PowerPoint and Presenting Stuff

PowerPoint and Presenting News: February 11, 2014

In this issue, we first explore why all colors are not the same within your slides, even though they may first appear to look the same! Confused? Then do explore how you can change the tints and shades of colors that show up within the Theme color galleries in PowerPoint. We then begin a whole new series on using PowerPoint on touch devices such as the Microsoft Surface. And Claudyne Wilder gives you some great advice on how you can hear your inner dialogue, and then do something about it!

PowerPoint 2013 for Windows users can learn about using patterns as slide backgrounds, and also how you can draw a semicircle (yes, there’s no semicircle option in PowerPoint’s Shape galleries). PowerPoint 2011 for Mac users can learn about the thickness of table borders, and how you can add fills and effects to tables. Plus get started with Callout shapes.

And finally, do not miss the new discussions and templates of this week!

Read Indezine’s PowerPoint and Presenting News.

Filed Under: Ezine
Tagged as: Ezine, Indezine, News, PowerPoint

PowerPoint 2013 on Touch: Selecting Shapes

Unlike previous versions, PowerPoint 2013 and also Word and Excel versions of Office 2013 are completely touch-aware. Almost all options are accessible on any of the touch-capable devices, including Microsoft’s own Surface tablets. In this tutorial we’ll explore how you can select one or multiple shapes using various touch gestures. Do remember that although we show you selection procedures using shapes as an example, you can select almost any other slide object including pictures, text boxes, etc. in the same way.

Learn how to select shapes while using PowerPoint 2013 on a touch device.

Filed Under: PowerPoint 2013
Tagged as: PowerPoint 2013, PowerPoint Touch, Tutorials

Learn PowerPoint 2011 for Mac: Attributing and Positioning Callouts

Callouts allow you to do so much. You can create pointers, add text indications and also create comic-book style speech and thought balloons. Combine them with illustrations or photos of characters (both human or animal) and you will create something that will attract the attention of your audience. Among the 16 Callout shapes available in PowerPoint, all cannot be used for text and thought balloons — most of the time, you will use 4 of these options. While Rectangular Callout, Rounded Rectangular Callout, and Oval Callout shapes are speech balloons, the Cloud Callout is essentially a thought balloon.

Learn how to attribute and position Callout shapes in PowerPoint 2011 for Mac.

Filed Under: PowerPoint 2011
Tagged as: Callouts, Mac, Office 2011, Office for Mac, PowerPoint 2011, PowerPoint for Mac, Shapes, Tutorials

Learn PowerPoint 2013 for Windows: Creating Half Circle

An Indezine reader asked a long time ago if one could create three circles next to each other, and make sure that they looked like this: The leftmost circle should be filled-in completely, the second circle should be half full, and the third and the rightmost circle should have no fill, to represent something that is empty. Let’s now explore how to create a visual of this sort.

Learn to create a half circle in PowerPoint 2013 for Windows.

Filed Under: PowerPoint 2013
Tagged as: PowerPoint 2013, Shapes, Tutorials

Learn PowerPoint 2011 for Mac: Callout Shapes

A Callout is a shape that contains some text. But callouts are not just any shape — most of the time, they are connected to another figure or visual. Callouts also have an attached line, arrow, or another pointer style that identifies them with a certain figure or visual. So in simple terms, callouts are those extra shapes with text that add value to other visuals. On their own, you’ll hardly find callouts used anywhere.

Learn about Callout shapes in PowerPoint 2011 for Mac.

Filed Under: PowerPoint 2011
Tagged as: Callouts, Office for Mac, PowerPoint 2011, Shapes, Tutorials