideshow for business or academic purposes; in fact, simpler is generally considered better in these environments. , You can type control-m to add a slide to your slideshow, or you can choose the “new slide” option from the top of the screen.
Try to keep your pacing to one idea or point per slide so that it's easy to follow.
Add layouts.
Each slide has a large number of preset layout options, so choose the one that's best for each slide.
Most slides without pictures can use one of the two basic text slide layouts.
One has a title bar, the other is simply a text field.
Choose whichever one you prefer.
Choosing a slide layout designed to accommodate pictures, movies, or sound files is the easiest way to insert them.
Simply choose the field you want to add a file to, click the icon that represents the type of file you want, and add it by selecting it from the window that pops up.
Try adding text in one field and a picture in another field for a professional look.
Don't go overboard on images, movies, or sounds.
Less is more, in most cases.
Clean up.
You can delete extra slides by right-clicking on them and choosing “delete slide.” Organize.
You can reorder slides by dragging them along the timeline and inserting them in the appropriate spots.
The timeline is the overview list of your slides along the top or side of the screen. , There are a few more things you can do to complete your slideshow project.
Once you're satisfied, save it so that you can be sure you'll still have it when it's time to use it.
Be wary of transitions.
PowerPoint and most similar programs come preloaded with a wide array of slide transitions.
These are visual effects, sometimes accompanied by sounds, that occur when switching between slides.
They're generally seen as tacky and distracting, but may be appropriate in some cases.
Never use sound effects with your transitions.
They get in the way of your speech.
Use simple transitions rather than fancy ones.
A page wipe from top to bottom is fancy enough; there's no need to use silly shapes or gradient effects.
Use transitions sparingly.
Even if you've decided transitions are a useful element for your slideshow, avoid applying a transition to every slide.
Instead, use them to denote different sections of your show, once per section.
Add sources and legal information.
After your slideshow, add one more slide (or as many as are needed) where you briefly list all your information sources (for business or academic slideshows), image sources (if copyrighted), and any thanks or acknowledgments you wish to include. , Typically, you can run the slideshow by pushing the F5 key on your computer.
You can advance slides by clicking the left mouse button.
Exit the show by pushing the Esc key at any time, or reaching the end of the slideshow and clicking again.
Go back and make any last-minute adjustments that need to be made.
Watching your slideshow before you plan to use it can often reveal typos and other small errors you missed during creation.
Speak along with your slideshow.
Make sure that the slideshow is streamlined enough so that it doesn't steal your thunder, but detailed enough that you don't run out of slides halfway through your speech.
Practice timing your slide changes until you feel comfortable.
About the Author
Joshua Cole
Specializes in breaking down complex practical skills topics into simple steps.
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