This tutorial provides an overview of how to use many of the basic features of Microsoft Powerpoint 97/2000.

Step-by-step instructions are provided for: creating presentations; adding new slides; using spell check; saving a presentation; previewing a presentation; inserting clip art; moving and resizing objects; using graphic images from the Internet; moving, copying, and deleting slides; adding transitions; adding animations; applying a template; and printing a presentation

PowerPoint
PowerPoint is the presentation graphics component of Microsoft Office that lets you create and save presentations. A presentation is a collection of slides relating to a topic which may be shown while an oral report is given. From the slides you can create color or black & white overheads, on-screen presentations and 35 mm slides. To support your presentation you can prepare handouts for your audience, notes to use during your presentation, and outlines to provide an overview of your presentation.

Starting PowerPoint
To Start PowerPoint: 1. Click on the Start button on the left side of the taskbar; then clickPrograms; then click Microsoft PowerPoint.

Creating a Presentation Using the Blank Presentation Option To Create a Blank Presentation Using the Blank Presentation Option:
1. Select Blank Presentation from the PowerPoint dialog box. 2. Accept the Title Slide layout that has been selected for you by clicking OK. A Title Slide is then created for you to enter information. 3. Click inside the "Click to add title" placeholder and type the title of your presentation. 4. Click inside the "Click to add sub-title" placeholder and type your sub-title.

Adding New Slides

To Add a New Side to a Presentation: 1. Click the New Slide button located at the top left of screen on the Common Tasks Toolbar or click Insert on the Menu Bar; then New Slide. 2. Accept the Bulleted List layout that has been selected for you by clicking OK. 3. Click inside the "Click to add title" placeholder and type the title for this slide. 4. Click inside the "Click to add text" placeholder and type the content for the slide.

Notes:
Return to Slide one of using one of the following methods: Use the Page Up key. Click the Previous Slide button on the vertical slide scroll bar. Drag the vertical slide scroll box up until the desired slide number is displayed.

Using Spell Check

To Spell Check Your Presentation: 1. Use one of the following methods: Click the spelling icon on the Standard Toolbar. Select Spelling from the Tools main menu.

Saving a Presentation
To Save a Presentation: 1. Go to the Menu Bar and click File. 2. Click Save. The Save As dialog box will then appear. Change the directory, if needed, to find the directory you want to save the file. In the Filename box type the name of the file, then click OK.

Previewing Your Presentation on the Screen

To Preview Your Presentation on the Screen: 1. Click the Slide Show icon (bottom left of screen). 2. Click mouse to advance through the presentation slide by slide. 3. Edit any changes by clicking in the appropriate placeholder. 4. SAVE any changes made by clicking the Save icon on the standard toolbar.

Exiting PowerPoint
To exit PowerPoint: 1. Click File. 2. Click Exit.

Opening an Existing File

To Open an Existing File: 1. Click File. 2. Click Open, or from PowerPoint dialog box, select Open an Existing Presentation. 3. Select the file name (change Directory to Desktop if necessary). 4. Click OK.

Inserting Clip Art

To Insert Clip Art: 1. Go to slide where you want to insert clip art. 2. Click the Layout button at top right of screen in Toolbar. 3. From Row 3, click to select layout 2, Clip Art & Text. 4. Click Apply. 5. Double-click in the graphic placeholder to add Clip Art. 6. Choose examine the categories of clip art. Select one of the choices. 7. Click OK. 8. Click Save.

Moving and Resizing Objects

Text, clip, and object placeholders can be moved, copied, sized, and deleted. To do this, you must first display handles to put the placeholder into an edit mode. Click on the text to display the placeholder, then click on the placeholder border to display the handles. Click on the clip art or object to display the handles. When handles appear, you can size the placeholder or graphic by dragging a corner handle to resize proportionally. When you size a text placeholder, the text within it will adjust to the new borders. You can move a placeholder and its contents by displaying the handles, then placing the pointer on the border (not a handle), clicking and holding the left mouse button while dragging the placeholder to a desired location.

Using Graphic Images from the Internet

If you don't find the image you want in the MS Clip Art Gallery, one good option is to take images off the World Wide Web. You can save these files and insert them into your documents and presentations. Make sure your PowerPoint presentation is saved before you begin. 1. Open an Internet browser, such as Internet Explorer or Netscape and connect to the Internet. 2. Locate an image you want to download. 3. Using your mouse, right-click on the image. A pop up menu with then appear. 4. Select the Save Picture As... menu item. 5. Save the image in a drive and folder where you can find it. 6. Close the browser. 7. Return to PowerPoint and go to the slide where you want to use the image. 8. Insert the image by going to Insert, then Picture, then From File. Find the image you downloaded and insert it into your slide. 9. Adjust the size. (See Moving and Resizing Objects.

Moving, Copying, and Deleting Slides

To Move, Copy, or Delete Slides: 1. Switch to Slide Sorter view. 2.Click to select the slide you want to move. 3. Drag the slide the position where you want it to be and let go of the mouse button. 4, Save. 5. Copy a slide by holding down the Ctrl key and dragging the slide to the right. 6. Delete a slide by selecting it and then pressing Delete.

Note: Since you cannot edit slide contents in Slide Sorter view, you will need
to return to Slide view to make changes and adjust text.

Adding Transitions
Transitions control the way slides move on and off the screen. They may be added to slides in all views, but Slide Sorter view offers the quickest and easiest way. However, other views provide a Transitions dialog box which will preview the Transition you select. 1. Switch to Slide view. 2. Click on Slide Show in the Main Menu. 3. Click Slide Transition. 4. Select a transition type and note its effect in the window on the bottom right of the dialog box. A description of transition types and their effect appears below. 5. Also in the Transitions dialog box, you can select the speed of the transition and whether you want to change the slides manually (by a mouse click) or automatically (after a specified number of seconds).

Adding Animations
An animation (build) is the style in which each bulleted item and/or image appears on a slide. PowerPoint allows you to specify whether you want a slide to contain builds and the build effect. A slide that does not contain an animation will reveal all bulleted items at once during a slide show. A slide that does contain an animation will reveal no bulleted items until you activate each one when you are ready to discuss that point. 1. If necessary switch to Slide View. 2. Select Custom Animation from the Slide Show menu. 3. Click the Timing tab. 4. Click on the text you want to animate. 5. Click the Effects tab. 6. In the Animation dialog box which follows, you have several options for the way a bulleted item will display on a slide. Make a choice. For example, you may select Text in the Animation order box; then select an effect under Entry Animation and Sound. 7. To have previous text dim as new text appears, click the down arrow and select your color for the dimmed items. 8. Save and close the file.

Note: In

Slide Sorter view, slides containing builds and transitions are marked by respective icons below and to the left of the miniature slide image.

Applying a Template
The template option allows you to create slides with a pre-designed format. PowerPoint provides over 100 professionally designed formats with colorful backgrounds and text from which you can choose. 1. Click the Apply Design button on the Common Tasks toolbar. 2. An Apply Design dialog box then appears which lists the available templates. As you click on each template name, a sample of it appears in the right side of the window. 3. After selecting the template design you desire and clicking Apply, the template design is applied to all the slides in the presentation. 4. Save.

Printing a Presentation
Printing PowerPoint slides is similar to printing other documents. To print: 1. Select Print from the File main menu or press Ctrl + P. 2. Select the desired file settings and Click OK. Notes:

In the Print dialog box which follows, you may print the active slide, a selected slide range, or all slides in a presentation. When you print all slides of a presentation, each slide prints on a separate page. The Print What feature allows you to indicate whether you want your presentation printed as slides, notes pages, handouts with 2, 3 or 6 slides per page, or as an outline.