PowerPoint 2007
Using the Slide Master
Introduction
Using the Slide Master
Watch the video! (Part 1) (5:20min) (Part 2) (5:38min) - Tips for watching our videos.
Download the example to work along with the video.
The Slide Master
The easiest way to make the same change to all slides or slides that use a specific layout is to change the slide master, also called the master slide. For example, imagine that you like a theme, but want to change a specific design element of the theme. You may want a different bullet style, slide titles that are center-aligned instead of left-aligned, or an accent line under each slide title. You can quickly make these changes and more by modifying the slide master.
To View the Slide Master:
Select the View tab.
Click the Slide Master View command in the Presentation Views group.
Page 1
Each time you apply a new theme to your slides, a slide master appears in the background. It stores information about the theme such as font style, colors, effects, placeholder size, text alignment, and more. The slide master allows you to easily make changes to all slides or a specific slide layout.
In this lesson, you will learn how to use the slide master view to apply changes to the slide master and supporting layouts.
The slide master tab will appear as the active tab on the Ribbon, and the slide master task pane will appear
on the left.
About Slide Master View
Making Changes to All Slides
Any change that you can make to a slide in normal view can be made to the slide master so the change will be reflected on all the slides in the presentation. The following examples will show how you can make these
changes, and move from the Slide Master tab to other tabs on the Ribbon while the presentation remains in slide master view.
To Change the Theme Font on All Slides:
Select the View tab.
Click the Slide Master View command in the Presentation Views group. The Slide Master tab will appear
active.
Select the slide master for all the slides, if it is not currently selected.
Click the Fonts command in the Edit Theme group on the Slide Master tab.
Hover over each option to display a live preview of the font option on the master slide.
Click a menu option to select it.
Making Changes to All Slides (cont.)
To Change Text Color/Alignment on All Slides:
Select the View tab.
Click the Slide Master View command in the Presentation Views group. The Slide Master tab will appear
active.
Select the slide master for all the slides, if it is not currently selected.
Select the text you wish to modify and format as you wish. In this example, we will change the title color and
alignment.
Select the Home tab. The slide master and supporting layouts will remain in the slide task pane on the left
because slide master view is the current view.
Click the Font Color command in the Font group.
Hover over each font option to display a live preview on the master slide.
Select a font color from the menu options. The font color change will appear on all the slides in the task pane
on the left.
Click the Slide Show View or Normal View command at the bottom of the window to exit slide master
view and see the changes in the presentation slides.
To Insert a Picture on All Slides:
Select the View tab.
Click the Slide Master View command in the Presentation Views group. The Slide Master tab will appear
active.
Select the slide master for all the slides, if it is not currently selected. Select the Insert tab.
Click the Picture command in the Illustrations group. The Insert Picture dialog box will appear.
Locate the picture file on the computer. Select the picture file.
Click the picture and while holding down the mouse button, drag it to the desired location on the slide.
Release the mouse button.
Click the Slide Show View or Normal View command at the bottom of the window to exit slide master
view and see the changes in the presentation slides.
Making Changes to Specific Layouts
In addition to changing design elements on all slides, you can change design elements on slides that use a specific layout. For example, you can apply different formatting to the Title and Content or Section Header layouts. By customizing specific slide layouts, you have more control over the slides and the presentation, as a whole.
To Change Font Color/Formatting on Slides with a Specific Layout:
Select the View tab.
Click the Slide Master View command in the Presentation Views group. The Slide Master tab will appear
active.
Select the supporting layout you wish to change. In this example, we will select the section header layout
in the task pane on the left.
Select the text you wish to modify on the slide. Now you can format as you wish. In this example, we will
change the font color and add a text shadow.
Select the Home tab.
Click the Font Color command in the Font group.
Click the Text Shadow command to add a shadow to the selected text.
Click Normal View to close the slide master view and see the section header slides that have been
formatted.
Making Changes to Specific Layouts (cont.)
To Insert a Line on Slides with a Specific Layout:
Select the View tab.
Click the Slide Master View command in the Presentation Views group. The Slide Master tab will appear
active.
Select the Insert tab. Click the Shape command.
Select a line from the menu. The cursor will turn into a crosshair.
Select the Format tab. Format the line, if you wish. In this example, we will change the line color, weight, and
style.
Click the Shape Outline command. Choose a color, weight, or line style option.
Click the Normal View command to close the slide master view and see the section header slides that
have been formatted.
Press and hold the Shift key while you insert a straight line. This will make the line appear completely straight.
Challenge!
Use the Employee Orientation presentation or any other PowerPoint presentation you choose to complete this challenge.
Open a presentation. Open slide master view. Insert a picture on all slides.
Change the title color and alignment on all slides. Change text formatting on one layout.
