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Table of Contents
Introduction
About This Book
How to Use This Book
What You Don’t Need to Read
Foolish Assumptions
How This Book Is Organized
Part I: Getting Started with PowerPoint 2013
Part II: Creating Great-Looking Slides
Part III: Embellishing Your Slides
Part IV: Working with Others
Part V: The Part of Tens
Icons Used in This Book
Where to Go from Here
Part I: Getting Started with PowerPoint 2013 For Dummies
Chapter 1: Welcome to PowerPoint 2013
What in Sam Hill Is PowerPoint?
Introducing PowerPoint Presentations
Presentation files
What’s in a slide?
Starting PowerPoint
Navigating the PowerPoint Interface
Unraveling the Ribbon
The View from Here Is Great
Taking the Backstage Tour
Creating a New Presentation
Editing text
Adding a new slide
Moving from slide to slide
Choosing a design
Displaying Your Presentation
Saving Your Work
Opening a Presentation
Closing a Presentation
Getting Help
Exiting PowerPoint
Chapter 2: Editing Slides
Moving from Slide to Slide
Working with Objects
Selecting objects
Resizing or moving an object
Editing a Text Object
Selecting Text
Using Cut, Copy, and Paste
Duplicating an Object
Using the Clipboard Task Pane
Oops! I Didn’t Mean It (The Marvelous Undo Command)
Deleting a Slide
Duplicating a Slide
Finding Text
Replacing Text
Rearranging Your Slides in Slide Sorter View
Chapter 3: Working in Outline View
Calling Up the Outline
Selecting and Editing an Entire Slide
Selecting and Editing One Paragraph
Promoting and Demoting Paragraphs
Adding a New Paragraph
Adding a New Slide
Moving Text Up and Down
Collapsing and Expanding the Outline
Chapter 4: Proofing Your Presentations
Checking Spelling As You Go
Spell Checking After-the-Fact
Using the Thesaurus
Capitalizing Correctly
Using the AutoCorrect Feature
Chapter 5: Don’t Forget Your Notes!
Understanding Notes
Adding Notes to a Slide
Adding an Extra Notes Page for a Slide
Adding a New Slide from Notes Page View
Printing Notes Pages
Displaying Notes on a Separate Monitor
Chapter 6: Show Time!
The Quick Way to Print
Printing from Backstage View
Printing more than one copy
Changing printers
Printing part of a document
Using Print Preview
Setting Up a Slide Show
Starting a Slide Show
Working in Presenter View
Keyboard and Mouse Tricks for Your Slide Show
Using Presentation Tools
Using the Laser Pointer
Scribbling on Your Slides
Rehearsing Your Slide Timings
Using Custom Shows
Creating a custom show
Showing a custom show
Hiding slides
Showing Your Presentation Online
Part II: Creating Great-Looking Slides
Chapter 7: All about Fonts and Text Formatting
Changing the Look of Your Text
Two ways to apply formatting
Changing the size of characters
Choosing text fonts
Adding color to your text
Adding shadows
Big Picture Text Formatting
Biting the bulleted list
Creating numbered lists
Setting tabs and indents
Spacing out
Lining things up
Making columns
Creating Fancy Text with WordArt
Chapter 8: Designing Your Slides
Looking at the Design Tab
Working with Themes
Applying themes
Using theme colors
Using theme fonts
Applying theme effects
Changing the Slide Size
Using Background Styles
Using a gradient fill
Using other background effects
Chapter 9: Animating Your Slides
Using Slide Transitions
Using the Animations Tab
Customizing Your Animation
Understanding custom animation
Using the Animation pane
Adding an effect
More about animating text
Timing your animations
Making Text Jiggle
Using the Animation Painter
Chapter 10: Masters of the Universe Meet the Templates of Doom
Working with Masters
Modifying the Slide Master
Working with the Slide Master and Edit Master tabs
Adding recurring text or other elements
Applying themes to your Masters
Adding new layouts
Adjusting the Handout and Notes Masters
Changing the Handout Master
Changing the Notes Master
Using Masters
Overriding the Master text style
Hiding background objects
Using Headers and Footers
Adding a date, number, or footer to slides
Adding a header or footer to notes or handouts pages
Editing the header and footer placeholders directly
Yes, You Can Serve Two Masters
Creating a new Slide Master
Applying Masters
Preserving your masters
Restoring Lost Placeholders
Working with Templates
Creating a new template
Creating a presentation based on a template
Working with Presentation Sections
Part III: Embellishing Your Slides
Chapter 11: Inserting Pictures
Exploring the Many Types of Pictures
Bitmap pictures
Victor, give me a vector
Using Pictures
Dropping in a picture
Moving, sizing, and stretching pictures
Inserting Pictures from a File
Cropping a Picture
Adding Style to Your Pictures
Applying a picture border
Applying picture effects
Correcting Sharpness, Brightness, and Contrast
Adjusting Color
Applying Artistic Effects
Compressing Your Pictures
Removing Picture Backgrounds
Chapter 12: Drawing on Your Slides
Some General Drawing Tips
Zooming in
Displaying the ruler, gridlines, and guides
Sticking to the color scheme
Saving frequently
Remembering Ctrl+Z
Drawing Simple Objects
Drawing straight lines
Drawing rectangles, squares, ovals, and circles
Creating Other Shapes
Drawing a shape
Drawing a polygon or free-form shape
Drawing a curved line or shape
Creating a text box
Styling Your Shapes
Setting the shape fill
Setting the shape outline
Applying shape effects
Flipping and Rotating Objects
Flipping an object
Rotating an object 90 degrees
Using the rotate handle
Drawing a Complicated Picture
Changing layers
Line ’em up
Using the grids and guides
Group therapy
Chapter 13: Charting for Fun and Profit
Understanding Charts
Adding a Chart to Your Presentation
Adding a new slide with a chart
Adding a chart to an existing slide
Pasting a chart from Excel
Changing the Chart Type
Working with Chart Data
Switching rows and columns
Changing the data selection
Editing the source data
Refreshing a chart
Changing the Chart Layout
Changing the Chart Style
Embellishing Your Chart
Chapter 14: Working with SmartArt
Understanding SmartArt
Creating a SmartArt Diagram
Tweaking a SmartArt Diagram
Editing the SmartArt Text
Working with Organization Charts
Adding boxes to a chart
Deleting chart boxes
Changing the chart layout
Chapter 15: Lights! Camera! Action! (Adding Sound and Video)
Getting Ready to Add Sound to a Slide
Investigating sound files
Inserting an audio sound object
Setting Audio Options
Controlling when a sound is played
Looping a sound
Hiding the sound icon
Fading the sound in and out
Trimming an audio clip
Adding Video to Your Slides
Setting Video Options
Controlling when a video is played
Looping a video
Trimming a video clip
Playing the video full screen
Fading the video’s sound in and out
Adding a bookmark
Chapter 16: More Things to Insert on Your Slides
Inserting Tables
Creating a table in a Content placeholder
Inserting a table on a slide
Drawing a table
Applying style to a table
Working with the Layout tab
Inserting WordArt
Using Hyperlinks
Creating a hyperlink to another slide
Creating a hyperlink to another presentation or to a website
Adding Action Buttons
Assigning button actions
Choosing button shapes
Creating a button
Creating a navigation toolbar
Inserting Equations
Part IV: Working with Others
Chapter 17: Collaborating in the Cloud
Sharing a Presentation in the Cloud
Sharing a Presentation with Other Users
Sharing a Presentation on Social Networks
Sending Slides for Review Via E-mail
Using Comments
Comparing Presentations
Chapter 18: Using a Slide Library and Other Ways to Reuse Slides
Stealing Slides from Another Presentation
Saving Slides in a Slide Library
Stealing Slides from a Slide Library
Chapter 19: Exporting Your Presentation to Other Formats
Creating a PDF File
Crafting a Video
Adding timings and narration
Creating a video
Packaging Your Presentation on a CD
Creating Word Handouts
Part V: The Part of Tens
Chapter 20: Ten PowerPoint Commandments
I. Thou Shalt Frequently Savest Thy Work
II. Thou Shalt Storeth Each Presentation in Its Proper Folder
III. Thou Shalt Not Abuseth Thy Program’s Formatting Features
IV. Thou Shalt Not Stealeth Copyrighted Materials
V. Thou Shalt Abideth by Thine Color Scheme, Auto-Layout, and Template
VI. Thou Shalt Not Abuse Thine Audience with an Endless Array of Cute Animations or Funny Sounds
VII. Keep Thy Computer Gurus Happy
VIII. Thou Shalt Backeth Up Thy Files Day by Day
IX. Thou Shalt Fear No Evil, for Ctrl+Z Is Always with Thee
X. Thou Shalt Not Panic
Chapter 21: Ten Tips for Creating Readable Slides
Try Reading the Slide from the Back of the Room
Avoid Small Text
No More Than Five Bullets, Please
Avoid Excessive Verbiage Lending to Excessively Lengthy Text That Is Not Only Redundant but Also Repetitive and Reiterative
Use Consistent Wording
Avoid Unsightly Color Combinations
Watch the Line Endings
Keep the Background Simple
Use Only Two Levels of Bullets
Avoid Bullets Altogether If You Can
Keep Charts and Diagrams Simple
Chapter 22: Ten Ways to Keep Your Audience Awake
Don’t Forget Your Purpose
Don’t Become a Slave to Your Slides
Don’t Overwhelm Your Audience with Unnecessary Detail
Don’t Neglect Your Opening
Be Relevant
Don’t Forget the Altar Call
Practice, Practice, Practice
Relax!
Expect the Unexpected
Don’t Be Boring
Cheat Sheet
Introduction
Welcome to PowerPoint 2013 For Dummies, the book written especially for people who are lucky enough to use this latest and greatest version of PowerPoint and want to find out just enough to finish that presentation that was due yesterday.
Do you ever find yourself in front of an audience, no matter how small, flipping through flip charts or shuffling through a stack of handwritten transparencies? You need PowerPoint! Have you always wanted to take your notebook computer with you to impress a client at lunch, but you haven’t known what to do with it between trips to the salad bar? You really need PowerPoint!
Or maybe you’re one of those unfortunate folks who bought Microsoft Office because it was such a bargain and you needed a Windows word processor and spreadsheet anyway, and hey, you’re not even sure what PowerPoint is, but it was free. Who can resist a bargain like that?
Whichever circumstance you find yourself in, you’re holding the perfect book right here in your formerly magic-marker-stained hands. Help is here, within these humble pages.
This book talks about PowerPoint in everyday — and often irreverent — terms. No lofty prose here; the whole thing checks in at about the fifth-grade reading level. I have no Pulitzer expectations for this book. My goal is to make an otherwise dull and lifeless subject at least tolerable, and maybe even kind of fun.
About This Book
This isn’t the kind of book that you pick up and read from start to finish as though it were a cheap novel. If I ever see you reading it at the beach, I’ll kick sand in your face. This book is more like a reference — the kind of book you can pick up, turn to just about any page, and start reading. It has 22 chapters, each one covering a specific aspect of using PowerPoint — such as printing, animating your slides, or using clip art.
Each chapter is divided into self-contained chunks, all related to the major theme of the chapter.
For example, the chapter on using charts contains nuggets like these:
Understanding charts
Adding a chart to your presentation
Pasting a chart from Excel
Changing the chart type
Working with chart data
You don’t have to memorize anything in this book. It’s a need-to-know book: You pick it up when you need to know something. Need to know how to create an organization chart? Pick up the book. Need to know how to override the Slide Master? Pick up the book. After you find what you’re looking for, put it down and get on with your life.
How to Use This Book
This book works like a reference. Start with the topic that you want to find out about: To get going, look for it in the table of contents or in the index. The table of contents is detailed enough that you should be able to find most of the topics that you look for. If not, turn to the index, where you find even more detail.
When you find your topic in the table of contents or the index, turn to the area of interest and read as much or as little as you need or want. Then close the book and get on with it.
This book is loaded with information, of course, so if you want to take a brief excursion into your topic, you’re more than welcome. If you want to know all about Slide Masters, read the chapter on templates and Masters. If you want to know all about animation, read the chapter on animation. Read whatever you want. This is your book — not mine.
On occasion, this book directs you to use specific keyboard shortcuts to get things done. When you see something like Ctrl+Z, this instruction means to hold down the Ctrl key while pressing the Z key and then release both together. Don’t type the plus sign.
Sometimes I tell you to use a command that resides on the new Ribbon interface like this: Choose Home⇒Editing⇒Find. That means to click the Find button, which you can find in the Editing group on the Home tab.
Whenever I describe a message or information that you see onscreen, it looks like this:
Are we having fun yet?
Anything you’re instructed to type appears in bold like so: Type a:setup in the Run dialog box. Type exactly what you see, with or without spaces.
Another nice feature of this book is that whenever I discuss a certain button that you need to click in order to accomplish the task at hand, the button appears either in the margin or in a helpful table that summarizes the buttons that apply to a particular task. This way, you can easily locate it on your screen.
What You Don’t Need to Read
Some parts of this book are skippable. I carefully place extra-technical information in self-contained sidebars and clearly mark them so that you can give them a wide berth. Don’t read this stuff unless you just gots to know. Don’t worry; I won’t be offended if you don’t read every word.
Foolish Assumptions
I make only three assumptions about you:
You use a computer.
It’s a Windows computer — not a Macintosh. This book works just as well whether you’re using Windows 8 or Windows 7. (PowerPoint 2013 requires at least Windows 7.)
You use or are thinking about using PowerPoint 2013.
Nothing else. I don’t assume that you’re a computer guru who knows how to change a controller card or configure memory for optimal use. These types of computer chores are best handled by people who like computers. My hope is that you’re on speaking terms with such a person. Do your best to stay there.
How This Book Is Organized
Inside this book are chapters arranged in six parts. Each chapter is broken down into sections that cover various aspects of the chapter’s main subject. The chapters have a logical sequence, so it makes sense to read them in order if you want. But you don’t have to read the book that way; you can flip it open to any page and start reading.
Here’s the lowdown on what’s in each of the five parts:
Part I: Getting Started with PowerPoint 2013
In this part, you review the basics of using PowerPoint. This is a good place to start if you’re clueless about what PowerPoint is, let alone how to use it.
Part II: Creating Great-Looking Slides
The chapters in this part show you how to make presentations that look good. Most important are the chapters about themes (Chapter 8), and Masters and templates (Chapter 10). Get the theme, template, and Masters right, and everything else falls into place.
Part III: Embellishing Your Slides
One of the nifty new features of PowerPoint 2013 is the Insert tab on the Ribbon. It’s loaded with things you can insert into your presentations. The chapters in this part explore the various goodies to be found here, such as pictures, clip art, charts, SmartArt objects, sounds, movies, tables, Ginsu knives, and more!
Part IV: Working with Others
The chapters in this part show you how to use PowerPoint’s many collaboration features, such as sharing files in the Cloud via Microsoft’s new SkyDrive feature, creating slide libraries, and exporting slide shows to other formats.
Part V: The Part of Tens
This wouldn’t be a For Dummies book without lists of interesting snippets: ten PowerPoint commandments, ten tips for creating readable slides, and ten ways to keep your audience awake.
Icons Used in This Book
As you’re reading all this wonderful prose, you occasionally see the following icons. They appear in the margins to draw your attention to important information. They’re defined as follows:
Watch out! Some technical drivel is just around the corner. Read it only if you have your pocket protector firmly attached.
Pay special attention to this icon — it tells you that some particularly useful tidbit is at hand, perhaps a shortcut or a way of using a command that you might not have considered.
Danger! Danger! Danger! Stand back, Will Robinson!
Did I tell you about the memory course I took? Paragraphs marked with this icon simply point out details that are worth committing to memory.
Where to Go from Here
Yes, you can get there from here. With this book in hand, you’re ready to charge full speed ahead into the strange and wonderful world of desktop presentations. Browse through the table of contents and decide where you want to start. Be bold! Be courageous! Be adventurous! Above all else, have fun!
