E-mail this pagePowerPoint: Creating and Adding Slides
PowerPoint slides can be created at any time by invoking the New Slide dialog.
This dialog will appear automatically when the first slide of a presentation is to be created; adding subsequent slides can be done by selecting Insert|New Slide from the menu.
Every time a new slide is added in this fashion, the New Slide dialog reappears, allowing you to select the type of slide you'd like to create. By default, the selected slide type for a new presentation is the Title Slide , represented visually in the upper left corner of the dialog window, and represented textually on the lower right. Clicking on any one of the other slide options brings to that lower right corner a short description of what the currently selected slide template is designed to contain. A breakdown of the options appears below:
| Slide Icon | Icon Name | Slide Layout |
|---|---|---|
|
Title Slide | Presentation Title (and subtitle) |
|
Bulleted List | Slide Title and Bulleted List |
|
2 Column Text | Slide Title and Two Bulleted Lists |
|
Table | Slide Title and a Table |
|
Text & Chart | Slide Title, Bulleted List, and a Chart or Graph |
|
Chart & Text | Slide Title, Graph or Chart, and a Bulleted List |
|
Organization Chart | Slide Title and an Organizational Chart |
|
Chart | Slide Title and a Chart or Graph |
|
Text & Clip Art | Slide Title, Bulleted List, and a Picture (or Clip art) |
|
Clip Art & Text | Slide Title, Picture (or Clip art), and a Bulleted List |
|
Title Only | Slide Title only |
|
Blank | Blank Slide |
It is generally a good idea to use one of these template items rather than manually placing text-boxes onto the screen: the use of the basic layout templates ensures that it will subsequently be possible to apply Design Templates to the presentation. The visual consistency provided by the layout templates also makes less likely that your audience will be baffled by the sudden appearance of information where it wasn't anticipated.
Until a Design Template has been applied to the presentation, all slides that are created will be entirely black-and-white, unadorned by any particularly pleasing design, background color, or font. While there may be a temptation to get to work immediately and decorate the presentation, you may find that it's best to leave that step until later. The flat black-and-white presentation space provides you with an opportunity for developing and organizing your thoughts without the distractions that can come of fiddling with decorative flourishes. Those can be added easily and effectively at a later time.