Powerpoint presentation how to make a powerpoint

9 Tips for Making Beautiful PowerPoint Presentations

You don’t have to be a professional designer to make a beautiful PowerPoint presentation. These eight tips will help anyone create effective, compelling slides.

How many times have you sat through poorly designed PowerPoint presentations that were boring, cluttered, and distracting? Probably way too many. Even though we all loathe a boring presentation, when it comes time to make our own, do we really do any better? The good news is you don’t have to be a professional designer to know how to make an awesome and attractive presentation.

There are a few simple rules and tips you can follow for creating a professional, beautifully designed deck. Since PowerPoint remains one of the most popular presentation design programs out there, we’re also going to walk you through some design tips and tricks to maximize your PowerPoint skills and make you look really good next time you’re up in front of the crowd.

1. Use Layout to Your Advantage

Most Western languages read left to right, top to bottom. Knowing this natural reading order, you can direct people’s eyes in a deliberate way to certain key parts of a slide that you want to emphasize. Using layout is a simple but effective way to control the flow and the visual hierarchy of information.

You can guide your audience with simple tweaks to the layout. Use text size and alternating fonts or colors to distinguish headlines from body text. Placement matters, too. There are many unorthodox ways to structure a slide, but most audience members will have to take a few beats to organize the information in their head – that’s precious time better spent listening to your delivery and retaining information.

Try to structure your slides more like this:

And not like this:

Layout is one of the trickier PowerPoint design concepts to master, which is why we have these free PowerPoint templates already laid out for you — use them as a jumping off point for your own presentation, or use them wholesale!

2. No Sentences

Slides are simplified, visual notecards that capture and reinforce main ideas, not complete thoughts. As the speaker, you should be delivering most of the content and information, not putting it all on the slides for everyone to read (and probably ignore). If your audience is reading your presentation instead of listening to you deliver it, your message has lost its effectiveness.

Pare down your core message and use keywords to convey it — you should try to avoid complete sentences unless you’re quoting someone or something.

Stick with this:

3. Follow the 6×6 Rule

One of the cardinal sins of bad PowerPoints is cramming too many details and ideas on one slide, which makes it difficult for people to retain information. Leaving lots of “white space” on a slide helps people focus on your key points.

Try using the 6×6 rule to keep your content concise and clean looking. The 6×6 rule means a maximum of six bullet points per slide and six words per bullet. In fact, some people even say you should never have more than six words per slide! Just watch out for “orphans” (when the last word of a sentence/phrase spills over to the next line). This looks cluttered, so either fit it onto one line, or add another word to the second line.

Slides should never have this much information:

4. Keep the Colors Simple

Stick to simple light and dark colors. Exceptionally bright text can cause eye fatigue, so use those colors sparingly. Dark text on a light background or light text on a dark background will work well. Also avoid intense gradients, which can make text hard to read.

If you are presenting on behalf of your brand, check what your company’s brand guidelines are. Companies often have a primary brand color and a secondary brand color, and it’s a good idea to use them in your presentation to align with your company’s brand identity and style.

If you’re looking for color inspiration on your next presentation, you might want to check out our 101 Color Combinations, where you can browse tons of eye-catching color palettes curated by a pro. When you find the one you like, just type out the corresponding color code into your presentation formatting tools.

Stay away from color combinations like this:

5. Use Sans-Serif Fonts

Traditionally, serif fonts (Times New Roman, Garamond, Bookman) are best for printed pages, and sans-serif fonts (Helvetica, Tahoma, Verdana) are easier to read on screens. These are always safe choices, but if you’d like to add some more typographic personality, try exploring our roundup of the internet’s best free fonts. You’ll find everything from classic serifs and sans serifs to sophisticated modern fonts and splashy display fonts. Just keep legibility at the forefront of your mind when you’re making your pick.

Try to stick with one font, or choose two at the most. Fonts have very different personalities and emotional impacts, so make sure your font matches the tone, purpose, and content of your presentation.

6. Stick to 30pt Font or Larger

Many experts agree that your font size should be at least 30pt. Not only does it ensure that your text is readable, but it also forces you to include only the most important points of your message and explain it efficiently, since space is limited.

7. Avoid Overstyling the Text

Three of the easiest and most effective ways to draw attention to text are:

Our eyes are naturally drawn to things that stand out, but use these changes sparingly. Overstyling can make the slide look busy and distracting.

8. Choose the Right Images

The images you choose for your presentation are perhaps as important as the message. You want images that not only support the message, but also elevate it — a rare accomplishment in the often dry world of PowerPoint. But what is the right image? We’ll be honest. There’s no direct answer to this conceptual, almost mystical subject, but we can break down some strategies for approaching image selection that will help you curate your next presentation.

The ideal presentation images are:

These may seem like vague qualities, but the general idea is to go beyond the literal. Think about the symbols in an image and the story they tell. Think about the colors and composition in an image, and the distinct mood it sets for your presentation. With this approach, you can get creative in your hunt for relatable, authentic, and inspirational images.

Here are some more guidelines for choosing great images.

Illustrative, but not generic

So the slide in question is about collaborating as a team. Naturally, you look for images of people meeting in a boardroom, right? While it’s perfectly fine to go super literal, sometimes these images fall flat; what’s literal doesn’t necessarily connect to your audience emotionally. Will they really respond to generic images of people who aren’t them meeting in boardroom?

In the absence of a photo of your actual team, or any other image that directly illustrates the subject at hand, look for images of convincing realism and humanity that capture the idea of your message. Doing so connects with viewers, allowing them to connect with your message.

The image above can be interpreted in many ways. But, when we apply it to a slide about collaboration, the meaning is clear. It doesn’t hurt that there’s a nice setting and good photography, to boot.

Supportive, but not distracting

Now that we’ve told you to get creative with your image selection, the next lesson is to rein that in. While there are infinite choices of imagery out there, there’s a limit to what makes sense in your presentation. Let’s say you’re giving an IT presentation to new employees. You might think that image of two dogs snuggling by a fire is relatable, authentic, and inspirational, but does it really say “data management” to your audience?

To find the best supporting images, try searching terms on the periphery of your actual message. You’ll find images that complement your message rather than distract from it. In the IT presentation example, instead of “data connections” or another literal term, try the closely related “traffic” or “connectivity.” This will bring up images outside of tech, but relative to the idea of how things move.

Inspiring and engaging

There’s a widespread misconception that presentations are just about delivering information. This in part contributes to the dirge of lackluster PowerPoints that we’ve all sat through. In fact, a great presentation is inspirational. We don’t mean that your audience should be itching to paint a masterpiece when they’re done. In this case, inspiration is about engagement — is your audience asking themselves questions? Are they coming up with new ideas? Are they remembering key information to tap into later? You’ll drive a lot of this engagement with your actual delivery, but unexpected images can play a role, as well.

When you use more abstract or aspirational images, your audience will have room to make their own connections. This not only means they’re paying attention, but they’re also engaging with and retaining your message. To find the right abstract or unconventional imagery, search terms related to the tone of the presentation. This may include images with different perspectives like overhead shots and aerials, long exposures taken over a period of time, nature photos, colorful markets, and so on.

The big idea here is akin to including an image of your adorable dog making a goofy face at the end of an earnings meeting. It leaves an audience with a good, human feeling after you just packed their brains with data. Use that concept of pleasant surprise when you’re selecting images for your presentation.

9. Editing PowerPoint Images

Setting Appropriate Image Resolution in PowerPoint

Though you can drag and drop images into PowerPoint, you can control the resolution they are displayed within the file. To control file size and fine-tune your presentations you may want to reduce or increase the resolution. Simply click File > Compress Pictures in the main application menu.

Image via Dikky Oesin

If your presentation file is big and will only be viewed online, you can take it down to On-screen, then check the Apply to: All pictures in this file box, and rest assured the quality will be uniform.

For higher res in printed form, try the Print setting, which at 220 PPI is very good quality.

For large-screens such as projection, use the HD setting, since enlarging to that scale will show any deficiencies in resolution. Low resolution can not only distract from the message, but it looks low quality and that reflects on the presenter. If size is no issue for you, use High Fidelity (maximum PPI), and only reduce if the file size gives your computer problems.

The image quality really begins when you add the images to the presentation file. Use the highest-quality images you can, then let PowerPoint scale the resolution down for you, reducing the excess when set to HD or lower.

Resizing, Editing, and Adding Effects to Images in PowerPoint

Powerpoint comes with an arsenal of tools to work with your images. When a picture is selected, the confusingly named Picture Format menu is activated in both the top menu bar, and Format Picture is opened on the right side of the app window.

Image via Dragon Images

In the Format Picture menu, on the right, are four sections, and each of these sections expand to show their options by clicking the arrows by the name:

The menu at the top is more expansive, containing menu presets for Corrections, Color, Effects, Animation, and a lot more. In this section is where you can crop more precisely than just choosing the dimensions from the Picture pane on the right.

Cropping Images in PowerPoint

The simple way to crop an image is to use the Picture pane under the Format Picture menu on the right side of the window. Use the Picture Position controls to move the picture inside its box, or use the Crop position controls to manipulate the box’s dimensions.

To exert more advanced control, or use special shapes, select the picture you want to crop, then click the Picture Format in the top menu to activate it.

Hit the Crop button, then use the controls on the picture’s box to size by eye. Or, click the arrow to show more options, including changing the shape of the box (for more creative looks) and using preset aspect ratios, for a more uniform presentation of images.

Image via Zamurovic Photography

The next time you design a PowerPoint presentation, remember that simplicity is key and less is more. By adopting these simple design tips, you’ll deliver a clear, powerful visual message to your audience.

Want some more PowerPoint tips? Check out these articles:

Nothing makes a presentation more engaging than a well-placed image. You can actually search, preview, and insert captivating images from the Shutterstock collection directly into your slides with our add-in for PowerPoint. Download the add-in and simplify your presentation process.

17 PowerPoint Presentation Tips to Make More Creative Slideshows [+ Templates]

Unlock free PowerPoint templates below.

Creating a great PowerPoint presentation is a skill that any professional can benefit from. The problem? It’s really easy to get it wrong. From poor color choices to confusing slides, a bad PowerPoint slideshow can distract from the fantastic content you’re sharing with stakeholders on your team.

That’s why it’s so important to learn how to create a PowerPoint presentation from the ground up, starting with your slides. Even if you’re familiar with PowerPoint, a refresher will help you make a more attractive, professional slideshow. Let’s get started.

How to Make a PowerPoint Slide

I like to think of Microsoft PowerPoint as a test of basic professional skills. To create a passing presentation, I need to demonstrate design skills, technical literacy, and a sense of personal style.

If the presentation has a problem (like an unintended font, a broken link, or unreadable text), then I’ve probably failed the test. Even if my spoken presentation is well rehearsed, a bad visual experience can ruin it for the audience.

Expertise means nothing without a good PowerPoint presentation to back it up. For starters, grab your collection of free PowerPoint templates below.

10 Free PowerPoint Templates

Tell us a little about yourself below to gain access today.

No matter your topic, successful PowerPoints depend on three main factors: your command of PowerPoint’s design tools, your attention to presentation processes, and your devotion to consistent style. Here are some simple tips to help you start mastering each of those factors, and don’t forget to check out the additional resources at the bottom of this post.

How to Make a PowerPoint Presentation

A presentation is made up of multiple slides, and now that you know how to make one, you can delve deeper into PowerPoint’s capabilities.

1. Open a blank presentation again or start from one you’ve already created.

If you’ve already created a presentation, double-click the icon to open the existing file. Otherwise, open Microsoft PowerPoint, click File in the top left corner, and click New Presentation. From there, you can follow the prompts to set up a new presentation.

2. Choose a theme or create your own.

Microsoft offers built-in themes and color variations to help you design your slides with a cohesive look. To choose from these pre-built themes, choose the File tab again, select New, choose one of the options, and click Create.

Otherwise, you can use PowerPoint elements, your design sense, and your brand’s color palette to make your own «theme.»

3. Create a variety of slides for different purposes.

You don’t want to present the same exact slide, only with different content on it. This would bore your audience. Ensure that you create multiple variations, accommodating some of the common uses for slides. At minimum, you’ll need:

4. Use the Duplicate Slides feature to save you time.

There’s no reason to create these designs over and over again. Now that you have a few to draw from, you can simply duplicate them before inputting your content. Here’s how to do that:

This will automatically add a copy of this slide to the presentation. From there, you can customize it for your needs.

5. Add transitions to your slides (optional).

Done well, transitions can add a little bit of movement and showmanship to your presentation. PowerPoint has several transitions built in for you to choose from.

To access them, select the Transitions tab from the top ribbon. From there, you can select a transition for it to preview on your screen. To customize it further, click Effect Options and play with the features to find something that suits your liking. To remove a transition, select Transitions and click None.

6. Add animations to your slides (optional).

Like transitions, animations can add movement, reveal information, and help you underscore the points you want to hit during your speech. To animate an element, follow these steps:

Some of the ways to customize animations include:

These describe how you want the effect to behave, so play around with them until you find an effect that suits your liking.

You’ll also have the option to move animations around as you edit your slides by clicking on the Animation Pane button, then reordering the animations in the list that pops up.

7. Save your presentation.

Click File and Save, making sure to specify which folder or destination you want your PowerPoint to be stored. If you’re using your slides for education or teaching, it could be beneficial to convert your presentation to an online course.

8. Run your presentation.

It’s always good to do a trial run to ensure that your slides are set up properly and your animations fire the way you expect them to.

To present your PowerPoint, go to the Slide Show tab and click Play from Start. The slide will cover your whole screen, blocking out your desktop and PowerPoint software. This is so your audience (in this case, you for the trial run) is solely focused on the visual elements of your presentation.

9. Advance the slides.

When you’re done with one slide and want to show the next in your sequence, click your mouse in presentation mode. This will advance the slide.

PowerPoint Presentation Tips

PowerPoint Style

1. Don’t let PowerPoint decide how you use PowerPoint.

Microsoft wanted to provide PowerPoint users with a lot of tools. But this does not mean you should use them all. Here are some key things to look out for:

2. Create custom slide sizes.

While you usually can get away with the default slide size for most presentations, you may need to adjust it for larger presentations on weirdly sized displays. If you need to do that, here’s how.

Tip: You can avoid a headache with the last step if you resize your slides before you add any objects to them. Otherwise, the dimensions of your objects will become skewed.

3. Edit your slide template design.

Often, it’s much easier to edit your PowerPoint template before you start — this way, you don’t have to design each slide by hand. Here’s how you do that.

4. Write text with your audience in mind.

A significant part of a PowerPoint’s content is text. Great copy can make or break your presentation, so evaluating your written work from a few different angles could make you seem more persuasive. Thinking about how your text is received differentiates good presenters from the best.

Typography:

Many people underestimate the influence of typeface, but choosing the right font is important — the perception of your font type could influence your audience’s impression of you. The right font is an opportunity to convey consistent brand personality and professionalism.

Some fonts are seen as clean and professional, but this doesn’t mean they’re boring. A common mistake is thinking your font isn’t «exciting» enough, which could lead you to choose a font that distracts from your overall message. We recommend sticking to simple serif and sans-serif fonts. Avoid script fonts because of potential readability issues.

That said, you can still use fun and eccentric fonts — in moderation. Offsetting a fun font or large letters with something more professional can create an engaging presentation.

Above all, be sure you’re consistent so your presentation looks the same throughout each slide. That way, your audience doesn’t become distracted by too many disparate fonts. Check out this example from HubSpot’s company profile templates:

5. Make sure all of your objects are properly aligned.

Here’s how to align multiple objects:

Here’s how to align objects to the slide:

PowerPoint Design

6. Use «Format Object» to better control your objects’ designs.

Format menus allow you to do fine adjustments that otherwise seem impossible. To do this, right-click on an object and select the Format Object option. Here, you can fine-tune shadows, adjust shape measurements, create reflections, and much more. The menu that will pop up looks like this:

Although the main options can be found on PowerPoint’s format toolbars, look for complete control in the format window menu. Other examples of options available include:

7. Take advantage of PowerPoint’s shapes.

Many users don’t realize how flexible PowerPoint’s shape tools have become. In combination with the expanded format options released by Microsoft, the potential for good design with shapes is readily available. PowerPoint provides the user with a bunch of great shape options beyond the traditional rectangle, oval, and rounded rectangle patterns.

Today’s shapes include a highly functional Smart Shapes function, which enables you to create diagrams and flow charts in no time. These tools are especially valuable when you consider that PowerPoint is a visual medium. Paragraphing and bullet lists are boring — you can use shapes to help express your message more clearly.

8. Create custom shapes.

When you create a shape, right click and press Edit Points. By editing points, you can create custom shapes that fit your specific need. For instance, you can reshape arrows to fit the dimensions you like.

Another option is to combine two shapes together. To do so, select the two shapes you’d like to work with, then click Shape Format in the top ribbon. Tap Merge Shapes.

You’ll see a variety of options.

By using these tools rather than trying to edit points precisely, you can create accurately measured custom shapes.

9. Crop images into custom shapes.

Besides creating custom shapes in your presentation, you can also use PowerPoint to crop existing images into new shapes. Here’s how you do that:

10. Present websites within PowerPoint.

Tradition says that if you want to show a website in a PowerPoint, you should just create a link to the page and prompt a browser to open. For PC users, there’s a better option.

Third party software that integrates fully into PowerPoint’s developer tab can be used to embed a website directly into your PowerPoint using a normal HTML iframe. One of the best tools is LiveWeb, a third-party software that you can install on your PowerPoint program.

By using LiveWeb, you don’t have to interrupt your PowerPoint, and your presentation will remain fluid and natural. Whether you embed a whole webpage or just a YouTube video, this can be a high-quality third party improvement. To install the add-on, simple head to the LiveWeb website and follow the instructions.

Unfortunately, Mac users don’t have a similar option. A good second choice is to take screenshots of the website, link in through a browser, or embed media (such as a YouTube video) by downloading it directly to your computer.

11. Try Using GIFs.

GIFs are looped animated images used to communicate a mood, idea, information, and much more. Users add GIFs to PowerPoints to be funny or quickly demo a process. It’s easy to add GIFs to your slides. To do so, simply follow these steps:

PowerPoint Process

12. Keep it simple.

PowerPoint is an excellent tool to support your presentation with visual information, graphics, and supplemental points. This means that your PowerPoint should not be your entire presentation. Your slides — no matter how creative and beautiful — shouldn’t be the star of the show. Keep your text and images clear and concise, using them only to supplement your message and authority.

If your slides have dense and cluttered information, it will both distract your audience and make it much more likely that you will lose their attention. Nothing in your slides should be superfluous! Keep your presentation persuasive by keeping it clean. There are a few ways to do this:

13. Embed your font files.

One constant problem presenters have with PowerPoint is that fonts seem to change when presenters move from one computer to another. In reality, the fonts are not changing — the presentation computer just doesn’t have the same font files installed. If you’re using a PC and presenting on a PC, then there is a smooth workaround for this issue.

Here’s the trick: When you save your PowerPoint file (only on a PC), you should click File, then Options, then open up the Save tab. Then, select the Embed fonts in the file check box under Preserve fidelity when sharing this presentation. Now, your presentation will keep the font file and your fonts will not change when you move computers.

The macOS PowerPoint version has a similar function. To embed your fonts on a Mac, do the following:

14. Save your slides as a PDF file for backup purposes.

If you’re still scared of your presentation showing up differently when it’s time to present, you should create a PDF version just in case. This is a good option if you’ll be presenting on a different computer. If you also run into an issue where the presenting computer doesn’t have PowerPoint installed, you can also use the system viewer to open up the PDF. No laptop will ever give you trouble with this file type.

The only caveat is that your GIFs, animations, and transitions won’t transfer over. But since the PDF will only work as a backup, not as your primary copy, this should be okay.

To save your presentation as a PDF file, take the following steps:

You can also go to File, then Export, then select PDF from the file format menu.

15. Embed multimedia.

PowerPoint allows you to either link to video/audio files externally or to embed the media directly in your presentation. You should embed these files if you can, but if you use a Mac, you cannot actually embed the video (see note below). For PCs, two great reasons for embedding are:

Note: macOS users of PowerPoint should be extra careful about using multimedia files.

If you use PowerPoint for Mac, then you will always need to bring the video and/or audio file with you in the same folder as the PowerPoint presentation. It’s best to only insert video or audio files once the presentation and the containing folder have been saved on a portable drive in their permanent folder. Also, if the presentation will be played on a Windows computer, then Mac users need to make sure their multimedia files are in WMV format. This tip gets a bit complicated, so if you want to use PowerPoint effectively, consider using the same operating system for designing and presenting, no matter what.

16. Bring your own hardware.

Between operating systems, PowerPoint is still a bit jumpy. Even between differing PPT versions, things can change. One way to fix these problems is to make sure that you have the right hardware — so just bring along your own laptop when you’re presenting.

If you’re super concerned about the different systems you might have to use, then upload your PowerPoint presentation into Google Slides as a backup option. Google Slides is a cloud-based presentation software that will show up the same way on all operating systems. The only thing you need is an internet connection and a browser.

To import your PowerPoint presentation into Google Slides, take the following steps:

When I tested this out, Google Slides imported everything perfectly, including a shape whose points I had manipulated. This is a good backup option to have if you’ll be presenting across different operating systems.

17. Use Presenter View.

In most presentation situations, there will be both a presenter’s screen and the main projected display for your presentation. PowerPoint has a great tool called Presenter View, which can be found in the Slide Show tab of PowerPoint. Included in the Presenter View is an area for notes, a timer/clock, and a presentation display.

For many presenters, this tool can help unify their spoken presentation and their visual aid. You never want to make the PowerPoint seem like a stack of notes that you’re reading off of. Use the Presenter View option to help create a more natural presentation.

Pro Tip: At the start of the presentation, you should also hit CTRL + H to make the cursor disappear. Hitting the «A» key will bring it back if you need it!

Your Next Great PowerPoint Presentation Starts Here

With style, design, and presentation processes under your belt, you can do a lot more with PowerPoint than just presentations for your clients. PowerPoint and similar slide applications are flexible tools that should not be forgotten. With a great template, you can be on your way to creating presentations that wow your audience.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in September 2013 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Originally published Mar 18, 2022 7:00:00 AM, updated July 27 2022

Создание презентации

PowerPoint для Windows, Mac или мобильных устройств позволяет:

создавать презентации с нуля или на основе готового шаблона;

добавлять текст, изображения, картинки и видео;

выбирать варианты профессионального оформления в конструкторе PowerPoint;

добавлять переходы, анимации и пути перемещения;

сохранять презентации в OneDrive, чтобы они были доступны с компьютера, планшета и телефона;

предоставлять общий доступ и работать удаленно вместе с другими пользователями.

Откройте приложение PowerPoint.

В левой области выберите Новый.

Выберите один из вариантов:

Чтобы создать презентацию с нуля, выберите Пустая презентация.

Чтобы использовать подготовленный макет, выберите один из шаблонов.

Чтобы посмотреть советы по использованию PowerPoint, выберите Принять тур, а затем выберите Создать.

В области слева в области эскизов выберите слайд, на который вы хотите ввести новый слайд.

На вкладке Главная в разделе Слайды выберите Новый слайд.

В разделе Слайды выберите Макет, а затем выберите нужный макет в меню.

Добавление и форматирование текста

Поместите курсор в текстовое поле и введите текст.

Вы выберите текст, а затем в разделе Шрифт на вкладке Главная выберите один или несколько параметров, таких как Шрифт,Увеличить размер шрифта, Уменьшить размер шрифта, Полужирный, Выделенный, Подчеркнутая и т. д.

Чтобы создать маркированный или нумерованный список, выделите текст, а затем выберите элемент Маркеры или Нумерация.

Добавление рисунка, фигуры и других

Перейдите на вкладку Вставка.

В разделе Изображения выберите Рисунки.

В меню Вставить рисунок из выберите нужный источник.

Найдите нужный рисунок, выберите его и выберите Вставить.

Чтобы добавить иллюстрации:

В разделе Иллюстрации выберите Фигуры, Значки, Трехd-модели, SmartArtили Диаграмма.

В диалоговом окне, которое открывается при выборе одного из типов иллюстраций, выберите нужный элемент и следуйте подсказкам, чтобы вставить его.

How to Make Professional PowerPoint Presentations (With PPT Templates) + Video

Are you anxious about preparing for an upcoming presentation? You need to present something professionally to gain your audience’s trust. Maybe you’re using it for a breakthrough in your career.

If you’re short on time, this tutorial is the perfect way to get going. I’ll share some of my favorite tried and true professional PowerPoint tips. They’ll show you how to create presentations. Then, we’ll walk through building one together using a professional PPT theme.

Inspiring speakers practice and learn their craft. A big part of this is having a professional PowerPoint theme design. A professional design helps you feel confident about your content, such as one of these:

Guide to Making Great Presentations (Free eBook Download)

Before you read on, be sure to grab our free eBook: The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations. It’ll help you master the presentation process. It takes you from initial idea through to writing, design, and delivering with impact.

Now, let’s jump into a few quick techniques that’ll help up your presentation results. Then, learn how to build a professional PowerPoint presentation quickly using a template.

How to Quickly Make Professional PowerPoint Presentations With PPT Templates (Video)

Are you ready to start learning how to make a professional PowerPoint using a template? Watch this quick video to find out what you need to know to get started on creating your own professional PowerPoint:

Professional PowerPoint Templates on Envato Elements (With Unlimited Use)

In this tutorial, you’re going to learn the secret to professional presentations: you don’t have to do all the work.

That’s right. The pressure is off. We’re going to use a professional presentation template instead of starting from scratch.

Your ticket to creating a professional presentation is to join Envato Elements. It includes the best professional presentation templates. The flat-rate subscription unlocks unlimited assets, including top designs for professional presentations. It’s a shortcut to learn how to make a business presentation on PowerPoint.

Unlock unlimited professional presentation templates with one subscription thanks to Envato Elements.

That’s right: you don’t have to know how to make professional PPT slides all on your own. A template gives you everything you need. It’s a blueprint for success with every placeholder and content block you need. You just open it up and fill it in.

Check out all the best professional presentation templates you’ll unlock on Envato Elements.

Instead of buying a single PowerPoint theme, subscribe to Elements. Choose from thousands of PPT template designs, web themes, professional graphics, and more. Download as many as you want for one low price.

Now, let’s walk through building a professional PowerPoint presentation from a PPT template.

How to Make a Professional Presentation in PowerPoint Quickly

You don’t have to be an expert to make an amazing professional presentation of your own. The best way is to use a template from Envato Elements. You can customize these in only five quick steps.

For this mini-tutorial, we’ll use the Professional PowerPoint Template from Envato Elements.

The Professional PowerPoint Template includes over 60 custom slides.

It’s a versatile, modern template for all your project needs. This professional presentation template saves you so much time. Download it and follow along with our tutorial. Let’s get started:

1. Select Your Slides

A professional presentation template like this includes dozens of slides. Odds are, you won’t need to use every single one. Working in PowerPoint, go to the View tab and click on Slide Sorter.

Select the slides you wish to use in your premium professional presentation design with Slide Sorter view.

Here, click and drag slide thumbnails to rearrange their sequence. You can also right-click on them and choose Delete Slide to remove unwanted layouts. When you’re finished, click Normal on the View tab to start editing.

2. Customize Text

Any professional presentation will include plenty of text. To customize the text in this template, you can work with the built-in text placeholders. To start, click into any text box. Then, press Ctrl + A (Cmd + A on Mac) to select all the text inside.

Type over the text placeholders in a premium professional presentation so that the slides tell your story.

Then, start typing in your own content. The placeholder text will vanish, replaced by the words you type in. Repeat throughout your slide deck, and you’ll be on the way to a professional presentation in no time.

3. Insert Images

No professional presentation is complete without some images. These are easy to insert. Find a slide like this with an image placeholder on it.

Images round out your professional presentation (premium) and they’re easy to add to placeholders.

Then, browse to an image file stored on your computer. Drag it over the placeholder and drop it into place. PowerPoint will import the image onto the slide, already sized and scaled perfectly.

Looking for beautiful images to use? As an Envato Elements member, you’ve got access to millions of stunning stock photos included at no extra cost.

4. Build Infographics

Infographics help you illustrate ideas. Plus, they look great and are sure to impress a professional audience. Templates like this help you add infographics to your professional presentation in seconds.

Use infographics with the pre-built designs in premium professional presentations.

Infographics work like any other slide in the presentation. Replace the text with words and numbers of your own, click and drag to move objects around, and more. It only takes a few clicks, but it helps guarantee you a successful presentation.

5. Change Shape Colors

A pre-built template will include its own default color palette. But you can easily change out individual parts of it. With a shape selected, find the Shape Format tab on PowerPoint’s ribbon.

Customize your premium professional presentation with your brand’s colors.

There, click on the Shape Fill dropdown. You’ll see a color chooser menu appear. Browse the theme colors, along with gradients and more. Click on any color to apply it to your shape.

5 Quick-Fire Tips for More Professional Presentations

Let’s start off by reviewing five of my favorite professional PowerPoint presentation tips. These are great reminders to start with when you’re preparing to speak.

1. Practice Really Does Make Perfect

Practice makes perfect It’s a well-known piece of advice for a reason. A well-rehearsed presentation helps you come across confidently and resonate with the audience.

Not all practice is created equally though. Here are professional PowerPoint presentation practice tips:

2. Stick to «One Big Idea»

Many presentations will overwhelm you with data and details. In an attempt to persuade, presenters include too many reasons and talking points.

By the time the presentation reaches its conclusion, your audience may be so overwhelmed with ideas that they’ll have missed your most important points.

As a presenter, it’s your job to be clear. Stick to the key idea that you’re presenting to make sure that your audience doesn’t get lost in the details.

3. Don’t be Afraid to BLUF

Sharing a big idea is important, but where you put it is also essential. That’s why you should put your Bottom Line Up Front, also known as the BLUF principle. Put the bottom line (the key idea) near the beginning of your presentation.

Books and movies take you through a journey that ends with a conclusion. Presentations should give you the answer up front and explain that conclusion with the following slides.

Skip straight to the chase by giving your audience the key idea near the beginning of your presentation.

The BLUF principle reminds me to cut to the chase when sharing the most important part of a presentation. Get straight to the heart of the message before your audience is distracted or exhausts their limited supply of attention.

4. Include Professional Presentation Graphics

For professional presentations, your audience might be more analytical than the average viewer. They’re more inclined to view PowerPoint charts and graphs and derive meaning from them than talking points.

A graphic like a bar chart can convey data more quickly than speaking points can.

Graphics and charts are the quickest way to convey a point. Consider using bar charts and line graphs to show trends and key statistics that reinforce your point.

For more bite-sized tips on how to give great presentations, check out Brad Smith’s tutorial below. It’s got tons of other professional PowerPoint tips. I often read these before I start building a presentation to put good presentation ideas in my short-term memory bank:

5. Use Presenter View

My final tip is one that enables every other professional PowerPoint presentation tip we’ve already shared. By using Presenter View, you’ll have a view of all the key tools and features in a single view. That means you’ll have your speaker notes, a preview of the next slide, and a timer that helps you stay on track.

Most presentations are delivered in rooms with more than one screen. Presenter View shows your presentation on one screen that your audience sees. On the second screen, you’ll see helpful information to presenters.

To turn on Presenter View, jump to the Slide Show tab, and make sure that Use Presenter View is ticked. When you start to present, you’ll see two different views.

Turn on Presenter View on the Slide Show tab by ticking Use Presenter View.

In Presenter View, keep your eye on a few key features as you can see in the screenshot below. Speaker notes live on the right side and help cue up your key talking points. The next slide preview is also a great prompt to help you direct your speaking flow. And finally, don’t forget to keep an eye on the timer to stay on track.

Presenter View puts all of the key tools that every speaker needs for a professional presentation right in front of you.

Check out the tutorial below to start making the most of Presenter View:

PowerPoint 101: Everything You Need to Make a Basic Presentation

If you’re new to PowerPoint, it can seem overwhelming. It can be hard to know where to start. Once you understand the basics of PowerPoint, then using the software is much easier.

PowerPoint is the original presentations app for the Mac and PC, but it’s a complex app with a lot of features. Making a simple presentation can be confusing.

Are you making your first PowerPoint? Do you find it a bit confusing? Here’s the guide you need to make a perfect PowerPoint presentation.

In this tutorial, we’ll look into what you should and shouldn’t do when creating a PowerPoint presentation. I’ll also show you how to customize your PowerPoint template. But most of all, we’ll go over the PowerPoint basic knowledge you need to know.

Some Dos and Don’ts of Writing a PowerPoint Presentation

Before creating a PowerPoint presentation, you should know some basic things about making a great presentation. Here are some dos and don’t basics of PowerPoint:

Here’s a list of guidelines for creating your PowerPoint Presentation:

Don’ts

These are things you want to avoid doing when creating your PowerPoint presentation:

For even more design guidelines and other PowerPoint tips, review this tutorial:

What Is Microsoft PowerPoint?

Microsoft PowerPoint is presentation software. In PowerPoint, you can use templates or create presentations from scratch. In this software, you can use text, images, videos, and more to explain a topic. Besides, PowerPoint has some main features such as animations and adding images and videos.

Learn more about PowerPoint in these tutorials:

How to Customize a PowerPoint template

If you’re going to create a PowerPoint presentation, you need to have some basic PowerPoint skills.

Here are some skills you can apply to your presentation:

1. Decide on Your Topic

It’s PowerPoint basic knowledge that you should decide on your topic before you start making your PowerPoint presentation. Once you’ve picked a topic, here are some steps to take:

2. Choose a Template

After choosing your topic choose the next step is to decide which PowerPoint presentation template you want to use. A topic-related template may help streamline your PowerPoint creation.

There are many topics related to premium PowerPoint presentation templates. But if you can’t find a topic-related template, then you can use a simple template that doesn’t have a theme.

Choose a premium template for your PowerPoint presentation.

Just because you’re using a premium template doesn’t mean that you’ll give up customization options. You can easily customize premium templates as much as you need to. Plus, you save time with a premium template because you don’t need to start from scratch. All you need to do is add in images and information.

2. Add Text

More PowerPoint 101 common knowledge is that text is essential to a PowerPoint presentation. The text allows you to back up your main points. It also keeps readers’ minds on the key terms and concepts.

But never have your text appear in large blocks on the slides. Large blocks of text can be overwhelming to the audience.

Instead, your text should appear lists of single words or short, easy-to-understand statements. Limit the text on your slide to:

Here are some step-by-step instructions on how to add text to a PowerPoint template:

To add new text to your PowerPoint presentation slide you’ll need to create a text box.

On slide two of the Be. PowerPoint, there’s room to add a text box.

3. Add Pictures

Another element of a PowerPoint presentation, according to PowerPoint 101, is images. Images can be used to evoke emotion in the audience. You can also use images to show what you’re talking about.

If needed, you can have a slide with only a single image and caption to make a strong point.

Picture placeholders make adding images to your PowerPoint presentation easy.

Images can add an extra visual element to your slides. Here are some steps for adding images to a template:

4. Have a Consistent Color Palette

PowerPoint basic knowledge is to have a consistent color palette in your presentation. If you use a premium template, you don’t need to worry about this unless you change the theme colors.

When choosing a color theme, remember to use contrasting colors for the text and slide background. For example, if you’ve got a navy-blue background, white text will make the text easy to read and stand out.

One of the basics of PowerPoint presentations is to have a consistent color palette throughout.

With these PowerPoint basics covered, let’s change the slide background color on slide two.

5. Allow White Space

White space is the unused space between elements (shapes, text, boxes, pictures, etc.) on a slide. When you allow white space on your slide, your slide looks clean, professional, and elegant.

So, when making the slides for your PowerPoint presentation remember that less is more.

6. Use Icons and Infographics

Many premium PowerPoint presentation templates come with icons and infographics.

Here are some steps for adding icons and infographics to your slides:

7. Format Text and Adjust Pictures

A basic PowerPoint skill is to format your text and adjust your images. If there was no picture placeholder when you added an image, you’ll need to adjust that image.

Formatting text is also essential. You can change the font, font size, and font color.

When putting your PowerPoint presentation together, keep in mind the need to have your font size, color, and type consistent throughout your presentation. For example, if you’ve blue title text in size 30, every slide should use a blue title text in size 30. Consistent text throughout your presentation looks more professional.

A basic PowerPoint skill is to be able to format text and adjust images.

You can easily adjust text boxes and images by clicking on them. Use the handles on the selected item to adjust the size.

8. Use Speaker Notes

Another essential PowerPoint basics skill that you should know about is Speaker Notes. You shouldn’t put everything you’re going to say on the slides. That much text can be overwhelming for the audience.

Speaker Notes are a PowerPoint feature that lets you add references and notes. These are only visible to the speaker.

Another basic PowerPoint skill is knowing how to use speaker notes.

Here’s how to use Speaker Notes:

5 Top PowerPoint Tips

You’ve just learned the basics of PowerPoint. These will get you started as you create your PowerPoint presentation.

But there’s some much more you can do. Here are some PowerPoint tips to help you make your presentation even better. Here are some top tips:

1. Use Animations

Animations can make your PowerPoint presentations more exciting to the audience. Use animation to draw attention to a specific point or image on your slide.

Be careful not to use too much animation. If you use too much animation, it can overwhelm the audience. And too much animation can look amateur.

This tutorial includes even more details about how to use animation in PowerPoint:

2. Use Charts and Graphs to Present Data

When you’ve got data, it’s best to present it using charts and graphs. Charts and graphs add a visual element to your that can make it easy to see comparisons or trends. Also, It can be hard to see data in an excel spreadsheet if you’re seated in the audience.

For a detailed tutorial on charts and graphs, study:

3. Make Your Presentation Interesting for the Audience

Besides charts and graphs, there’s another way you can make your audience want to pay attention. An interactive quiz can make your audience pay attention.

Let your audience know ahead of time that there’ll be an interactive quiz with a prize at the end. This will make the audience want to pay attention and cause them to learn about the topic of your presentation.

Use this guide to add an interactive quiz to your PowerPoint:

4. Add Images to Your Presentation

Images add not only a visual element, but also an emotional element. They can also be used to keep the audience interested in your presentation. You can use images to simplify and reinforce the goal or the message of your presentation.

5. Use an Outline

When preparing your presentation, it’s best to start with an outline. Outlines help you make sure that you talk about everything you need to. A good premium template will come with labeled slides that can be used as an outline. Learn more about how to create an outline from PowerPoint here:

Learn More about Microsoft PowerPoint

You’ve already learned a lot of basic PowerPoint skills and know how to use PowerPoint. But, as we mentioned earlier, PowerPoint is a complex app with lots of features.

When you’re ready, we’ve got you covered with even more helpful PowerPoint tutorials. Read these tutorials to learn more about PowerPoint:

The Best Source for Premium PowerPoint Templates (With Unlimited Use)

Premium PowerPoint templates are designed to look professional and take advantage of the latest design styles. Just add your own text and images.

Create the best PowerPoint presentations with premium templates from Envato Elements.

To find a premium template go to Envato Elements and sign up for the subscription to get unlimited access to design assets including:

If you want to use a premium template but aren’t sure about a subscription, then GraphicRiver is a great option. GraphicRiver is a pay-per-download source for digital elements.

Apply These PowerPoint Basics Now

You now know the basic steps of creating and running a basic PowerPoint presentation. Even long, complex and fancy presentations start the same way.

And if you prefer, you can create the content first. Then apply the formatting later. PowerPoint themes make it easy to tweak the design of your entire presentation without changing your content.

You can also take a look at the premium PowerPoint presentation design templates on Envato Elements or Envato Market to discover top PPT designs.

Editorial Note: This article was originally written in 2014 by Bob Flisser. It’s been comprehensively revised to include the latest PowerPoint information by Sarah Joy.