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define presentation and powerpoint

What is PowerPoint and what it is used for

PowerPoint is a presentation software developed by Microsoft, which allows users to create, edit, and deliver visually engaging slideshows, whether you're a student, professional, or simply curious, explore the power of Microsoft PowerPoint and learn how you can create impactful presentations effortlessly.

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According to Glassdoor , a PowerPoint designer's average salary in the UK is about £37,811 annually. Who knew there was big money in presentations alone? In this blog, you will learn What PowerPoint is, its key features, its benefits, and how to use it, as well as learn some tips for creating effective presentations. 

Table of contents      

1) What is PowerPoint?   

2) Understanding the PowerPoint interface   

3) Key features of PowerPoint  

4) How to use PowerPoint to create a presentation?  

5) Benefits of PowerPoint   

6) Tips for creating effective PowerPoint Presentations  

7) Alternatives to PowerPoint    

What is PowerPoint?  

PowerPoint is an essential multifunctional tool for making presentations which had been created by MS. As a part of the Microsoft Office Suite, it offers a toolbox to organise the presentation by using different tools and features to make it visually pleasant and attractive. MS PowerPoint gives the opportunity for the text, graphics, multimedia objects, and animation elements to be combined in one place to allow the users to present information in a more effective way.  

Evolution of PowerPoint  

In the course of time, PowerPoint has become a very functional tool to produce high-quality presentations Moreover, a secure system would be established to manage risks of data leakage or theft. First released in 1987 for Apple computers, it defies to the competition with its easy Graphical User Interface (GUIGUI)) and its large range of functions. With every new release, MS PowerPoint offered new functionality and boasted significant improvements, staying the wonder of the world of presentations.

Microsoft PowerPoint Training

Understanding the PowerPoint interface  

 The PowerPoint Program provides the presenter with an easy-to-use interface for designing and updating the presentation. It is important to master its main functions in order to conduct operations using this software with a level of proficiency.Here's a breakdown of the MS PowerPoint interface:   

1) Ribbon: The Ribbon is located at the top of the MS PowerPoint window and has several tabs which include Home, Insert, Design, Transitions, etc.

2) Slides pane: Slide pane which is positioned to the far left of the window, is the PowerPoint window. You will see there a collection of your slides examples (thumbnails) which enables you to adjust and customize them with greater ease. The floating pane of the editor lets you not only add, delete, duplicate, but also hide slides from there.

3)   Notes pane : The Notes pane is located below the Slides pane. It provides space for adding speaker notes or additional information related to each slide.    

4)  Slide area : The Slide area occupies the central part of the PowerPoint window. It displays the selected slide, where you can add and arrange content such as text, images, charts, and multimedia elements .    

5)  Task panes : Task panes are additional panels on the PowerPoint window's right side. They offer various functionalities such as formatting options, slide layouts, animations, etc. Task panes can be opened or closed based on your specific needs.   

Understanding the MS PowerPoint interface will help you navigate the software effectively and make the most of its features. Whether you are creating slides, adding content, or applying formatting, having a good grasp of the interface ensures a smooth and productive experience .  

Create impactful project timelines! Click to learn How to Make a Gantt chart in PowerPoint and impress with your project planning skills!

Key Features of PowerPoint  

When it comes to creating captivating and professional presentations, MS PowerPoint stands out as versatile and feature-rich software. Its array of tools and functionalities enables users to bring their imagination and ideas to life. Moreover, it also helps engage their audience effectively .    

From slide templates to multimedia integration, there are various Features of PowerPoint ; let's discuss some of them below.

Features of PowerPoint 

1) Slide Templates : PowerPoint provides a collection of pre-designed templates that make it easy to create visually appealing slides.   

2)  Slide Master : The Slide Master feature allows users to define the overall layout, font styles, and colour scheme for the entire presentation .   

3)  Animations and transitions : PowerPoint offers various animation effects and slide transitions to add visual interest and captivate the audience .   

4)  Multimedia integration : Users can embed images, videos, and audio files directly into their presentations, enhancing the overall impact .   

5)   Collaboration tools : MS PowerPoint allows multiple users to work on a presentation simultaneously, making it ideal for team projects and remote collaboration .   

6) Presenter View : The Presenter View feature gives presenters access to speaker notes, a timer, and a preview of upcoming slides, enabling a seamless presentation experience .   

These features collectively contribute to PowerPoint's versatility and make it a powerful tool for developing engaging and impactful presentations.  

Take your Microsoft Office skills to the next level – sign up for our Power Apps and Power Automate Training ! 

How to use PowerPoint to create a presentation?   

Creating a presentation in PowerPoint is a straightforward process. Whether it's simple animations or explainer videos learning H ow to use PowerPoint is an extremely valuable skill. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to create a presentation:   

1)  Launch PowerPoint and choose a template or start with a blank slide. 

2)  Add slides by clicking "New Slide" or using the shortcut key (Ctrl + M). 

3) Customise slide content by entering text and inserting visuals.  

4)  Rearrange slides for a logical flow by dragging them in the slide navigation pane.  

5)  Apply slide transitions for visual effects in the "Transitions" tab.  

6)  Add animations to objects in the "Animations" tab.  

7)  Preview your presentation by clicking "Slide Show".   

8)  Save your presentation and choose a format (.pptx or .pdf).  

9)  Share your presentation via email, cloud storage, or collaboration tools.   

By following these steps, you can create a well-structured and visually appealing presentation in Microsoft PowerPoint. Remember to keep your content concise, use engaging visuals, and practice your presentation skills to deliver an impactful presentation .   

Unlock your full potential and optimise your productivity with our comprehensive Microsoft Office 365 Masterclass . Sign up now!  

Benefits of PowerPoint   

PowerPoint is a very popular presentation software and for a good reason. It offers numerous benefits for users, from easy collaboration to ease of use. These are some of the key benefits of PowerPoint.

Benefits of PowerPoint

1) Visual appeal : Microsoft PowerPoint allows you to create visually appealing presentations with its wide range of design tools and features. You can use templates, themes, and customisable layouts to make your slides visually engaging and professional .   

2)  Easy to use : PowerPoint has a user-friendly interface, making it accessible to users of all levels. The intuitive tools and straightforward navigation make it easy to create, edit, and deliver presentations efficiently .   

3)   Flexibility : PowerPoint provides flexibility in terms of content creation. You can include various types of content, such as text, images, charts, graphs, videos, and audio files, to enhance your message and engage your audience effectively.   

4)   Organisation and structure : PowerPoint offers features to help you organise and structure your content. You can create multiple slides, use slide masters for consistent formatting, and arrange the sequence of slides to create a logical flow .   

5)  Presenter tools : PowerPoint includes built-in presenter tools that aid in delivering presentations smoothly. You can use presenter view to see your notes and upcoming slides while your audience sees only the presentation. Additionally, features like slide transitions and animations add visual interest and help you control the flow of information .   

Land the job with ease! Learn how to ace your PowerPoint interview with tips to create slides that leave a lasting impression!

6)  Collaboration and sharing : PowerPoint allows for easy collaboration and sharing of presentations. Several users can simultaneously work on the same presentation, making it convenient for team projects. You can also share your presentations via email, cloud storage, or online platforms, ensuring easy access for viewers .   

7)   Integration with other tools : PowerPoint can seamlessly integrate with other Microsoft Office applications, such as Word and Excel. You can import data and charts from Excel or copy and paste content between different Office applications, saving time and effort .  

8)   Presenter-audience interaction : PowerPoint provides features that facilitate interaction between the presenter and the audience. You can include interactive elements like hyperlinks, buttons, and quizzes to engage your audience and make your presentations more dynamic.   

9)   Portable and accessible : PowerPoint presentations can be saved in various formats, such as .pptx or .pdf, making them easily accessible on different devices. This portability allows you to deliver presentations on laptops, tablets, or even projectors without compatibility issues .   

10)  Time and effort savings : PowerPoint simplifies the process of creating presentations, saving you time and effort. The pre-designed templates, slide layouts, and formatting options enable you to create professional-looking presentations efficiently .   

Keynote vs. PowerPoint : Discover which tool is best for your presentations! Click to compare features and make the right choice!

Tips for Creating Effective PowerPoint Presentations   

PowerPoint presentations can be powerful tools for communicating information and engaging an audience. Consider the following PowerPoint Tips to create effective presentations .

Tips for Creating PowerPoint Presentations

1) Simplicity is key : Keep your slides clean and uncluttered. Use concise bullet points and simple visuals to convey your message effectively .   

2)  Visuals matter : Incorporate relevant, high-quality visuals such as images, charts, and diagrams to enhance understanding and engagement .   

3)  Limit text : Avoid overwhelming your audience with excessive text on slides. Use brief phrases or keywords to communicate key points .   

4)  Choose legible fonts : Opt for clear and readable fonts that are easy to read, even from a distance. Maintain consistency in font styles throughout your presentation .   

5)  Consistent design : Maintain a consistent design theme, including colours, fonts, and layout, to create a visually appealing and professional presentation.   

6)  Emphasise important points : Use visual hierarchy techniques, such as font size, colour, and formatting, to draw attention to essential information .   

7)  Use transitions and animations sparingly : Incorporate slide transitions and animations thoughtfully, focusing on enhancing content and transitions without distracting the audience .   

8)  S lide notes for guidance : Utilise the slide notes feature to include additional details, explanations, or reminders for a well-prepared and confident presentation.   

9)  Practice and time yourself : Rehearse your presentation to ensure smooth delivery and stay within the allocated time. Practice helps you refine your content and delivery.   

10)  Engage the audience : Encourage audience participation through interactive elements, questions, or discussions to foster engagement and make your presentation more memorable.   

By implementing these tips, you can create effective MS PowerPoint presentations that capture attention, communicate information clearly, and engage your audience effectively.  

Google Slides vs. PowerPoint : Which is best for you? Click to compare features and choose the right tool for your next presentation!

Alternatives to PowerPoint  

Most of you are used to using PowerPoint for your presentation needs since it was the first option available to us through our academics. However, if you wish to check out alternative options to Powerpoint know if they work better for you, here are ten options that is worth a short: 

5) Slidebean

6) Zoho Show 

7) Google Slide 

9) Beautiful.ai

10) Microsoft Sway

Conclusion     

This blog walked you through What is PowerPoint and how it can aid you in curating compelling visual representations of the message you wish to get across. We discussed it features and the process of how you can create presentations on PowerPoint. Now take what you know and run with it explore your options with your templates and building new ones, let your creativity take its course. 

Learn how to create customised slide shows in MS PowerPoint with our Microsoft PowerPoint MO300 Training .  

Frequently Asked Questions

Well, making a presentation can be tricky business. Here are some of the common mistakes people make:

1) Adding too much text! The presentation needs to have brief and simple points you elaborate on in person. 

2) Bad colour schemes for template and font colour. Sometimes the clash of colour may make the text illegible. 

3) Too many elements! Crowding of elements may lose your audience’s attention.   

Yes, you most definitely can! You can use PowerPoint online with a Microsoft Office 360 plug in that allows you to use all Microsoft applications on your browser. 

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define presentation and powerpoint

What is PowerPoint?

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Note:  Microsoft 365 Copliot coming soon in PowerPoint.

 With PowerPoint on your PC, Mac, or mobile device, you can:

Create presentations from scratch or a template.

Add text, images, art, and videos.

Select a professional design with PowerPoint Designer.

Add transitions, animations, and cinematic motion.

Save to OneDrive, to get to your presentations from your computer, tablet, or phone.

Share your work and work with others, wherever they are.

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PowerPoint is a presentation program developed by Microsoft. It is included in the standard Office suite along with Microsoft Word and Excel . The software allows users to create anything from basic slide shows to complex presentations.

PowerPoint is often used to create business presentations, but can also be used for educational or informal purposes. The presentations are comprised of slides, which may contain text, images, and other media, such as audio clips and movies. Sound effects and animated transitions can also be included to add extra appeal to the presentation. However, overusing sound effects and transitions will probably do more to annoy your audience than draw their attention. (Yes, we have all heard the car screeching noise enough times for one lifetime.)

Most PowerPoint presentations are created from a template, which includes a background color or image, a standard font , and a choice of several slide layouts. Changes to the template can be saved to a "master slide," which stores the main slide theme used in the presentation. When changes are made to the master slide, such as choosing a new background image, the changes are propagated to all the other slides. This keeps a uniform look among all the slides in the presentation.

When presenting a PowerPoint presentation, the presenter may choose to have the slides change at preset intervals or may decide to control the flow manually. This can be done using the mouse , keyboard , or a remote control. The flow of the presentation can be further customized by having slides load completely or one bullet at a time. For example, if the presenter has several bullet points on a page, he might have individual points appear when he clicks the mouse. This allows more interactivity with the audience and brings greater focus to each point.

PowerPoint presentations can be created and viewed using Microsoft PowerPoint. They can also be imported and exported with Apple Keynote, Apple's presentation program for the Macintosh platform. Since most people prefer not to watch presentations on a laptop , PowerPoint presentations are often displayed using a projector. Therefore, if you are preparing a PowerPoint presentation for a room full of people, just make sure you have the correct video adapter.

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An Introduction To MS PowerPoint

MS PowerPoint is a program that is included in the Microsoft Office suite. It is used to make presentations for personal and professional purposes.

In this article, we shall discuss in detail the functions and features of a PowerPoint presentation, followed by some sample questions based on this topic for the upcoming competitive exams. 

To learn more about the different programs under Microsoft Office , visit the linked article. 

Given below are a few important things that one must know about the development and introduction of Microsoft PowerPoint:

  • The program was created in a software company named Forethought, Inc. by Robert Gaskins and Dennis Austin. 
  • It was released on April 20, 1987, and after 3 months of its creation, it was acquired by Microsoft.
  • The first version of this program, when introduced by Microsoft was MS PowerPoint 2.0 (1990).
  • It is a presentation-based program that uses graphics, videos, etc. to make a presentation more interactive and interesting.
  • The file extension of a saved Powerpoint presentation is “.ppt”.
  • A PowerPoint presentation comprising slides and other features is also known as PPT.

Gradually, with each version, the program was more creative and more interactive. Various other features were added in PowerPoint which massively increased the requirement and use of this MS Office program.

From the examination point of view, MS PowerPoint happens to be a very important topic. Candidates who are preparing for the various Government exams can visit the Computer Knowledge page and get a list of topics included in the syllabus and prepare themselves accordingly. 

Basics of MS PowerPoint

Discussed below are a few questions that one must be aware of while discussing the basics of MS PowerPoint. Once this is understood, using the program and analysing how to use it more creatively shall become easier.

Question: What is MS PowerPoint?

Answer: PowerPoint (PPT) is a powerful, easy-to-use presentation graphics software  program that allows you to create professional-looking electronic slide  shows. 

The image given below shows the main page of MS PowerPoint, where a person lands when the program is opened on a computer system:

MS PowerPoint

Question: How to open MS PowerPoint on a personal computer?

Answer: Follow the steps below to open MS PowerPoint on a personal computer:

  • Click on the start button
  • Then choose “All Programs”
  • Next step is to select “MS Office”
  • Under MS Office, click on the “MS PowerPoint” 

A blank presentation is open on the screen. According to the requirement, a person can modify the template for a presentation and start using the program.

Question: What is a PowerPoint presentation or PPT?

Answer: A combination of various slides depicting a graphical and visual interpretation of data, to present information in a more creative and interactive manner is called a PowerPoint presentation or PPT.

Question: What is a slide show in a PowerPoint presentation?

Answer: When all the slides of a PowerPoint presentation are set in series and then presented to a group of people, where each slide appears one after the other, is a set pattern, this is known as a PowerPoint slide show. 

Question: What all elements can be added to a slide?

Answer: The following elements can be added to a Powerpoint slide:

  • Photographs
  • Media Clips

All these elements are mainly used to enhance presentation skills and make the slide more interactive.

To learn more about the Fundamentals of Computer , visit the linked article. 

For a better understanding of the Microsoft PowerPoint and its operations, functions and usage, refer to the video given below:

define presentation and powerpoint

Features of MS PowerPoint

There are multiple features that are available in MS PowerPoint which can customise and optimise a presentation. The same have been discussed below.

  • Slide Layout

Multiple options and layouts are available based on which a presentation can be created. This option is available under the “Home” section and one can select from the multiple layout options provided.

The image below shows the different slide layout options which are available for use:

MS PowerPoint - Slide Layout

  • Insert – Clipart, Video, Audio, etc.

Under the “Insert” category, multiple options are available where one can choose what feature they want to insert in their presentation. This may include images, audio, video, header, footer, symbols, shapes, etc. 

The image below shows the features which can be inserted:

MS PowerPoint - Features of Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation

  • Slide Design

MS PowerPoint has various themes using which background colour and designs or textures can be added to a slide. This makes the presentation more colourful and attracts the attention of the people looking at it.

This feature can be added using the “Design” category mentioned on the homepage of MS PowerPoint. Although there are existing design templates available, in case someone wants to add some new texture or colour, the option to customise the design is also available. Apart from this, slide designs can also be downloaded online.

Refer to the below for slide design:

MS PowerPoint - Slide Design

During the slide show, the slides appear on the screen one after the other. In case, one wants to add some animations to the way in which a slide presents itself, they can refer to the “Animations” category. 

The different animation styles available on PowerPoint are:

MS PowerPoint - Animations

Apart from all these options; font size, font style, font colour, word art, date and time, etc. can also be added to a PPT.

Government Exam 2023

Also, there are various other subjects that are included in the exam syllabus for various competitive exams. Candidates can check the detailed section-wise syllabus in the links given below:

Uses of PowerPoint Presentation

PowerPoint presentations are useful for both personal and professional usage. Given below are a few of the major fields where PPT is extremely useful:

  • Education – With e-learning and smart classes being chosen as a common mode of education today, PowerPoint presentations can help in making education more interactive and attract students towards the modified version of studying
  • Marketing – In the field of marketing, PowerPoint presentations can be extremely important. Using graphs and charts, numbers can be shown more evidently and clearly which may be ignored by the viewer if being read
  • Business – To invite investors or to show the increase or decrease in profits, MS PowerPoint can be used
  • Creating Resumes – Digital resumes can be formed using MS PowerPoint. Different patterns, photograph, etc. can be added to the resume
  • Depicting Growth – Since both graphics and text can be added in a presentation, depicting the growth of a company, business, student’s marks, etc. is easier using PPT

Government exam aspirants can upgrade their preparation with the help of the links given below:

Sample MS PowerPoint Questions and Answers

As discussed earlier in this article, Computer Awareness is included in the syllabus for many competitive exams. Thus, to understand the program from the examination point of view is also a must. 

Given below are a few sample questions based on MS PowerPoint.

Q 1. How many maximum slides can be added to a PowerPoint presentation?

  • No fixed number

Answer: (3) No fixed number

Q 2. Slide Sorter view can be selected under which of the following categories?

Answer: (4) View

Q 3. The combination of which keyboard keys can be used as a shortcut to add a new slide in MS PowerPoint?

Answer: (3) ctrl+M

Q 4. Header and Footer option is available under which of the following categories?

Answer: (1) Insert

Q 5. Which of the following is not included in the “Insert” category in MS PowerPoint?

Answer: (4) Animation

Similar types of MS PowerPoint Questions may be asked based on the features or usage of the program. Thus, one must carefully go through the elements and aspects of PPT. 

For any further assistance related to the upcoming Government exams, candidates can check the Preparation Strategy for Competitive Exams page. 

Get the latest exam information, study material and other information related to the major Government exams conducted in the country, at BYJU’S.

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Understanding What is PowerPoint: A Comprehensive Guide

define presentation and powerpoint

Table of Contents

In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into the world of PowerPoint, uncovering what it is and exploring its vast array of features and capabilities. PowerPoint is a presentation software that allows users to create visually engaging slideshows, making it an essential tool for professionals looking to effectively convey their ideas and engage their audience.

Key Takeaways:

  • PowerPoint is a presentation software that enables users to create visually engaging slideshows.
  • It offers a wide range of features, including templates, text formatting, visual enhancements, and transitions and animations.
  • PowerPoint’s Slide Master feature ensures consistency and efficiency in creating presentation templates.
  • Planning and practicing are vital steps in creating a successful PowerPoint presentation.
  • Proper formatting and design can greatly enhance the visual appeal and clarity of PowerPoint slides.

Defining Powerpoint: An Overview of the Presentation Software

Powerpoint is a powerful presentation software that enables users to create visually appealing slideshows to effectively convey information. With its wide range of features and tools, Powerpoint is widely used in various professional settings, including business meetings, educational institutions, and conferences.

One of the key features of Powerpoint is its ability to create stunning slides through customizable templates, text formatting options, and visual enhancements. Users can choose from a variety of pre-designed templates or customize their slides according to their specific needs. Additionally, Powerpoint allows for easy incorporation of images, charts, and graphs to visually support the content.

Transitions and animations are another significant aspect of Powerpoint, enabling users to add movement and interactivity to their presentations. Users can create smooth transitions between slides, as well as animate individual elements within a slide to capture the audience’s attention and enhance engagement.

Key Features of Powerpoint:
Customizable templates
Text formatting options
Visual enhancements
Transitions and animations

Furthermore, Powerpoint offers speaker notes functionality, allowing presenters to add notes and reminders for each slide. This feature aids in ensuring a smooth delivery and helps presenters stay on track during their presentation.

In summary, Powerpoint is a versatile presentation software that empowers users to create visually captivating slideshows. Whether it’s designing professional presentations from scratch, incorporating engaging transitions and animations, or leveraging speaker notes for a flawless delivery, Powerpoint provides a comprehensive suite of tools and features that make it an essential tool for effective communication.

Exploring Powerpoint Features: Enhancing Your Presentations

With an extensive range of features, Powerpoint empowers users to create captivating presentations through its diverse set of tools and functionalities. Whether you want to deliver a professional business pitch, showcase your creative portfolio, or educate and engage your audience, Powerpoint has got you covered.

One of the key features of Powerpoint is its extensive library of pre-designed templates. These templates provide a solid foundation for your presentation, saving you time and effort in creating a visually appealing layout. You can choose from a variety of themes, color schemes, and slide designs to match your content and create a cohesive visual experience for your audience.

In addition to templates, Powerpoint offers various text formatting options to help you make your content stand out. You can customize fonts, sizes, colors, and styles to ensure that your text is easily readable and visually impactful. With the ability to add bullet points, numbered lists, and even tables, you can effectively organize and present complex information with clarity.

To further enhance your slides, Powerpoint provides a range of visual elements and graphics. You can add images, shapes, icons, and charts to bring your content to life and make it more visually engaging. These visual enhancements help capture the attention of your audience and reinforce key messages in your presentation.

Table: Powerpoint Features

Feature Functionality
Templates Pre-designed layouts for easy presentation creation
Text Formatting Customization options for fonts, sizes, colors, and styles
Visual Elements Ability to add images, shapes, icons, and charts
Transitions and Animations Options for smooth slide transitions and engaging animations
Speaker Notes Space to add notes for reference during the presentation
Consistent formatting across slides for a professional look

With all these features at your disposal, Powerpoint allows you to create dynamic presentations that leave a lasting impression. Whether you’re a student, professional, or entrepreneur, mastering Powerpoint can greatly enhance your communication skills and help you effectively convey your ideas to your audience.

Getting Started with Powerpoint: A Beginner’s Guide

If you are new to Powerpoint, don’t worry – we’ve got you covered with this beginner’s guide that will walk you through the process of creating your first presentation. Powerpoint is a widely used presentation software that allows users to create visually engaging slideshows to effectively convey their ideas and engage their audience.

To start using Powerpoint, you’ll need to have the software installed on your computer. Once you have Powerpoint open, you’ll be presented with a blank slide. This is where you can begin creating your presentation. You can choose from various templates, or start from scratch by selecting a blank slide.

Powerpoint provides a user-friendly interface with a toolbar at the top that contains all the tools you’ll need to create your presentation. You can easily insert text, images, shapes, charts, and more to customize your slides. To add text, simply click on the text box and begin typing. You can format the text, change fonts, colors, and sizes to suit your preferences.

To enhance your presentation, Powerpoint offers a range of features such as visual enhancements, transitions, and animations. These can be added to your slides to make them more dynamic and engaging. You can also utilize the speaker notes feature to add additional details or reminders for your presentation.

Table: Powerpoint Tutorials

Tutorial Description
Getting Started with Powerpoint A step-by-step guide to creating your first presentation in Powerpoint.
Formatting and Design Tips Learn how to format and design your slides for maximum impact.
Adding Transitions and Animations Explore the different transitions and animations available in Powerpoint to bring your slides to life.
Reviewing and Practicing Tips for reviewing and practicing your presentation before delivering it to ensure a seamless delivery.

By following this beginner’s guide and exploring Powerpoint’s features, you’ll soon become proficient in creating stunning presentations. Whether you’re a student, business professional, or public speaker, Powerpoint can help you effectively communicate your ideas and engage your audience. Now, let’s dive into the tutorial section to learn more about using Powerpoint.

Designing Stunning Slides: Formatting and Visual Enhancements

To create stunning presentations, it is crucial to master the art of designing slides that are visually engaging and effectively convey your message. PowerPoint provides a range of formatting and visual enhancement options that can elevate the impact of your slides.

One key aspect to consider is the layout and formatting of your text. Utilize different font styles and sizes to create hierarchy and emphasize important points. Use bullet points and numbering to organize information and make it easier for your audience to follow along. Remember to keep your text concise, using short phrases or keywords instead of lengthy sentences.

In addition to text formatting, PowerPoint offers a variety of visual enhancements. You can insert high-quality images, graphics, and icons to complement your content and make it more visually appealing. Consider using charts and graphs to present data in a clear and concise manner. These visual elements not only add visual interest but also help your audience understand complex information more easily.

Formatting Tips Visual Enhancements
Utilize different font styles and sizes Insert high-quality images, graphics, and icons
Use bullet points and numbering Include charts and graphs to present data
Keep text concise Apply animations and transitions for added impact

Another way to enhance your slides is by using animations and transitions. PowerPoint allows you to add movement and visual effects to individual elements or entire slides. This can help grab your audience’s attention and guide them through your presentation. However, use animations and transitions sparingly and purposefully. Too many effects can distract from your message and make your presentation appear unprofessional.

By mastering the design and formatting features in PowerPoint, you can create slides that are not only visually stunning but also effectively communicate your ideas. Experiment with different layouts, color schemes, and visual elements to find a style that aligns with your content and engages your audience. Remember, the goal is to create a visually appealing presentation that enhances the impact of your message.

Adding Life to Your Presentation: Transitions and Animations

Dynamically engage your audience by incorporating seamless transitions and captivating animations into your Powerpoint presentations. These features not only enhance the visual appeal of your slides but also help to convey information effectively and maintain audience interest throughout the presentation.

Powerpoint offers a wide range of transition effects, allowing you to smoothly move from one slide to the next. Whether you prefer subtle fade-ins or more dynamic slide flips, Powerpoint has the perfect transition effect to suit your presentation style. By strategically adding transitions between slides, you can create a seamless storyline flow that keeps your audience engaged and focused.

Animations, on the other hand, bring your content to life by adding movement and interactivity to individual elements within your slides. From simple entrance animations that gradually reveal text or images, to more complex motion paths that guide the viewer’s attention, Powerpoint animations allow you to highlight key points and make your presentation more engaging.

Utilizing Transitions and Animations Effectively

  • Keep it subtle: While transitions and animations can add flair to your presentation, it’s important not to overdo it. Use them sparingly and choose effects that complement the content rather than distract from it.
  • Be consistent: Stick to a consistent transition or animation style throughout your presentation to maintain a professional and polished look. Inconsistent use of effects can be jarring for the audience.
  • Practice timing: Make sure your transitions and animations are timed appropriately to ensure a smooth and seamless delivery. Practice your presentation to ensure that the timing aligns with your speaking points.

By incorporating transitions and animations into your Powerpoint presentations, you can captivate your audience and create a memorable visual experience. Remember to use these features strategically and in moderation to enhance your content and engage your viewers.

Transitions Animations
Fade Entrance
Slide Emphasis
Cut Exit
Zoom Motion Path

Perfecting Your Delivery: Speaker Notes and Presentation Tips

A polished delivery is key to a successful presentation. To engage and captivate your audience, it’s essential to leverage PowerPoint’s speaker notes and other valuable tips. Speaker notes serve as your guide, providing cues and reminders throughout your presentation. Here are some tips to make the most of this powerful feature:

  • Keep it concise: Your speaker notes should contain key points and reminders, not a full script. Use bullet points or short phrases to keep them concise and easy to follow.
  • Practice, practice, practice: Familiarize yourself with your slides and speaker notes by rehearsing your presentation multiple times. This will build your confidence and ensure a smooth delivery.
  • Use visual cues: Incorporate images or icons in your speaker notes to prompt specific actions or emphasize important points. Visual cues can help you stay on track and engage your audience.
  • Highlight transitions: Note any transitions or animations in your speaker notes. This will help you remember to pause or adjust your tone when these visual effects occur, creating a seamless and impactful presentation.

Remember, effective delivery goes beyond speaker notes. Here are a few additional tips to enhance your presentation:

  • Speak clearly and confidently: Project your voice, maintain eye contact, and use appropriate gestures to engage your audience and convey your message with confidence.
  • Utilize visual aids: Incorporate high-quality visuals, such as images, graphs, or videos, to support your key points and make your presentation more visually appealing.
  • Engage the audience: Encourage audience participation through interactive elements, questions, or discussion points. This fosters engagement and keeps your audience actively involved throughout the presentation.

In summary, perfecting your delivery is crucial for a successful PowerPoint presentation. Leverage the speaker notes feature, practice your presentation, and follow these tips to captivate your audience, convey your message effectively, and leave a lasting impression.

Presentation Tips:
A polished delivery is key to a successful presentation.
Keep your speaker notes concise and use visual cues.
Practice your presentation multiple times to build confidence.
Speak clearly, utilize visual aids, and engage your audience.

Mastering Powerpoint: Understanding the Slide Master Feature

Discover the power of the Slide Master feature in Powerpoint, allowing you to effortlessly apply consistent formatting and design across all slides. The Slide Master acts as a template for your presentation, providing a centralized location to make global changes to the layout, font styles, color schemes, and other visual elements. By leveraging the Slide Master feature, you can save time and maintain a professional and cohesive look throughout your presentation.

One of the key benefits of using the Slide Master is the ability to create a unified theme for your slides. Rather than manually formatting each individual slide, you can make changes on the Slide Master, and those changes will be automatically applied to all slides. This ensures a consistent appearance and saves you the hassle of manually adjusting the design elements on every slide.

In addition to formatting, the Slide Master also allows you to insert placeholders for text, images, charts, and other content types. These placeholders act as pre-defined areas on each slide where you can easily add and update content. By utilizing placeholders, you can maintain a consistent layout throughout your presentation while still customizing the content on each slide.

Example of Slide Master Format in Powerpoint:

Slide Master Element Description
Title Slide Layout Defines the layout and formatting for the first slide, which typically includes the presentation title, subtitle, and any relevant images or branding.
Content Slide Layout Defines the layout and formatting for slides that contain content, such as text, images, charts, and tables. This layout is applied to the majority of slides in a presentation.
Two Column Slide Layout Defines a layout with two columns, commonly used for presenting contrasting information or comparisons.

By mastering the Slide Master feature in Powerpoint, you can streamline the design process and maintain a consistent and professional look for your presentations. With its ability to apply global changes, insert placeholders, and define slide layouts, the Slide Master empowers you to create visually impactful presentations while saving time and effort.

Exploring Powerpoint Alternatives: Finding the Right Fit for You

While Powerpoint is widely used and trusted, there are other presentation software options available that might better suit your preferences and requirements. Whether you’re looking for more advanced features, a simplified user interface, or a specific focus on collaboration, exploring alternative options can help you find the perfect fit for your presentation needs.

One popular alternative to Powerpoint is Google Slides. As part of the Google Workspace suite, Google Slides offers seamless integration with other Google products, making it a convenient choice for those already using Gmail, Google Drive , and Google Docs. It also allows for real-time collaboration, enabling multiple users to work on a presentation simultaneously. With a wide range of templates and easy-to-use design tools, Google Slides is a user-friendly option for creating visually appealing slideshows.

If you’re looking for a more professional and polished presentation software, Adobe Spark might be the right choice for you. This software offers a selection of stunning templates and allows for easy customization of fonts, colors, and layouts. In addition, Adobe Spark provides access to a vast library of high-quality images and icons to enhance your slides. With its focus on creating visually captivating presentations, Adobe Spark is a great option for users who want to make a lasting impression.

Powerpoint Alternative Key Features
Google Slides Real-time collaboration, seamless integration with Google products, easy-to-use design tools
Adobe Spark Professional templates, customizable fonts and layouts, access to high-quality images and icons

Another popular alternative is Prezi, which offers a unique approach to presentations with its zooming and panning features. Instead of traditional slide transitions, Prezi allows you to create dynamic and interactive visual journeys. This can be particularly effective for storytelling or when presenting complex information. Prezi also offers a library of templates and a user-friendly interface, making it suitable for both beginners and experienced presenters.

Ultimately, the choice of presentation software depends on your specific needs and preferences. By exploring alternative options such as Google Slides, Adobe Spark, and Prezi, you can find a software that not only meets your requirements but also enhances your ability to create engaging and impactful presentations.

Planning Your Presentation: An Essential Step for Success

The success of a PowerPoint presentation heavily relies on proper planning – learn valuable tips and strategies to ensure your content is well-organized and impactful.

When it comes to planning your PowerPoint presentation, it’s crucial to start with a clear understanding of your goals and objectives. Define the purpose of your presentation and identify the key messages you want to convey to your audience. This will help you structure your content and keep your presentation focused.

Next, outline the main points or topics you want to cover in your presentation. Use bullet points or numbered lists to organize your ideas and create a logical flow. This will make it easier for your audience to follow along and understand your message.

Tips for Planning Your PowerPoint Presentation:
Consider the demographics, interests, and knowledge level of your audience. Tailor your content to meet their needs and expectations.
Set deadlines for each stage of your presentation creation process, including research, content development, and practice sessions.
Determine what visual aids, such as images, charts, or graphs, will best support your message and enhance audience understanding.
Rehearse your presentation multiple times to ensure a confident and smooth delivery. Time yourself to ensure you stay within your allotted timeframe.

By following these planning tips and strategies, you can create a well-organized and impactful PowerPoint presentation. Remember, proper planning sets the foundation for a successful presentation and enables you to effectively engage your audience.

Creating Engaging Slides: Tips for Content Creation

Effective content creation is crucial to capture and retain your audience’s attention throughout your PowerPoint presentation – discover valuable tips to achieve this goal.

1. Understand your audience: Before creating your PowerPoint slides, take the time to understand your target audience. Consider their level of knowledge, interests, and expectations. Tailor your content to resonate with them and address their needs.

2. Keep it concise: Avoid overwhelming your audience with excessive text on your slides. Use bullet points, short phrases, and impactful visuals to convey your message concisely. This approach helps your audience focus on key points and makes your presentation more visually appealing.

3. Use visuals strategically: Visuals play a vital role in engaging your audience and enhancing their understanding of your content. Incorporate relevant images, charts, graphs, and diagrams to support your message. Ensure that the visuals are clear, high-quality, and directly aligned with the information you are presenting.

4. Tell a story: Engage your audience by structuring your PowerPoint presentation like a captivating story. Start with a compelling introduction, build up the content systematically, and end with a memorable conclusion. This narrative approach helps create an emotional connection with your audience and keeps them engaged throughout.

Tips for Content Creation:
Understand your audience Keep it concise
Use visuals strategically Tell a story
Remember, effective content creation in PowerPoint is about delivering information in a visually appealing and engaging manner. By understanding your audience, keeping your content concise, using visuals strategically, and telling a story, you can create impactful slides that captivate your audience from start to finish.

Formatting and Design Best Practices for Powerpoint Slides

Adopting proper formatting and design practices is key to delivering a visually appealing and professional-looking PowerPoint presentation. In this section, we will explore best practices and design tips to help you create slides that captivate your audience and effectively convey your message.

1. Use consistent fonts and colors

When selecting fonts for your slides, choose a font that is easy to read and maintain consistency throughout the presentation. Stick to two or three fonts at most to maintain a cohesive look. Similarly, use a consistent color scheme that complements your content and enhances readability. Avoid using too many colors that may distract or overwhelm your audience.

2. Keep slide layouts clean and uncluttered

Avoid overcrowding your slides with excessive text or graphics. Use whitespace strategically to give your content room to breathe and create a visually pleasing balance. Break up text into bullet points or short sentences to make it easier to read and understand. Utilize visuals, such as images or icons, to augment your message and engage your audience visually.

3. Choose appropriate slide transitions and animations

Slide transitions and animations can add interest and engagement to your presentation, but it’s important to use them judiciously. Select transitions that are seamless and complement your content, rather than distracting from it. Use animations sparingly to highlight key points or to reveal information gradually, ensuring they enhance rather than overshadow your message.

Remember, the goal of formatting and design in PowerPoint is to support and enhance your content, not overshadow it. By following these best practices and design tips, you can create visually stunning slides that effectively communicate your message and leave a lasting impact on your audience.

Best Practices Design Tips
Use consistent fonts and colors Keep slide layouts clean and uncluttered
Avoid excessive text Utilize visuals to enhance your message
Select seamless transitions Use animations sparingly and purposefully

Reviewing and Practicing: Fine-Tuning Your Presentation

Reviewing and practicing your PowerPoint presentation are essential steps to identify any areas for improvement and gain confidence in delivering your content. Taking the time to review your slides, content, and overall flow allows you to ensure that your message is clear, concise, and impactful. Practicing your presentation helps you become familiar with the material, allowing you to deliver it smoothly and confidently.

One effective way to review your presentation is to go through each slide systematically, checking for any errors or inconsistencies in your content. Pay attention to the visuals, ensuring they are visually appealing and support your message effectively. Additionally, review your transitions and animations to make sure they enhance rather than distract from your presentation.

Practicing your presentation is just as crucial as reviewing it. Start by rehearsing your content out loud, paying attention to your tone of voice, pace, and overall delivery. Consider recording yourself and watching the playback to identify any areas for improvement. You can also practice in front of a mirror or with a small audience to get valuable feedback and make necessary adjustments.

Reviewing and Practicing Tips:
Give yourself time between reviewing and practicing sessions to avoid becoming too immersed and losing objectivity.
Ask for input from colleagues, friends, or mentors to get different perspectives and valuable suggestions.
Practice within the allocated time frame to ensure you don’t exceed or rush through your presentation.
Smooth transitions between slides and sections contribute to a seamless presentation.

By dedicating time to reviewing and practicing your PowerPoint presentation, you can fine-tune your content, identify any areas for improvement, and deliver a polished and engaging presentation that leaves a lasting impression on your audience.

Delivering Your Presentation: Tips for a Professional Performance

Learn valuable tips and techniques to deliver a memorable and impactful PowerPoint presentation, leaving a lasting impression on your audience. A successful presentation goes beyond just the content on your slides. It involves effective delivery and engagement with your audience. Here are some key tips to help you deliver a professional and polished performance:

  • Practice, practice, practice: Rehearse your presentation multiple times to ensure you are well-prepared and confident. Practice will help you become familiar with your content and delivery, allowing you to deliver a smooth and fluent presentation.
  • Utilize visual aids: PowerPoint offers a range of visual enhancements, such as charts, images, and videos, to support your presentation. Use these visual aids strategically to amplify your message and engage your audience visually.
  • Speak clearly and confidently: Pay attention to your tone of voice, volume, and pace when delivering your presentation. Speak clearly and project your voice to ensure everyone in the room can hear you. Maintain a confident demeanor to establish credibility.
  • Connect with your audience: Engage your audience by making eye contact, using gestures, and involving them in your presentation. Encourage questions, and actively listen and respond to feedback. Creating a connection with your audience will help keep them engaged and interested in your message.
  • Use effective body language: Be mindful of your body language during your presentation. Stand tall, maintain good posture, and use open and confident gestures. Avoid fidgeting or crossing your arms, as these can create barriers between you and your audience.

By incorporating these tips into your presentation delivery, you can ensure a professional and impactful performance that resonates with your audience. Remember, delivering a successful PowerPoint presentation is not just about the slides; it’s about how you deliver the content and connect with your audience.

Tip Description
Practice Rehearse your presentation multiple times to become familiar with the content and delivery.
Utilize visual aids Use visual enhancements, such as charts and images, strategically to support your message.
Speak clearly and confidently Pay attention to your tone, volume, and pace when delivering your presentation.
Connect with your audience Engage your audience through eye contact, gestures, and active participation.
Use effective body language Maintain good posture and confident gestures to establish credibility.

In conclusion, Powerpoint is a versatile presentation software that offers a wide range of features and capabilities, empowering professionals to create visually engaging and impactful presentations. With its user-friendly interface and extensive tools, Powerpoint allows users to plan, create, and deliver presentations with ease and confidence.

From defining what Powerpoint is to exploring its various features, this comprehensive guide has provided valuable insights and tips to help users make the most of this powerful software. By understanding how to design stunning slides, add transitions and animations, and utilize the Slide Master feature, users can enhance their presentations and captivate their audience.

Furthermore, this guide has emphasized the importance of planning, practicing, and reviewing presentations for a seamless and professional delivery. By following best practices for content creation, formatting, and design, users can create visually appealing slides that effectively convey their message.

Powerpoint is not just a presentation tool, but a platform that enables professionals to showcase their ideas and engage their audience. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced user, mastering Powerpoint can greatly enhance your communication skills and elevate your presentations to the next level.

Is PowerPoint Included in Office365?

Yes, PowerPoint is indeed included in Office365. One of the notable advantages of using office365 is the comprehensive suite of applications it provides, including the widely-used presentation software, PowerPoint. With Office365, users can access and utilize PowerPoint’s features seamlessly, making it a valuable tool for creating and delivering impactful presentations.

Q: What is Powerpoint?

A: Powerpoint is a presentation software that allows users to create visually engaging slideshows.

Q: What features does Powerpoint offer?

A: Powerpoint includes various features such as templates, text formatting, visual enhancements, transitions and animations, speaker notes, and the Slide Master feature.

Q: What is the workflow for creating a Powerpoint presentation?

A: The workflow typically involves planning, creating slides, formatting and design, adding transitions and animations, reviewing and practicing, and delivering the presentation.

Q: How can Powerpoint help professionals?

A: Powerpoint is a powerful tool that helps professionals effectively convey their ideas and engage their audience.

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  • Presentations

What Is Microsoft PowerPoint? +How to Start Using It For Presentations (Now)

Andrew Childress

Microsoft PowerPoint is a professional tool for making presentations that's been around for decades. It's got a number of features that make it a powerful presentation tool. 

In this tutorial, you'll learn about Microsoft PowerPoint's origins and the best version of PowerPoint that fits your needs. You'll also discover tutorial resources to start learning how to use its deep toolset. 

Yooga PowerPoint

We also won't leave you confused on how to make a top-notch presentation with PowerPoint. We've all sat through a boring PowerPoint presentation. It's important to use it the right way, as a visual aid that complement your ideas. 

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, from: initial idea, through to writing, design, and delivering with impact.

PDF Making Great Presentations eBook Free Download

What Is PowerPoint & What Is It Used For?

Microsoft PowerPoint is the most popular presentation software. You'll find it everywhere from Fortune 500 boardrooms to college classrooms. PowerPoint is a part of Microsoft Office, which also includes apps like Excel and Microsoft Word. 

PowerPoint started as a Mac-only app in 1987 and was quickly acquired by Microsoft to help bolster the Office software package. It quickly gained a foothold in the work world as an easy way to put together a slide deck with supporting points.

PowerPoint drag and drop

Make no mistake: PowerPoint is the market leader, but its widespread usage is more than simply habit. Competitors like Apple's Keynote and Google's Slides have improved to challenge PowerPoint, but Microsoft has responded with updates of its own to maintain its leadership.

define presentation and powerpoint

PowerPoint's popularity is largely driven by its ease of use. Most of its features simply involve dragging and dropping content boxes and filling them with your own information. However, PowerPoint also has plenty of deeper features under the hood. I'm yet to find a feature I need missing from the app.

The Many Types of PowerPoint PPT Presentations Can You Make

What is PowerPoint? You might know it as the presentation tool that your professors or business colleagues use to show their information. But the reality is that PowerPoint is used to build all kinds of presentations. Let's look at examples that run the gamut.

One common Microsoft PowerPoint presentation type that you might want to build in PowerPoint is a  pitch deck,  a special presentation that many startups and entrepreneurs use to garner support. Jump to the link below to learn how to start using PowerPoint for pitch decks.

define presentation and powerpoint

Another common Microsoft PowerPoint presentation type is a slideshow. These could span many types of content, but if you're planning a presentation for your big day , the example below is worth checking out. Thanks to smooth transitions and animations, it's an ideal choice.

define presentation and powerpoint

Finally, another important example of a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation is to explain complex concepts. That's made much easier thanks to  infographics,  the sweet spot between showing information and using graphics to do so. Use the example below to get inspiration.

define presentation and powerpoint

To see even more types of graphic presentations that you can build in PowerPoint, check out the links below:

define presentation and powerpoint

What is PowerPoint? As you've seen in the examples above, it can really be used to build any type of sequenced slides. 

If you want to learn PowerPoint, we also have some of the best resources. Keep reading to find out more.

How Can I Learn PowerPoint? (& Get a Quick Start)

The Tuts+ Business section has an abundance of  Microsoft PowerPoint tutorial resources  that'll help you build your skills and get comfortable using this popular presentation app. 

Dive into our PowerPoint beginner tutorials series and our quick-start PowerPoint videos . Get started using PowerPoint quickly: 

define presentation and powerpoint

Or, check out some of my favorite beginner tutorials to start learning more about PowerPoint's powerful set of presentation tools:

define presentation and powerpoint

What PowerPoint Version Should You Use?

Microsoft's business model has changed significantly in recent years. Instead of buying the latest version of Microsoft Office, they now heavily promote Office 365 .   This is basically a subscription to use all of the Office apps, including PowerPoint.

The advantage of Office 365 is that you'll always have the most up-to-date version of the entire suite of apps. In fact, Microsoft is constantly updating its Office apps and the Office 365 version even includes features that you won't find in the perpetual license version.

For Home users, there are really three unique packages to choose from:

  • Office 365 Home . If you're purchasing Office for your household, this package is a great choice. It includes five licenses that you can use on your account and is perfect for families.
  • Office 365 Personal . This is the least expensive version of Office and includes just one license to use. 
  • Office Home & Student 2016 . This is most similar to the traditional "buy and own" model of Microsoft Office. You'll pay a one-time feel for Office and have it to use indefinitely but won't be able to access upgrades as Microsoft releases them.

Office 365 subscriptions also include 1 TB (terabyte) of storage space in OneDrive, Microsoft's cloud storage app. Going with an Office 365 subscription is the least expensive way to get access to PowerPoint.

One other key advantage of Office 365 is that it enables additional features on the mobile apps for iOS and Android. You can view and edit   documents for free without a subscription, but Office 365 unlocks the full power of the mobile apps.

PPTX on iPad Screenshot

However, if you're a casual user of Office and don't need to stay up-to-date, the "Home & Student 2016" can be a worthwhile option. The value comes down to comparing how long you think you'll keep the version versus the monthly costs of Office 365.

What Is PowerPoint Online?

Another option is PowerPoint Online , the totally free version of PowerPoint that you can use inside a web browser. If you've used Google Drive's productivity apps like Docs or Sheets, this is Microsoft's answer.

PowerPoint Online is free to use regardless of the option you choose to license PowerPoint. As long as you make a Microsoft account, you can use PowerPoint Online to build and view presentations.

Yooga Updated

Hit this link to check out PowerPoint Online. Even if you use the desktop version of PowerPoint, the Online counterpart represents an easy way to get to your files from any web browser.

For Microsoft, PowerPoint Online signals a big shift. It's the first time that you can access the majority of PowerPoint's features at no cost at all. The company's focus seems to be to hook people into using the product, versus selling one-time licenses to users.

What Are MS PowerPoint PPT Templates?

PowerPoint Templates (frequently also called "themes") are the quickest way to add style to your Microsoft PowerPoint presentation and one of the reasons that PowerPoint is so popular.

We're not all graphic designers. And even if you're a talented artist, you likely don't have time to illustrate everything from scratch when you're preparing to present. You should be focusing on the content and message that your audience will hear.

The easiest way to add a design to your slide is to use a template, which you'll find on PowerPoint's ribbon on the  Design  tab. Click on one of the template thumbnails to apply it to your presentation.

Themes and Variants on PowerPoint ribbon

These are just Microsoft's built-in options, however. With the help of premium templates, you can build your best Microsoft PowerPoint presentation yet. On Envato Elements , you can source thousands of MS PPT templates.

Envato Elements Offer

When you start with a premium template from Elements, you've got most of the hard work already complete. Talented graphic designers contribute MS PPT templates that already have all of the placeholders you need. Just update them with your content specifics and you'll have a great Microsoft PowerPoint presentation in no time!

PowerPoint custom template

The best way to learn PowerPoint is really to skip the learning curve altogether by using templates. If you're wondering what is Microsoft PowerPoint when it's done properly, premium templates give you a perfect example.

Using Professional PowerPoint PPT Templates

Microsoft's built-in themes are a good enough start, but there are far better alternatives available to use. You can use premium presentation themes that are available through  Envato Elements  and  GraphicRiver   to supplant the built-in themes. 

Elements is a subscription service that allows you to download and use unlimited PowerPoint templates and creative assets—a powerful offer. GraphicRiver is another option that allows you to per pay template.

Discover more great  Microsoft PowerPoint template designs from these sites in this curated selection of the best: 

define presentation and powerpoint

The themes that you'll find on Elements and GraphicRiver are heads and shoulders above Microsoft's built-in options. These are ready for professional presentations at any level. 

Yooga

Above all, themes from these sites include  ideas for your slides.  Many times, I know what the slide should contain, but need ideas for how to show the content.

Take, for example, the Yooga PowerPoint theme . Yooga comes with over 150 slide design ideas, as well as a variety of color schemes. Buy it once and use it repeatedly for all of your presentations; there's enough variety for it to be used in many cases.

One note about these custom themes: they don't always appear in PowerPoint's ribbon the way that Microsoft's templates do. They are often packaged as standalone PPTX files that you can open and re-work for your own presentations. 

Start Working With Pro PowerPoint PPT Templates Today

Learn all about how to make great presentations quickly with professional PowerPoint templates: 

define presentation and powerpoint

Why Do Many People Dislike PowerPoint? (Does PowerPoint Suck?)

A number of people decry PowerPoint as a bad tool. Some of that reputation is on the mark, because I think we've all sat through many boring presentations in which the presenter reads directly from the slides.

However, this is also an unfair reputation because PowerPoint can be an excellent aid. Like most tools, it all comes down to how you use it.

Most PowerPoint presentations go south because the presenter uses the slide as a  replacement  for giving a presentation. The key is that slides should support and reiterate your talking points, rather than serve as a crutch.

Here are some of my most important tips to avoid during your PowerPoint-driven presentation:

  • Don't read directly from your slides. PowerPoint slides should have key points that summarize your talking points.
  • Don't put too many objects on each slide. This will confuse or distract your audience from your message.
  • Don't overdo it with animations, either! You can make objects fly on and off slides, but it'll distract from your message.
  • Don't speak for too long. No matter how good your slides look, an audience will eventually tune out.
  • Don't  bury the lede. Reveal the key idea early and spend the rest of the presentation supporting it, instead of making your audience sit through a long talk and find the conclusion at the end.

Discover more helpful PowerPoint presentation tips: 

define presentation and powerpoint

How Can You Build Visual Presentations Quickly in PowerPoint?

Your audience is sure to expect a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation loaded with visual elements. Slides that are overburdened with text and too many details will lose the audience's attention. The solution is to create more visual presentations that feature eye-catching graphics and imagery.

Let's look at three key elements of building a visual presentation: 

1. How to Use Graphics in Microsoft PowerPoint

SmartArt is one of my favorite PowerPoint features, mainly because I'm not a graphic designer. But even for those who are experienced with Photoshop or Illustrator, the SmartArt feature deserves a look.

Basically, SmartArt is the best of both worlds between charts and images. They've got the professionally polished look of a designed graphic, but maintain the flexibility of a chart. You can add or remove points at any time.

PowerPoint SmartArt Example image

Another option that I've already mentioned above is using an  infographic  to explain detailed ideas. SmartArt allows you to build some infographics but check out the tutorial below for more advanced options.

define presentation and powerpoint

Check out the tutorials below to learn more about using SmartArt to build a variety of graphics, such as timelines, pyramids, hierarchies, and cycles.

define presentation and powerpoint

2. How to Use Images Effectively in PowerPoint

Imagery can make or break a presentation. That's why it's so important to source great photos when you're building a PowerPoint so that the images match the tone and content of your presentation concept.

If you checked out Envato Elements earlier in this tutorial, you might be surprised to learn that it features far more than just PowerPoint templates. In fact, your subscription gives you more than 700,00 stock photos at no additional cost.

Yoga Photo

Most of the premium templates that you'll find on Envato Elements include easy-to-update image placeholders. Download a template, pair a few stock photos from Elements, and you'll quickly have your best Microsoft PowerPoint presentation yet.

For a complete guide to working with images in PowerPoint, check out the link below:

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3. How to Work With Slides in PowerPoint

Slides are the individual units that build up a PowerPoint presentation. Learning how to work with them holistically is key to building a great PowerPoint presentation.

Each slide should serve a purpose of its own, with a new aspect of your idea on each slide. This helps you keep a good flow in your presentation, as advancing each slide will bring to light a new angle of your perspective.

Read the tutorial below to learn how to build slide decks and use each slide to its full potential:

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How Does PowerPoint Make Giving Presentations Easier?

Contrary to popular belief, PowerPoint is much more than a tool to develop presentations. It's also your best friend when you're giving the presentation. 

Instead of scrambling to prepare note cards or printed versions of your slides to reference, PowerPoint keeps all of those essentials nearby.

Presenter view

Presenter View is one of the most powerful features for sharing your PowerPoint presentation. Imagine having all of the most important tools on your screen.

Oftentimes, you'll have two displays while you're giving a presentation: your own laptop or tablet screen, and the screen that you're presenting on. While your audience will see the finished presentation, you'll have your own Presenter View where you can see your notes and upcoming slides.

For a complete tutorial on Presenter View , check out the link below:

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How to Use Advanced MS PowerPoint Tools

PowerPoint does a good job balancing between user-friendly and full of features. It's easy to start using, but you might be surprised by some of the more advanced features that it includes. Let's look at a few advanced features.

1. Link PowerPoint and Excel

If you're a numbers person, I'll bet that you love Microsoft Excel. But it's just as likely that your audience would appreciate a more condensed version of your data in presentation format.

That's why the linkage between PowerPoint and Excel is so powerful. In fact, when used properly, your PowerPoint presentation can automatically refresh with the latest data in your Excel spreadsheet. Jump to the tutorial below to start using this feature.

define presentation and powerpoint

2. Use PowerPoint in a Browser

As mentioned earlier in this tutorial, PowerPoint has a fully-featured browser version that's a fairly new addition to the Microsoft family. Saving your presentation to the cloud and using it in a web browser helps you collaborate with others.

Both of the tutorials below can help you start using PowerPoint Online. Whether you're looking to save your presentations safely or share them with others, these two tutorials will help you advance beyond PowerPoint's desktop apps.

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3. Customize Slide Layouts

Think of slide layouts as a blueprint for the overall slide design. When you choose a layout, PowerPoint populates the slide with pre-built elements that are ready to fill in. 

Advanced PowerPoint users customize slide layouts so that they can be re-used over and over. This is how the best presenters save time in developing their presentations. Read the tutorial below to customize your slide layouts.

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These advanced features can really make you a professional presenter. Make sure to try them out, and pretty soon you'll be teaching your peers what Microsoft PowerPoint is used for.

Recap & Learn More About Making Great PowerPoint Presentations 

In this tutorial, I shared some of my favorite reasons that I use Microsoft PowerPoint. Whether it's the sheer familiarity or the polish of over 30 years of development, PowerPoint won't be going anywhere soon.

Learn more in our  PowerPoint beginner tutorials series  or our  quick-start PowerPoint videos . You can also get our free eBook now: 

Need Help? Grab Our Making Great Presentations eBook (Free)

You can find more information in our  eBook on making great presentations . Download this PDF eBook now for FREE with your subscription to the Tuts+ Business Newsletter. 

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It'll help you master the presentation process, from: initial creative ideas, through to writing, design, and delivering with impact.

Do you use PowerPoint, or one of its competitors? I'm always interested to find out why, so feel free to do so in the comments section below.

This tutorial has been updated to include new information—with special assistance from  Andrew Childress.

Andrew Childress

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What Is Microsoft PowerPoint and How Do I Use It?

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Customizing PowerPoint Presentations

Where to find powerpoint, how to use powerpoint, collaborating with powerpoint, powerpoint competitors, what to know.

  • PowerPoint is a standalone program, a subscription service, a website, and a mobile app.
  • Use PowerPoint by creating and customizing presentations with text, images, and other graphics.
  • PowerPoint is the most popular presentation software, but Google Slides and Apple Keynote are popular, too.

Microsoft PowerPoint creates slideshows suitable for projectors or big-screen TVs. Usually, a presenter speaks to the audience and uses the PowerPoint presentation to hold the listeners' attention and add visual information. However, some presentations are created and recorded to provide a digital-only experience. This article addresses PowerPoint 2019 and 2016, PowerPoint for Microsoft 365, PowerPoint 2016, and PowerPoint Online.

PowerPoint presentations output to photo albums—complete with music or narrations—shareable on CDs, DVDs, or flash drives. The software supports charts, images, and org charts. Make your presentation into a web page for emailing purposes or as a promotion displayed on your company's website.

It is easy to customize presentations with your company logo and dazzle your audience by using one of the many design templates that come with the program. Many more free add-ins and templates are available online from Microsoft and other websites. In addition to an on-screen slideshow, PowerPoint features printing options that allow the presenter to provide handouts and outlines for the audience and notes pages for the speaker to refer to during the presentation.

PowerPoint is part of the Microsoft Office package and is also available as:

  • A standalone program for Windows computers and Macs
  • Part of a Microsoft 365 subscription
  • PowerPoint Online
  • PowerPoint apps for Android and iOS mobile devices

PowerPoint comes with many templates that set the tone of a presentation—from casual to formal to off-the-wall.

Select a template and replace the placeholder text and images with your own to customize the presentation. Add additional slides in the same template format as you need them and add text, images, and graphics. As you learn, add special effects, transitions between slides, music, charts, and animations —all these features are built into the software—to enrich the experience for the audience.

A group can use PowerPoint to collaborate on a presentation.

In this case, the presentation is saved online on Microsoft OneDrive , OneDrive for Business, or SharePoint. Send your collaborators or co-workers a link to the PowerPoint file and assign them either viewing or editing permissions when you're ready to share. Comments on the presentation are visible to all the collaborators.

If you use the free PowerPoint Online, work and collaborate using your favorite desktop browser. You and your team can work on the same presentation at the same time from anywhere. You need a Microsoft account.

PowerPoint is by far the most popular  presentation software program available. Approximately 30 million presentations are created daily in the software. Although it has several competitors, they lack the familiarity and global reach of PowerPoint. Apple's Keynote software is similar, and ships free on all Macs, but it has only a small share of the presentation software user base.

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Definition of a Powerpoint Presentation

Businesswoman holding presentation at a meeting with colleagues in the office

When you want to make a slideshow complete with text and multimedia content, Microsoft PowerPoint can handle whatever you throw at it. A PowerPoint presentation can share important information such as a business plan or educational lesson, or it can be useful for entertainment purposes.

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You have a lot of control over customizing a PowerPoint presentation and can start quickly with templates and a variety of useful tools. Microsoft offers a free basic web version of PowerPoint but requires an Office 365 subscription to get the most from the powerful program.

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PowerPoint Presentation Description

The basic purpose of a PowerPoint presentation is to communicate information or media through a series of slides. Along with regular text, your slides can contain numerous types of content such as tables, images, drawings, charts, links, word art, videos, audio and even embedded add-ins from Microsoft. The software also has built-in editing tools that you can use to resize, position and update content without needing to open items in other applications.

Using PowerPoint

Often, you narrate a presentation when you give it live or record audio for viewers when you're sharing your presentation to a group remotely. However, you can also include all the important information in the slides themselves or in the speaker notes found below each slide. The program comes with presentation planning tools that can help you both with the narration and timing of the presentation.

PowerPoint also gives you flexibility with presentation styles. You can share your presentation online and let other users view or even edit the content. You can also use the slideshow format that you can configure to show slides at a specified time interval, set up a custom display format or add extras such as subtitles.

Popular PowerPoint Features

Some of PowerPoint's most popular features include the built-in slide designer and templates that can help you make presentations quickly without needing much knowledge of the process. For example, by opening the program's template library, you can generate a starter file with a title slide with your preferred background, layout and color scheme. You can then use the program's duplication option to generate more formatted slides easily. Even if you make a presentation from scratch, you can use a Design Ideas button that generates a list of ready-to-use slide styles to select.

Other helpful PowerPoint features include the built-in transitions and animations, text highlighter and drawing tools. The transitions and animations make your presentation look professional and interesting with effects like fading, growing and shrinking, morphing and zooming. The text highlighter and drawing tools make it easier to point out information as you give presentations. The latest PowerPoint also lets you insert 3D models that users can interact with.

Common Uses of PowerPoint

Whether you use one slide or many, you can find uses for PowerPoint in many professions and areas. Some examples of PowerPoint projects include:

  • Work portfolios
  • Business meetings
  • Tutorials for students and workers
  • Photo slideshows
  • Mailing labels
  • Timelines and flowcharts
  • Family trees

How to Get PowerPoint

If you're comfortable with a limited version of PowerPoint that you access through your web browser or mobile device, you can use your free Microsoft account to sign in to the OneDrive version of all the Office products. This version allows for collaboration and gives you access to some templates like the paid versions do. However, you can expect some advanced editing options and features – like live narration recording – not to work.

Otherwise, you can purchase the Office 365 Personal or Office 365 Home version of Office that gives you access to the software on all platforms. You pay either monthly or yearly and gain access to all of PowerPoint's premium features along with perks such as a large amount of storage on OneDrive, technical support and access to other popular Office apps. Office 365 Home allows up to six users versus just one for Office 365 Personal, so your whole family can benefit.

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Sometimes abbreviated as PP or PPT , PowerPoint is a presentation program developed by Microsoft that creates a slide show of important information, charts, and images for a presentation. PowerPoint is frequently used for business and school presentations.

Where do you find or start PowerPoint?

  • PowerPoint example.
  • Benefits of PowerPoint.
  • Related information.

If you have Microsoft PowerPoint or the entire Microsoft Office package installed in Microsoft Windows, you can find PowerPoint in your Start menu .

Realize that new computers do not include PowerPoint. It must be purchased and installed before it can run on your computer.

If you do not have PowerPoint and don't want to purchase Microsoft Office to get it, you can try using Google Slides , a free online presentation program similar to PowerPoint.

If PowerPoint is installed on your computer, but you can't find it in your Start menu, use the following steps to launch PowerPoint manually:

  • Open My Computer .
  • Click or select the C: drive . If Microsoft Office is installed on a drive other than the C: drive, select that drive instead.
  • Navigate to the Program Files (x86) folder, then the Microsoft Office folder.
  • If there is a root folder in the Microsoft Office folder, open that folder. Then open the OfficeXX folder , where XX is the version of Office (e.g., Office16 for Microsoft Office 2016). If there is no root folder, look for and open a folder with "Office" in the name.
  • Look for a file named POWERPNT.EXE and double-click that file to start Microsoft PowerPoint.

Start PowerPoint without using a mouse

Follow these steps to launch PowerPoint without using a mouse.

  • Press the Windows key .
  • Type powerpoint .
  • Select the PowerPoint entry in the search results using the arrow keys and press Enter to launch the PowerPoint application.

PowerPoint example

The picture below is an example of how Microsoft PowerPoint appears, with a red description in each major area.

Microsoft PowerPoint

PowerPoint slides may contain only text, or they can include pictures, videos, or animated text and images. Text may be formatted in the same ways as Microsoft Word , with custom color, size, and font type.

While the look and feel of PowerPoint has changed over the years, the functionality has remained mostly the same.

Microsoft PowerPoint files have the file extension .ppt or .pptx .

Benefits of PowerPoint

PowerPoint provides multiple benefits to users, including:

  • It is widely used and considered the "standard" for presentation software. If you create a PowerPoint presentation, it's more likely to be easier for others to open and view.
  • It includes many optional presentation features, including slide transitions, animations, layouts, templates, etc.
  • It offers the option to export its slides to alternative file formats, including GIF (graphics interchange format) and JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) images, MPEG-4 video, PDF (Portable Document Format), RTF (rich text format), WMV (Windows Media Video), and PowerPoint XML (extensible markup language).

Related information

  • How to create or add a slide in Microsoft PowerPoint.
  • How to insert a picture in Microsoft PowerPoint.
  • How to add a video to a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation.
  • How to insert a sound file into a PowerPoint presentation.
  • How to add or remove animations in a PowerPoint slide.
  • How to start and stop a PowerPoint slide show.
  • Microsoft PowerPoint help and support.
  • Software help and support.

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Microsoft PowerPoint

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Microsoft PowerPoint , virtual presentation software developed by Robert Gaskins and Dennis Austin for the American computer software company Forethought, Inc. The program, initially named Presenter, was released for the Apple Macintosh in 1987. In July of that year, the Microsoft Corporation , in its first significant software acquisition, purchased the rights to PowerPoint for $14 million.

PowerPoint was designed to facilitate visual demonstrations for group presentations in the business environment . Presentations are arranged as a series of individually designed “slides” that contain images, text, or other objects. Version 1.0 allowed users to generate text and graphics pages for black-and-white handouts, notes, and overhead transparencies. Version 2.0, developed for both Macintosh and Microsoft’s Windows operating system , was upgraded to output 35-mm colour slides. The 1992 release of PowerPoint 3.0 introduced the now-standard virtual slideshow. Subsequent versions added more features: slide transitions, background designs, animation, graphics, movie and sound clips, and AutoContent, which generates a presentation template based on what information is to be conveyed. In 2003 the renamed Office PowerPoint reflected Microsoft’s emphasis on standardizing the user interface and program functions across their suite of Office programs, which included Word (a word processor ) and Excel (a spreadsheet program). PowerPoint is also available for mobile devices like smartphones and tablets in the iOS and Android operating systems.

computer chip. computer. Hand holding computer chip. Central processing unit (CPU). history and society, science and technology, microchip, microprocessor motherboard computer Circuit Board

PowerPoint was developed for business use but has wide applications elsewhere, such as for schools and community organizations. The program was initially packaged as a stand-alone product, but its inclusion in the best-selling Microsoft Office suite assured its near-total dominance in the presentation-software market.

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PPT: Full Form, Features, Functions and Uses

What is ppt.

PPT is defined as a digital slideshow made with Microsoft PowerPoint, a well-known software application of Microsoft Office. PPT is usually used for visual presentations that include several slides made up of texts, images, graphics, and multimedia elements like videos and animations. This software is used in many different fields like educational institutions, offices, conferences, and business meetings to share information, data, and even messages with the help of a set of visual slides in an organised and presentable manner.

ppt

Table of Content

Full Form of PPT

Features of powerpoint presentation (ppt), functions of powerpoint presentation (ppt), uses of powerpoint presentation (ppt).

  • PowerPoint Presentation (PPT) vs Google Studies

Advantages of PowerPoint Presentation (PPT)

Disadvantages of powerpoint presentation (ppt).

PPT stands for PowerPoint Presentation. PPT is defined as a sequence of slides used for the visual presentation of information using images, texts, graphics, and multimedia elements like videos and animations. The term “PPT” is often used informally to refer to a PowerPoint presentation file, which commonly has a “.ppt” or “.pptx” file extension.

PowerPoint provides a number of features and customisable options to enhance the visual appeal and performance of presentations. Some of these are as follows:

1. Slide Creation: PowerPoint helps create slides that act as individual pages that contain pictures, texts, tables, charts, graphics, etc. attached to our presentations. This helps users create a meaningful and systematic presentation for our work.

2. Templates and Themes: PowerPoint contains pre-designed templates and themes that can be used to enhance the visual appeal of your presentation. PowerPoint offers a number of themes and templates. These well-created themes and templates improve the slides’ and presentation’s attractiveness and give them a professional look.

3. Transitions and Animations: PPT helps in creation of visual effects between presentations by using animations and transitions. These transitions can be simple or elaborate and can engage the audience and create smooth transitions between slides.

4. Multimedia Integration: PowerPoint can help the users to insert images videos audio and animations in the slides to create an engaging and dynamic presentation.

5. Collaboration and Sharing: PowerPoint offers collaboration features that allow multiple users to work on a presentation simultaneously. Poerpoint presentations with others through email, cloud storage, or collaboration platforms, making it easy to collaborate and distribute work.

6. Speaker Notes: Speaker notes can be added by presenters for use as a reference during the presentation. These notes can be hidden from the audience and can be utilised by the users to give reminders additional details or signals while giving the presentation.

1. Slide Creation: The main function of PowerPoint is to create visually appealing presentations for various purposes by using several options like texts, images, graphs tables, videos, etc.

2. Data Visualisation: PPT helps in creating slides that are organised and presentable by including charts, graphs, and other visual options. This makes the slides easy to understand for the viewers.

3. Slide Customisation: A PowerPoint can provide a number of customisation options. With the help of these options, the users can change fonts, and color backgrounds, and apply themes or templates to the slides to make the presentation more appealing.

4. Slide Show Options: PowerPoint also provides a number of options for presenting slideshows. These functions include setting the timing between the slides, setting loop slideshows, and customising slide transitions. The timings between the slides can be automatic or can be set manually.

5. Printing and Handouts: Presenter mode includes tools and features that help the user view speaker notes, previous and upcoming slides, and other advanced options to make the presentation better. It also provides an option of using a pointer or laser pen to help the users add extra comments to the slides.

1. Personal Use: The most common purpose of PowerPoint is to use it for personal projects for special occasions. The user can design the slides according to their choice and add the necessary points and details.

2. Educational Tools: PowerPoint is often used by teachers and professors in schools and colleges for teaching by using animations to make learning more interactive.

3. Marketing Presentation: PowerPoint is also used for marketing purposes to show sales graphs, market research, etc. These presentations help the marketers to present their annual or internal reports.

4. Training and Workshops: PowerPoint can also be used to perform workshops and trainings. The slides created can be shown to the public for the workshop. It helps the trainers to understand the work easily with the help of images, videos, and other multimedia options.

PowerPoint Presentation (PPT) vs Google Slides

PowerPoint PowerPoint sometimes referred to as PPT, is a popular presentation tool that enables users to create slides for visual presentations. It offers a variety of features, including slide transitions, text formatting, image and video insertion, and animations. PPT files can be shared and presented on a variety of devices and are commonly saved in the .ppt or. pptx format.

Google Slides, on the other hand, is a web-based presentation tool provided by Google as part of its Google Drive collection. Although it has some clear advantages, it offers features that are similar to those in PowerPoint. Since Google Slides is web-based, it enables real-time collaboration so that multiple individuals can work on a presentation at once.

Basis

PPT

Google Slides

Accessibility​

PowerPoint is a part of Microsoft Office and is required to be installed on a computer for use. It is designed mainly for use on Windows and macOS.​

Google Slides can be accessed from any device with an internet connection. Google Slides can also be used offline with a Google Chrome extension.​

Collaboration

Collaboration can be done through OneDrive and SharePoint but it may not be user-friendly a lot of times. ​

Google Slides supports real-time interaction, allowing several users to edit and modify a presentation at the same time, making it better suited for group projects.​

Price 

Since PowerPoint is a part of the Microsoft Office package, a license is normally needed. It usually requires a one-time purchase or subscription to Microsoft Office, which can be expensive.​

Google Slides is free to use for anyone with a google account.​

Offline access​

Once the software is installed on a device, PowerPoint has the benefit of being accessible offline.

Due to the online nature of Google Slides requires an internet connection to be edited and presented, however, it does provide some limited offline features when using certain browser extensions.​

Features 

PowerPoint offers a wide range of features and advanced options for working on complex and visually appealing presentations. ​

Google slides has more of basic and straightforward features to work with. ​

1. Features: There are a wide range of advanced features that includes various options for designs and animations. This helps in creating even complex presentations.

2. Offline Access: PowerPoint can also be used without internet connection. It just needs to be installed on the computer.

3. Compatibility: The presentations created using PowerPoint our highly compatible with other systems and can also be shared easily.

4. Templates: PowerPoint provides various kinds of templates and themes that can be used in the presentation design. These templates are already present by default.

5. Export Options: PowerPoint allows you to export your presentation to video which is quite useful for sharing on platforms like YouTube. It even help you to play the presentation without using the PowerPoint software.

6. Accessibility: The presentations created can be saved in various formats. It also includes converting it into PDF which makes it easier to share to others who may not have PowerPoint installed on their devices.

1. Cost: Microsoft PowerPoint is not free. It is requires a license which is quite expensive.

2. Dependance: PowerPoint is primarily designed for windows and Mac OS which often limits the accessibility on other operating systems.

3. Limited Collaboration: The collaboration feature provided by PowerPoint may not work on a lot of systems and is therefore not user friendly.

4. Complex: PowerPoint has a lot of advanced features which requires time and effort and therefore can be quite complex, especially for beginners.

5. Overuse: Many presentations contains two many slides, extra text and dull animations which can often bore the audience. Too much information can also overwhelm the audience and they can lose interest.

6. Time Consuming: Creating even a simple visually appealing presentation that includes the content in a well manner can be time consuming. Creating a presentation in PowerPoint takes more time than other presentation methods as one has to create various slides.

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How to Start a PowerPoint Presentation – The Best Way

September 21, 2024

To start a PowerPoint presentation can be daunting, but when done right, it sets the tone for a successful delivery. For a business audience, especially in the UK, where presentations often carry high stakes, a great way to start a PowerPoint presentation is to begin with clarity, confidence, and purpose.

Below, we’ll give you a step by step guide to the best way to start your PowerPoint presentation, avoiding common pitfalls, and creating a professional, polished experience for your audience. 

How to Start a PowerPoint Presentation – step-by-step guide

1. the most common mistakes when starting powerpoint presentations.

What’s the biggest mistake to avoid when you start a PowerPoint presentation?

The biggest mistake is diving straight into PowerPoint without proper planning. Many presenters rush into creating slides before they’ve outlined their key points or determined the main takeaway for the audience. Starting your PowerPoint with a clear purpose and solid structure is essential for a successful presentation.

Many presenters fall into similar traps at the beginning of a presentation. A few of the most common mistakes include:

  • Diving into details too quickly: This overwhelms the audience before they understand the context.
  • Reading off slides : Instead of engaging with the audience, some presenters simply read word-for-word from their slides, creating a monotonous experience.
  • Relying on busy visuals: Cluttered slides packed with text or graphs are hard to digest and distract from your message.
  • Starting with a table of contents: While it may seem logical, this often bores the audience and gives away too much information upfront.

Avoid these mistakes to ensure your presentation is more effective and engaging right from the start.

2. The Hard Work is Proper Planning

The success of any presentation relies on how well you plan before opening PowerPoint . Preparation is key. Without thorough planning, your presentation may lack structure, coherence, and the right balance of detail. So, dedicate time to research, outline your main points, and understand your audience. Remember, a well-structured presentation doesn’t happen by accident—it comes from a strong foundation of planning.

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3.  Are You Creating an Oral Presentation or a Slide Deck?

What’s the difference between an oral presentation and a slide deck?  An oral presentation is designed to be delivered live, with slides that support what the speaker is saying. These slides should be simple and visual, highlighting key points without overwhelming the audience. A slide deck, on the other hand, is often created as a standalone document meant to be read without additional explanation. Slide decks are usually more detailed, as they need to convey all the information on their own.

As a first step, it’s important to distinguish between two different types of presentations:

  • Oral presentation: The slides support what you are saying but are not the main focus.
  • Slide deck: This is a standalone document designed to be read without additional verbal explanation.

The difference is subtle but crucial. If you’re speaking live, your slides should enhance your talk, not overwhelm it with excessive text or data. If you’re sharing the slides to be read at a desk or after the presentation, they may need to be more detailed.

4. Don’t Open PowerPoint Yet

Why shouldn’t I start creating slides right away?  Jumping straight into PowerPoint without planning leads to disorganised slides and a lack of clear messaging. Before opening PowerPoint, it’s important to outline your key points, structure your presentation, and define your takeaways. This way, your slides will serve the message, rather than dictate it.

Many people make the mistake of jumping straight into PowerPoint and starting to create slides without thinking through the flow of their presentation. Don’t be one of them. PowerPoint is just a tool to help you communicate your message, but it shouldn’t drive your content.  PowerPoint is a poor planning tool.

Before you even open PowerPoint, ensure you’ve mapped out your ideas, objectives, and key points. This step will make the process of designing your slides much smoother and prevent you from being too reliant on the software itself. In fact, PowerPoint should be the last step in the process of creating a great presentation.

5. The Best Way to Start a PowerPoint Presentation

The best way to start is with a solid understanding of your audience and your objective. Ask yourself:

  • Who is my audience?
  • What is the purpose of this presentation?
  • What do I want the audience to do or know by the end?

Once you’ve answered these questions, you’ll have a clear foundation on which to build your presentation.

6. The Most Important Thing is to Decide Your Main Takeaways

How can I make sure my audience remembers the key takeaways? To ensure your audience retains your key points, be consistent and clear throughout your presentation. Use action titles on each slide, reinforce important messages in both your visuals and speech, and summarise the main takeaways in your conclusion. Repetition of critical points helps solidify them in your audience’s memory.

Every presentation should have one or two key takeaways that you want your audience to leave with. What is the core message or action you need to communicate? These main points should guide the rest of your presentation and help keep you focused.

When deciding on these takeaways, consider what will be most valuable or impactful for your audience. Keep these front and centre as you develop your presentation.

7. Be Clear on the Purpose of Your Presentation

To avoid confusion and keep your audience engaged, you must be clear about your presentation’s purpose from the beginning . Is your aim to inform, persuade, or inspire? This will influence the structure, tone, and content of your slides. If you’re not clear on your purpose, neither will your audience.

8. A Good Introduction Will Grab Your Audience’s Attention

How do I create a strong introduction? A strong introduction grabs your audience’s attention right away. You can achieve this by using a thought-provoking question, a compelling statistic, or a relevant anecdote that ties into your main message. It’s also crucial to clearly explain why the topic matters to your audience, setting up a purpose-driven presentation.

Your introduction is critical because it sets the tone for the rest of the presentation. To captivate your audience from the start:

  • Start with a thought-provoking question or a powerful statistic.
  • Share a short story or anecdote that relates to your key message.
  • Clearly state what your presentation will cover and why it matters to them.

The goal is to pique their interest so they remain engaged throughout.

9. Summarise Your Entire Presentation on Your First Slide

One technique that works well is summarising your key message on your very first slide.

Why should I summarise my presentation on the first slide?  Summarising your entire presentation on the first slide helps set expectations and frames the key message for your audience. It gives them a high-level overview of what they’re about to hear and allows them to better focus on the most important points throughout your presentation.

Instead of the traditional agenda slide, use this opening slide to give the audience a high-level overview of the main takeaway. This helps set expectations and ensures they know what to focus on.

For example, if you are giving a financial forecast, your first slide could summarise the most critical metrics or trends. This prepares the audience for what’s coming and provides context.

10. Never Include a Table of Contents

A table of contents slide is an outdated and ineffective approach to starting a presentation. It often feels like unnecessary filler that delays the actual content. Instead of listing out every section, allow the flow of your presentation to guide the audience naturally. The less time spent on formalities, the quicker you can dive into meaningful material.

A table of contents slide often bores the audience and gives away too much upfront. Instead of outlining everything in advance, let your presentation flow naturally, engaging the audience as you introduce each new point. This keeps them focused and interested in your message rather than passively waiting for the next section.

11. Use Action Titles Throughout

What is an action title, and why should I use it?   An action title is a slide heading that clearly communicates the key takeaway or next step related to that slide’s content. Instead of using vague titles like “Analysis” or “Results”, use action-oriented titles like “How This Analysis Improves Efficiency” or “Key Results You Need to Know.” These titles guide the audience, making the presentation easier to follow and more impactful.

Action titles help guide your audience through your presentation and keep them focused on the most important points. Instead of vague or generic slide titles, use action-oriented phrases that communicate a key takeaway. For example:

  • Instead of “Market Trends”, use “ How Market Trends Will Impact Your Sales in 2024 ”.
  • Instead of “Product Features”, use “ Why Our Product Will Save You Time ”.

This small change makes your slides more compelling and engaging, making it easier for your audience to follow along and retain key information.

12. Finish with a Summary and a Call to Action

 What should I include in my conclusion? Your conclusion should summarise the key points of your presentation and include a call to action. Whether you want your audience to take a specific action, implement recommendations, or schedule a follow-up, a clear next step ensures your presentation leaves a lasting impact.

As you wrap up your presentation, summarise your key points to reinforce your message. A strong conclusion should leave your audience with a clear understanding of what you want them to remember or do next.

Include a call to action—whether it’s scheduling a follow-up meeting, implementing your recommendations, or simply reflecting on the information you’ve shared. Ending with a clear next step ensures your presentation has a lasting impact.

Next Steps to Start Your PowerPoint Presentation

If you follow these steps and avoid common mistakes, you’ll start your PowerPoint presentation with confidence, setting yourself up for a strong delivery that captivates your audience and delivers real value.

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Frequently asked questions about how to start a powerpoint presentation (faq), 1. how can i grab attention right from the very start of my presentation.

A good introduction is critical for engaging your audience from the beginning. Start with a thought-provoking question , a surprising fact , or a personal experience that relates to your main takeaways . This sets the stage for the rest of the presentation and makes sure your audience is hooked from the first presentation slide.

2. What’s a good rule of thumb for the amount of text on each slide?

A good rule of thumb is to keep text minimal and focus on captivating visuals to support your message. Your slides should enhance what you’re saying, not overwhelm your audience with too much body text . Instead, use bullet points or action titles to summarise your main ideas and guide your audience through the presentation.

3. Should I include a table of contents slide?

It’s usually better to skip the table of contents slide in your presentation. Starting with a clear purpose of your presentation and jumping into your key points keeps your audience engaged. A table of contents can feel outdated and often gives away too much detail early on, which can reduce the impact of your message.

4. How can I use a black screen or white screen in my presentation?

During presentation mode , you can create a black screen or white screen as a way to focus attention on yourself or start a dramatic pause . This feature is available in the slide show mode by pressing “B” for black or “W” for white. It’s a great tool to use when you want your audience to focus solely on what you are saying.

5. What’s the best way to summarise my presentation?

Summarise your entire presentation on the first presentation slide to provide a clear roadmap. Use your final step to reinforce the main takeaways and include a call to action that gives your audience clear next steps . This leaves a lasting impact and ensures your message is remembered.

6. Should I use serif or sans-serif fonts in my slides?

For content slides , it’s generally better to use sans-serif fonts because they are easier to read on screens. Serif fonts can be used for headings if you want a more formal or traditional look, but they can be harder to read in longer blocks of text.

7. How do I collaborate on a group presentation?

When working with team members on a group presentation , it’s important to assign specific slides to each person and ensure consistency in the color scheme , font choice, and overall design. Regular check-ins help ensure everyone is aligned, and reviewing the presentation in slide show mode with the entire group can help catch any pending changes .

8. What should I do before opening PowerPoint?

Before opening PowerPoint , it’s essential to understand the purpose of your presentation and outline your main ideas . Knowing exactly what message you want to convey helps you stay focused and avoids the mistake of letting the tool dictate the content.

9. What is a pitch deck, and how is it different from a typical presentation?

A pitch deck is a shorter, more focused presentation aimed at persuading investors or stakeholders to take action, typically used in business or startup contexts. Unlike a regular slide deck , which might be more detailed and informative, a pitch deck needs to quickly convey your value proposition and main takeaways in a concise and compelling way.

10. How can I create a good story in my presentation?

Creating a good story involves structuring your presentation in a way that flows naturally, leading your audience from the introduction to the conclusion. Use captivating visuals , clear action titles , and well-placed pauses to keep your audience engaged. A good story helps you present your main ideas clearly and makes the content more memorable.

11. How can I check for spelling mistakes or grammar issues in my slides?

In PowerPoint, you can use the status bar or go to the Review tab to check for spelling errors or grammar issues. For mac users , this feature is also accessible via the Tools menu. Taking a few minutes to review your presentation file for errors is a helpful guide to ensure professionalism.

12. How do I add a new slide in PowerPoint?

You can add a new slide by clicking the New Slide button under the Home tab. Make sure to choose the appropriate slide layout based on whether it’s a title slide or a content slide . If you’re working with an existing presentation , be mindful of maintaining consistency with the previous slides.

13. Can I include audio files in my presentation?

Yes, PowerPoint allows you to add audio files for narration, background music, or sound effects. You can insert audio using the Insert tab and selecting Audio . Just be sure that the audio supports your message and doesn’t distract from your main takeaways .

14. What’s the best way to end a group presentation?

The final step in a group presentation should include a unified call to action and a summary of the main takeaways . Make sure all team members are aligned on the key points and that your conclusion leaves the audience with a clear understanding of what you want them to do next.

15. How can I use Presenter Coach to improve my presentation?

Presenter Coach is a PowerPoint feature that gives you feedback on your delivery, pacing, and tone during a practice run. It’s an excellent tool for refining your speaking skills and ensuring your pitch deck or slide deck is delivered effectively. It even identifies if you’re using filler words or reading directly from your slides too much.

16. How should I handle the colour scheme in my presentation?

Choose a colour scheme that is consistent and professional. It’s important to make sure your text stands out clearly from the background, especially for content slides . Avoid overly bright or clashing colours, as they can be distracting. Keep accessibility in mind, using contrasts that are readable for all viewers.

17. Should I use personal experience in my presentation?

Incorporating personal experience can make your presentation more relatable and engaging. Sharing a relevant story or anecdote can build a connection with your audience and reinforce your main ideas .

18. How do I properly credit an image source in PowerPoint?

When using images in your presentation, make sure to include the image source at the bottom of the slide or in a reference slide at the end. This is especially important for presentations shared publicly or professionally, ensuring proper credit is given for any visuals you did not create yourself.

19. What’s the benefit of using a surprising fact in the opening lines?

Starting your presentation with a surprising fact can immediately grab your audience’s attention and make them curious to learn more. This can serve as a strong hook, helping to create an impactful good introduction that sets up your main takeaways effectively.

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Microsoft PowerPoint software, since 1987, replaced the traditional old slide projectors with a high-end slideshow presentation program. This virtual presentation program coined by Robert Gaskins and Dennis Austin brings users the power to create and share presentations in multimedia, and eventually, became a staple graphic information presenter tool for any business, corporate enterprise, educational organization, group, or individual.

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Art of Presentations

What is the Difference between a Presentation and a Slide?

By: Author Shrot Katewa

What is the Difference between a Presentation and a Slide?

People often use the terms “Presentation” and “Slide” interchangeably. But, do these terms mean one and the same thing? If not, what exactly is the difference between a Presentation and a Slide?

The main difference between a presentation and a slide is that a slide is just a single page of a presentation document whereas a presentation is an actual process of sharing and presenting the information present on the slides.

There are several other similar terms that are used when referring to presentations. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of these terms and clear the confusion around it!

Difference between a Presentation and a Slide?

Hopefully, you have already understood the main difference between a presentation and a slide. Let’s look at the two in further detail, and understand the nuances.

What is a Slide?

A slide, as we may have already understood, is a single page of a presentation.

define presentation and powerpoint

In the above image, as you may notice, all the individual pages that we get within a presentation is referred to as “ Slides “. You may even notice the numbers on the top left corner of each slide in the normal view much like the page numbers on a word document.

These numbers indicate the slide number within a particular presentation file. Even though they indicate the slide number, these are not visible when giving the presentation in the slide show mode (we’ll talk about slide show a bit later in the article).

In order to create a presentation file, you’ll be required to work on each individual slides.

However, many people tend to make this one big mistake! That is, creating slides by writing content as though they would on a page of a word document. One needs to keep in mind that creating a slide is not just about putting a bunch of words together, rather sharing it in a visually appealing and engaging manner with the audience.

Creating a beautiful slide is an art in itself, and it takes skills and an eye for design to create an aesthetically pleasing slide.

What is a Presentation?

A person giving a presentation

A presentation is a means of communication. It is the process of sharing the information present on the slides! A presentation can also take the form of a demonstration of a product, design, or ideas!

A presentation differs from a slide from the fact that the person giving a presentation ideally uses the slide as a base to build upon the points he/she wants to communicate with the audience.

It is quite common to use slides while giving a presentation in today’s modern world. That said, a presentation goes beyond even having any slides! What I mean is that a presentation can be given even without having any slides.

While a single slide can also be construed as a presentation in a scenario when while giving the presentation, the presenter uses just 1 slide. Although, this is an extremely rare occurrence!

It is important to note that some people are really good at creating an aesthetically pleasing slide, while others are great at presenting or sharing the information present on a slide!

Both of the aforementioned activities require a different set of skills. It is quite common to hire or outsource the activity of creating the slides in order to deliver a successful presentation.

Difference between Slide and Slideshow?

Now that we’ve understood the difference between a slide and a presentation, let’s compare another term that people often get confused with – slide vs. slideshow

While a slide is a single page of the presentation document, a slide show is when multiple slides are put together for the purpose of supplementing the presentation to be delivered.

In a nutshell, when a series of slides, usually comprising of images, are displayed using an electronic display device such as a projector screen, it is known as a slide show.

A slide show can also have some background music (an example would be a slide show given at a friend’s wedding). A slide show may either be controlled (for example when giving a presentation), or it may run in a loop (for example in a company booth at a business conference).

Difference between a Slide and Slide Deck?

Another term that you may hear a lot is a “Slide Deck”. It may also be used in combination with other words such as “Pitch Deck” or a “Presentation Deck”. So, let’s understand what it means.

A slide deck is basically a group of slides together used for giving a presentation.

While this may feel similar in meaning to a slide show, the only major difference is its history!

The term slide deck evolved from the olden days when physical slides were used to give a presentation.

define presentation and powerpoint

Each slide would have a particular piece of information (just as it does today), and all these slides were physically stacked together in the particular desired order to form a deck; much like a deck of cards.

This was done to ensure that the order of the slides doesn’t get changed. This made the term “Slide Deck” synonymous with a presentation.

Today, with the advent of technology, one cannot imaging using physical slides to give a presentation! Just like the technology for presentations, the terminology also changed from Slide Deck to Slide Show. However, the core principle remains the same.

Difference between PowerPoint and Presentation?

Another pair of terms that people highly used interchangeably is PowerPoint and Presentation. So far, we’ve already understood the terms slide, slide show, slide deck and presentation. So, how does the term PowerPoint fit in this?

PowerPoint is a presentation design software owned and provided by Microsoft to its customers as part of its Office Suite. There are several versions of Microsoft PowerPoint. The software is usually updated with new features in its newest release version.

PowerPoint was first launched by a software company “Forethought Inc.”. The software was initially designed to work only on Macintosh computers only. However, in it’s first major acquisition, Microsoft bought PowerPoint and was first brought to the market in 1990 for Windows.

The software became so popular with the users that a presentation is often referred to as “PowerPoint” or “PPT” (which is the file extension of the PowerPoint files).

So, the key difference between PowerPoint and Presentation is that PowerPoint is basically a tool or software to create digital presentations. A presentation can be given with or without a PowerPoint file.

By the way, the screenshot that you saw earlier in the article that showcases the meaning of slides is from a PowerPoint file.

PowerPoint is not the only presentation design software available to the users. In fact, there are literally hundreds of tools to design a presentation. But, PowerPoint by far is the most commonly used and most successful presentation design software.

How many Slides should a Presentation have?

This is a question that haunts most people who need to give a presentation and create the deck. Is there a good number that you should restrict your slides in a presentation to?

While there is no fixed “one size fits all” approach when it comes to creating presentations and limiting the number of slides in a presentation, ensuring that your presentation doesn’t go beyond 20 slides on average !

In a research published in the Marketing Education Review on the topic of Optimizing Learning by Examining the Use of Presentation Slides , it was cited that blank stares were visible amongst audience members when listeners were overwhelmed with too many slides are text-heavy slides.

Thus, it is important to restrict our presentation to no more than 20 slides. Consider the time available at hand when giving a presentation. A 20-slide presentation can be delivered in about 30 minutes.

According to Guy Kawasaki, an angel investor who reviewed several hundreds of pitch presentations every day, is a strong evangelist of the 10 slide rule (now popularly known as the 10/20/30 rule of PowerPoint)

However, a 10-slide PowerPoint presentation may work well for an investor pitch, it may not suffice for most of the other purposes.

How to Create an Attractive PowerPoint Presentation?

Everyone wants their presentation to look attractive. After all, we all understand the importance of a good first impression !

But, when you don’t necessarily have the required skills, how then can you create an attractive presentation?

Fortunately, we wrote a detailed post on how anyone could make their presentation attractive even if they are a complete beginner! Be sure to check out the article!

7 EASY tips that ALWAYS make your PPT presentation attractive (even for beginners)

The tips shared in that article are absolute GOLD! I’m not sure why people are not giving these such simple tips to others.

If you are not comfortable using even the tips mentioned in the article, and you feel like you need some time to gain the skills, then I would recommend hiring a good design agency who will ensure that your presentation turns out to be an attractive one!

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Meaning of PowerPoint in English

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  • search algorithm
  • sentiment analysis
  • setup wizard
  • sideloading
  • word processor

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  • Introduction to PowerPoint
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ffImage

Microsoft PowerPoint is essentially a graphics presentation software application that comes in the same package of software as MS Access, MS Excel, MS Word, and MS Paint, issued by Microsoft Office . It is a software that helps the user in formulating and arranging their data and information in the form of slides, which enhances the clarity and communication of the subject, along with adding a visual aspect to the data which makes it more appealing and presentable. 

Thus, it can be used for presenting business ideas and plans, and visually presenting the data also makes learning with the data a lot easier, thus can be used by teachers in schools for making learning fun and uncomplicated.   

Meaning of PowerPoint

PowerPoint is a software that is designed to make graphical presentations in the form of individual pages also known as slides.

Features of PowerPoint

Some of the features available in Microsoft PowerPoint are stated below.

Customising Colour Schemes

Adding Animations 

Creating and Adding tables 

Adding images

Adding and Managing Hyperlinks

Creating Custom Shows

Creating and Importing Charts

Easy exporting to MS Word

How to Start  PowerPoint?

To start powerpoint:.

Click on Start

Start Icon

Click the following in sequence stated: All Programs->Microsoft Office->Microsoft Office PowerPoint 

Starting PowerPoint

Starting PowerPoint

The Microsoft Office PowerPoint window will appear, starting the software.

How to Open a Blank Presentation?

By default, when we open PowerPoint for the first time, it opens to a new presentation but for future purposes, if we want to open a new presentation, we can do so by following the below-given steps.

Click on New Presentation link on Getting Started pane on the left which results in the appearance of a new window.

Select on Blank Presentation, when the new presentation appears along with it a Layout pane on the right will also appear.

Select any desired layout from the list.

Opening a New Presentation

Opening a New Presentation

Uses of PowerPoint

Uses of PowerPoint in Education:

Since PowerPoint offers the feature of adding images and animations, learning by visualisation makes the learning experience more fun and simplified, and researchers state that visual information is retained for a longer amount of time thus it makes the whole process more beneficial. 

Uses of PowerPoint in Business:

Business is mainly about creating a well-laid out roadmap and planning for the project at hand and then executing it. With PowerPoint we can assure a more organised output with a solid structure.

Uses of PowerPoint for Government and Citizen Services:

PowerPoint is also a good option, from other software bundled within MS Office, for storing records and since it's also printable, it provides easy access to the records for government and citizen services to the seekers.

MS Office PowerPoint is an application for making graphical presentations thus adding a visual aspect to our data, enhancing its concept, and leading to easier communication. The software offers various features like Customising colour schemes, adding graphics, images, and animation, etc. Thus it serves as a salient software under MS Offices.

Sample Questions 

1. How can we view or run a presentation?

Ans: To run a presentation, either click on the F5 key or select Play from Beginning on the  Slideshow Pane.

2. How can we add a blank slide to our presentation?

Ans: For adding a new slide in the same presentation simply click on the Slide icon on the Insert tab and choose the type of slide you want to add from the drop-down menu which unfolds on the screen.

Adding a New Slide

Adding a New Slide

Practice Questions

State whether the following statements are True or False :

In PowerPoint we can use animations.

PowerPoint cannot be used to store records.

PowerPoint allows us to graphically represent data.

We can not export data from PowerPoint to Word.

False  

Fill in the blanks with the appropriate answers:

We can add _______, ________ and _________ which gives our presentation a visual aspect.

PowerPoint is a software designed and issued by _______

PowerPoint presents information in the form of individual sheets termed as ________.

Graphics, images, animations

Microsoft Offices

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FAQs on Introduction to PowerPoint

1. What is the difference between the transition effect and the animation effect in MS Office PowerPoint?

Transition effects are used on transitioning from one slide to another, whereas Animation effects can be used on the text or the images on the slide.

2. Can we insert sound in a presentation?

Yes we can also insert sound in our presentation.

3. Is Microsoft Office PowerPoint a software?

Yes MS Office PowerPoint is a software application issued by MS Offices.

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8 Simple PowerPoint Presentation Etiquette Rules You Need to Follow

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PowerPoint presentation etiquette | Deck Sherpa Blog

PowerPoint presentation etiquette is key to delivering a professional and engaging slide deck. Whether you're designing PowerPoint presentations for a corporate meeting or a big event, knowing the do's and don'ts is crucial. These small details can make all the difference. With industry-leading tips, you can improve your presentation design. You'll be able to craft effective presentations that capture your audience's attention. From keeping your PowerPoint design clean to mastering the right transitions, these basics matter. Understanding etiquette helps ensure you’re not just making a slide deck. You’re creating a compelling visual story.

In this article, we’ll explore what PowerPoint presentation etiquette is all about. We'll explain how it ties into designing PowerPoint presentations that leave a lasting impression. We’ll also break down the benefits of using PowerPoint to design presentations. Then, we’ll dive into simple yet effective rules for creating industry-leading slide decks. Stay tuned as we cover essential topics. These include what PowerPoint presentations are, key etiquette to follow, and other important rules to remember when preparing your next presentation.

PowerPoint PPT Presentation | Deck Sherpa Blog

What are PowerPoint Presentations?

A PowerPoint presentation is a series of slides used to communicate information. It is commonly used in business, educational, or professional settings. The tool delivers content in a visual and organized way. It combines text, images, videos, charts, and animations. PowerPoint offers built-in templates and design elements. This makes it easier to create high-quality PowerPoint presentations that are both engaging and visually appealing.

When designing PowerPoint presentations, it’s important to understand basic design principles. You should choose readable font styles and maintain consistent colors. Limiting the text on each slide is also key. These simple rules ensure your slides communicate effectively without overwhelming your audience.

PowerPoint also allows users to integrate multimedia, such as videos and graphics. This makes it easier to engage your audience. By following proper PowerPoint presentation etiquette, like using smooth transitions and keeping the layout clean, you can deliver impactful presentations. These presentations not only look professional but also hold the audience's attention.

Benefits of PPT design | Deck Sherpa Blog

Benefits of Using PowerPoint to Design Presentations

PowerPoint is widely recognized as a powerful tool for creating engaging and effective presentations. It offers numerous benefits that help presenters communicate their messages clearly while maintaining audience attention. Below, we explore some key advantages of using PowerPoint for presentation design:

1. Enhances Visual Communication

PowerPoint makes it easy to incorporate data visualization tools like charts, graphs, and images into presentations. These visual aids help break down complex information, making it easier to understand. By turning numbers into graphics, you can engage your audience more effectively and make your content memorable​.

2. Supports Multimedia Integration

PowerPoint allows users to integrate animations and other effects, including video, audio, and interactive elements. This variety of media can add depth and creativity to your slides, helping to keep the audience engaged. However, it's essential to use animations carefully to avoid overwhelming or distracting the audience​.

3. Organizes Complex Content

With features like slide templates and outlines, PowerPoint helps organize even the most complex design structures. This ensures your presentation flows logically, allowing you to present your ideas in a clear and digestible way. By following basic PowerPoint presentation etiquette, you can avoid overloading your audience with too much information on a single slide.

4. Offers Flexibility in Design

PowerPoint provides flexibility with templates. This allows users to create presentations with different fonts, layouts, and themes. You can tailor your presentation design services to suit various styles or purposes, ensuring brand consistency while maintaining professionalism.

5. Boosts Audience Retention

Interactive features like transitions and hyperlinks make it easier to hold attention during a presentation. This ensures that you keep your audience focused on key points, helping them retain the most important information. Well-designed slides can also prevent overwhelming or confusing the audience, avoiding overload.

6. Time-Saving Features

PowerPoint includes features like pre-designed templates and slide duplications that make it faster to create presentations. You can take your slides to the next level quickly without sacrificing quality. These tools allow for efficient production while maintaining a polished, professional look.

Incorporating PowerPoint presentation etiquette helps ensure your slides are clear, well-organized, and visually appealing. By integrating fonts, data visualization, and multimedia elements wisely, you can create impactful presentations that keep your audience engaged and prevent distractions. PowerPoint’s flexibility and powerful features make it an invaluable tool for both beginners and experts alike​.

PowerPoint presentation etiquette rules | Deck Sherpa Blog

PowerPoint Presentation Etiquette Rules That You Must Follow

PowerPoint presentation etiquette plays a crucial role in delivering an effective presentation that captures the attention of your audience. Following proper guidelines ensures that your slides are visually engaging, informative, and professional. By applying simple rules, you can avoid common pitfalls like overwhelming your audience with too much information or distracting them with unnecessary effects. Below are 8 essential etiquette rules to enhance your presentations.

1. Limit Text on Each Slide

Avoid overcrowding your slides with excessive text. Instead, use short phrases or bullet points to convey key ideas. This prevents information overload and keeps your presentation clear. Stick to the 5/5/5 rule: no more than five words per line, five lines per slide, and five text-heavy slides in a row. This approach helps keep your audience focused on your message.

2. Use Readable Fonts

Selecting the right fonts is essential for readability. Choose simple, clean fonts like Arial or Calibri, and ensure they are large enough to be seen from the back of the room. Avoid decorative or fancy fonts, which may be hard to read and can distract the audience from the content. Consistency in font style throughout the presentation helps maintain a professional look​. Here's a list of the best fonts for PowerPoint presentations that we curated. 

3. Incorporate Data Visualization

Using data visualization tools such as charts, graphs, and diagrams makes complex information easier to understand. Visuals provide a clear representation of data without overwhelming your audience with numbers. Ensure that your data visuals are simple and relevant to the content of the slide, avoiding complex graphics that may confuse rather than clarify.

4. Avoid Overuse of Animations

While animations and other effects can enhance your slides, using too many can be distracting. Stick to subtle effects that serve a purpose, such as emphasizing key points. Avoid flashy transitions or unnecessary animations that might distract your audience from the message you're trying to convey.

5. Choose Simple Backgrounds

Your slide background should support your content, not compete with it. Use simple backgrounds with plenty of white space to keep your slides clean and uncluttered. Busy patterns or intense colors can make text difficult to read and divert attention from your message​.

6. Use Consistent PowerPoint Templates

Pre-designed PowerPoint templates offer a cohesive and professional structure for your presentation. These templates help maintain consistency across slides in terms of layout, fonts, and colors, ensuring that your presentation flows smoothly from one slide to the next. This consistency helps keep your audience engaged and reduces visual distractions​.

7. Keep Slide Transitions Simple

Excessive slide transitions can make your presentation feel amateurish. Stick to simple transitions that do not delay the flow of your content. A well-timed, smooth transition keeps the presentation moving and maintains the audience’s attention​(.

8. Use Short Text and Visuals

Instead of lengthy paragraphs, opt for short text supported by visuals. This keeps the focus on your spoken presentation while the slides reinforce your message. Simple images or diagrams can make the slide more visually appealing without overwhelming the audience.

By adhering to PowerPoint presentation etiquette, you ensure that your presentations remain professional, clear, and engaging. Keep your slides simple, use visuals effectively, and avoid overloading your audience with too much information. A well-structured presentation will not only capture attention but also leave a lasting impact on your audience.

Presentation design rules that support PowerPoint presentation etiquette | Deck Sherpa Blog

Other Rules that Support PowerPoint Presentation Etiquette

Understanding the various rules that support PowerPoint presentation etiquette can significantly improve the effectiveness of your presentations. These rules offer guidelines to help you organize content, maintain audience engagement, and avoid overwhelming your listeners. Below, we’ll dive into three essential rules: the 5/5/5 rule, the 10/20/30 rule, and the 7x7 rule.

1. The 5/5/5 Rule

The 5/5/5 rule suggests limiting each slide to no more than 5 words per line, 5 lines of text per slide, and 5 slides in a row following these rules. This guideline keeps your content concise and prevents your audience from feeling overloaded with information. By keeping the text minimal, this rule allows the speaker to focus on engaging with the audience instead of relying heavily on reading from the slides. Additionally, this rule emphasizes using visuals and other interactive elements to make presentations more dynamic and less text-heavy​.

2. The 10/20/30 Rule

Popularized by Guy Kawasaki, the 10/20/30 rule aims to create a balance between content and audience engagement. It suggests using no more than 10 slides, delivering the presentation within 20 minutes, and using a minimum 30-point font size. This rule is particularly helpful for ensuring presentations are concise and to the point. Limiting the number of slides prevents information overload, while the larger font ensures readability, even for those sitting further away from the screen​

3. The 7x7 Rule

The 7x7 rule helps simplify presentations by limiting the amount of text on each slide. According to this rule, you should use no more than 7 lines of text, with no more than 7 words per line. This ensures that slides are easy to read and don't overwhelm your audience with too much information. By adhering to this rule, you can avoid clutter and keep the focus on your main points​

By following these three rules as part of your PowerPoint presentation etiquette, you can create clear, engaging, and professional presentations. These guidelines ensure that your audience remains focused on your key messages without feeling overloaded by text or lengthy slides. Implementing these rules consistently will not only enhance your delivery but also help your audience retain more information.

Presentation Design Etiquette | Deck Sherpa Blog

Deck Sherpa: Ensuring Professionalism Through PowerPoint Presentation Etiquette

Adhering to PowerPoint presentation etiquette ensures your presentations are clear, engaging, and professional. By following essential rules like limiting text, choosing appropriate fonts, and incorporating data visualization, you can create slides that capture attention. These rules help convey your message effectively. Additionally, guidelines such as the 5/5/5, 10/20/30, and 7x7 rules streamline content. They prevent overwhelming your audience and keep them engaged throughout the presentation. Consistency in design is also important. Simplicity in layout and careful use of transitions and animations further enhance the audience’s experience.

For businesses looking to elevate their presentations, Deck Sherpa is here to help. As India’s leading presentation design agency, Deck Sherpa follows PowerPoint presentation etiquette rigorously across all projects, whether for local or international clients. With a keen eye for detail and adherence to best practices, we ensure your presentations are visually compelling and professionally executed. Let us help you make your next presentation impactful. Call 1800 121 5955 (India), email us at [email protected] , WhatsApp us , or fill out our Contact Form with your details and requirements to get started today!

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Full Form of PPT

Published on :

21 Aug, 2024

Blog Author :

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Reviewed by :

Dheeraj Vaidya

Full Form of PPT - PowerPoint Presentation

The full form of PPT is PowerPoint Presentation. We can define PowerPoint presentations as presentations that one generally uses in corporate meetings for educational purposes such as training, induction, etc. In addition, even used by students for creating their high school/ college projects and assignments. These are prepared by sourcing and combining individual slides into one with the help of MS PowerPoint software.

Table of contents

Features of ppt, functions of ppt, uses of ppt, powerpoint presentation vs google studies, recommended articles.

The features of PPT are as follows:

Features of PPT

  • Customizable Slides : One of the best features of a PowerPoint presentation is that it comes with customizable slides. It has templated that with preset color schemes, but one can also customize it by the users willing to come up with their themes. The users can even add sounds, animations, pre-recorded narrations, etc., to their slides to instill the engaging factor in the same and cater to the targeted audiences.
  • Mobile-Friendly : PowerPoint presentations are now mobile-friendly too. Earlier PPTs were only meant for computers and laptops. Still, with the given digitalization and growing number of smartphone users, various apps for Windows, IOS, Android, and tablet users are now making PPTs accessible on smartphones too. It means the users can use PPTs wherever they want without needing to access a desktop or a laptop for this very purpose. Moreover, the software is now portable and equally functional simultaneously, enabling the presenters to create PPTs and rehearse, taking them into use before addressing the targeted audiences.
  • Focused Presentation : Another best feature of a PowerPoint presentation is that it enables a focused presentation where the users can put forth their ideas and perspective in front of the targeted audience with lots of ease and confidence. The projector displays the PPT on the big screen. At the same time, the presenter can review their notes and the next slides on their laptop.
  • Highlights Important Points : Presenters, with the help of a PPT, can emphasize important points while they are representing the audience. The presenters can emphasize important points by using the zoom feature of the application, where they can zoom out and zoom in on segments as and wherever required and make their presentations more interesting and engaging for the targeted audiences.
  • Shared Projects : Users can save their PPTs on their OneDrive account, helping them make them accessible to other users. Presenters can even share their PPTs through the cloud, where they can share the same links with their colleagues.

PowerPoint presentations are used widely and in numerous ways by companies, educational institutes, and government institutions to offer a digital slide show which is even more engaging. It helps cater to the targeted audiences by rightly delivering them the desired message and information, which would otherwise have been difficult. In addition, a PPT helps enhance a presentation, so the presenters often prefer these over other options. The function of a PPT is to display images or graphs and cater to the audience's attention on important aspects and the ultimate message.

Full Form of PPT

The uses of PPT are discussed in detail as follows:

Uses of PPT

  • Making Tutorials - PPTs are widely used worldwide to train and educate students, employees, and trainees. One can use PPTs to prepare tutorials and worksheets. These tutorials can even be printed and provided to students for future reference.
  • Digital Portfolios - PPTs can help artists create a professional digital portfolio where they can use individual slides that include graphics and images to showcase their work. The digital portfolio will also enable the artists to share the same via email with their clients, ultimately saving them time and traveling harassment.
  • Slide Show of Photos -  Users can even use the PPTs for a slide show where they can choose the photos they want, club them together, create a digital album, and use the same for self-promotion.
  • Creating Animation - Users can create animations with the help of PPTs and make them more unique by adding their choice's sound, music, and effects.

PowerPoint presentations and Google studies differ from each other on various parameters. The contrast between PPTs and Google studies is as follows:

  • The MS Office package offers Installation - The user can only use PPT and the latter if the user has a license for the same. The installation of MS Office starts from a minimum of $70. In other words, we can say that even though PPTs are free, one can only use them if the user has paid to install MS Office in their systems. On the other hand, Google slides are a part of Google docs and are free to use.
  • Accessibility - One can only access PPT if the user has installed MS Office software in his system. On the other hand, Google Drive is easily accessible and does not require the user to install the software on his computer. The user will only need a Google account to access Google studies.

One can take PowerPoint presentations into use for a variety of purposes. For example, PPTs can be used to organize and structure a presentation, create a professional and consistent format, offer an outstanding presentation of the content, animate the individual slides to infuse them with powerful visual impact, and so on.

A PowerPoint presentation has numerous features such as shapes, exporting as an image, transition, custom animations, themes, the selection panel, auto-extend capability, and customizable presentation templates. In addition, morph, zoom, presentation notes, pre-recorded narration, Office 365 integration, sounds, and animations, graphing, outlining, drawing, color palettes, shortcuts to eliminate wastage of time, and a lot more.

This article is a guide to the Full Form of PPT, i.e. (PowerPoint Presentation). Here, we learn PPT's features, functions, and uses and its differences from Google studies. You may refer to the following articles to learn more about finance: -

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Heart PPT Free Download: Definition and Functions

The heart is a vital organ that pumps blood throughout the body, supplying oxygen and nutrients to tissues and removing waste products. It’s made up of four chambers: two atria and two ventricles, which work together to circulate blood. The heart operates continuously, ensuring that blood flows through the circulatory system.

Also See: Role of Nutrition in Maintaining Health PPT

Its rhythm is controlled by electrical signals, which trigger the heart to contract and relax. A healthy heart is essential for overall well-being, and maintaining it involves regular exercise, a balanced diet, and avoiding harmful habits like smoking. Heart health is crucial for sustaining life and overall body function.

Also See: Environment and Health PPT

Table of Content for Heart PPT 

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  • How to keep Heart Healthy?

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  1. What is PowerPoint? Definition, Features & Uses

    What is PowerPoint and what it is used for Eliza Taylor 16 August 2023. PowerPoint is a presentation software developed by Microsoft, which allows users to create, edit, and deliver visually engaging slideshows, whether you're a student, professional, or simply curious, explore the power of Microsoft PowerPoint and learn how you can create impactful presentations effortlessly.

  2. What is PowerPoint?

    With PowerPoint on your PC, Mac, or mobile device, you can: Create presentations from scratch or a template. Add text, images, art, and videos. Select a professional design with PowerPoint Designer. Add transitions, animations, and cinematic motion. Save to OneDrive, to get to your presentations from your computer, tablet, or phone.

  3. PowerPoint Definition

    PowerPoint. PowerPoint is a presentation program developed by Microsoft. It is included in the standard Office suite along with Microsoft Word and Excel. The software allows users to create anything from basic slide shows to complex presentations. PowerPoint is often used to create business presentations, but can also be used for educational or ...

  4. What are the Main Features of Microsoft PowerPoint?

    8. PowerPoint Notes for Presentation. When you are giving a presentation it is often difficult to constantly remember what you have to say. This is true even though you have the slide right in front of you. That is where the notes feature comes in. They can help you remember what to say for each slide which is a great way to stay on topic.

  5. What is MS PowerPoint?

    MS PowerPoint is a program that is included in the Microsoft Office suite. It is used to make presentations for personal and professional purposes. In this article, we shall discuss in detail the functions and features of a PowerPoint presentation, followed by some sample questions based on this topic for the upcoming competitive exams.

  6. Understanding What is PowerPoint: A Comprehensive Guide

    Powerpoint is a powerful presentation software that enables users to create visually appealing slideshows to effectively convey information. With its wide range of features and tools, Powerpoint is widely used in various professional settings, including business meetings, educational institutions, and conferences.

  7. Microsoft PowerPoint

    Microsoft PowerPoint is a presentation program developed by Microsoft, featured in the Microsoft Office suite.

  8. What Is Microsoft PowerPoint? +How to Start Using It For Presentations

    As long as you make a Microsoft account, you can use PowerPoint Online to build and view presentations. PowerPoint Online is the free, browser-based version of Microsoft's presentation software and offers most of the features of its desktop counterpart. Hit this link to check out PowerPoint Online.

  9. What Is Microsoft PowerPoint?

    Microsoft PowerPoint is a slideshow presentation program first developed by Forethought, Inc. for the Macintosh computer in 1987 and purchased by Microsoft in 1990. Microsoft has released several updated versions, each offering more features and incorporating better technology than before. The most current version of Microsoft PowerPoint is ...

  10. What Is Microsoft PowerPoint and How Do I Use It?

    PowerPoint is a standalone program, a subscription service, a website, and a mobile app. Use PowerPoint by creating and customizing presentations with text, images, and other graphics. PowerPoint is the most popular presentation software, but Google Slides and Apple Keynote are popular, too. Microsoft PowerPoint creates slideshows suitable for ...

  11. Definition of a Powerpoint Presentation

    PowerPoint Presentation Description. The basic purpose of a PowerPoint presentation is to communicate information or media through a series of slides. Along with regular text, your slides can contain numerous types of content such as tables, images, drawings, charts, links, word art, videos, audio and even embedded add-ins from Microsoft.

  12. What is PowerPoint?

    PowerPoint. Sometimes abbreviated as PP or PPT, PowerPoint is a presentation program developed by Microsoft that creates a slide show of important information, charts, and images for a presentation. PowerPoint is frequently used for business and school presentations.

  13. What is Microsoft PowerPoint (PPT)?

    Microsoft PowerPoint is a powerful presentation software developed by Microsoft. It is a standard component of the company's Microsoft Office suite software, and is bundled together with Word, Excel and other Office productivity tools. Advertisements. The program uses slides to convey information rich in multimedia and is used to create ...

  14. Microsoft PowerPoint

    Microsoft PowerPoint, virtual presentation software developed by Robert Gaskins and Dennis Austin for the American computer software company Forethought, Inc. The program, initially named Presenter, was released for the Apple Macintosh in 1987. In July of that year, the Microsoft Corporation, in its first significant software acquisition ...

  15. PPT: Full Form, Features, Functions and Uses

    PPT stands for PowerPoint Presentation. PPT is defined as a sequence of slides used for the visual presentation of information using images, texts, graphics, and multimedia elements like videos and animations. The term "PPT" is often used informally to refer to a PowerPoint presentation file, which commonly has a ".ppt" or ".pptx ...

  16. What is a PowerPoint Slideshow (PPT)?

    A PowerPoint slideshow (PPT) is a presentation created on software from Microsoft that allows users to add audio, visual and audio/visual features to a presentation. It is considered to be a multimedia technology and also acts as a tool for collaboration and content sharing. PowerPoint is included in Microsoft Office, making it one of the most ...

  17. Microsoft PowerPoint Introduction: Definition, Features, and Uses

    Microsoft PowerPoint is great presentation software designed by Microsoft sometimes abbreviated as PP or PPT. PowerPoint is well utilized to create a slideshow of valuable information through charts, and images for a presentation. It is commonly practiced in business and school presentations. It is an absolute presentation graphics package that ...

  18. How to Start a PowerPoint Presentation

    To start a PowerPoint presentation can be daunting, but when done right, it sets the tone for a successful delivery. For a business audience, especially in the UK, where presentations often carry high stakes, a great way to start a PowerPoint presentation is to begin with clarity, confidence, and purpose.

  19. What is Microsoft PowerPoint? Definition, Uses

    Microsoft PowerPoint Definition. Microsoft PowerPoint (PPT) is a computer software developed by Microsoft where users can make powerful slideshow presentations of any key information worth sharing or presenting.

  20. What is the Difference between a Presentation and a Slide?

    PowerPoint is a presentation design software owned and provided by Microsoft to its customers as part of its Office Suite. There are several versions of Microsoft PowerPoint. The software is usually updated with new features in its newest release version. PowerPoint was first launched by a software company "Forethought Inc.".

  21. What is PowerPoint?

    PowerPoint is a complete presentation graphics package. It gives you everything you need to produce a professional-looking presentation. PowerPoint offers word processing, outlining, drawing, graphing, and presentation management tools- all designed to be easy to use and learn. The following gives you a quick overview of what you can do in ...

  22. PowerPoint

    PowerPoint definition: 1. a brand name for a computer program that helps you to create and give presentations (= talks…. Learn more.

  23. Introduction to PowerPoint: Learn Definition, Examples and Uses

    MS Office PowerPoint is an application for making graphical presentations thus adding a visual aspect to our data, enhancing its concept, and leading to easier communication. The software offers various features like Customising colour schemes, adding graphics, images, and animation, etc. Thus it serves as a salient software under MS Offices.

  24. Simple Rules for PowerPoint Presentation Etiquette

    PowerPoint presentation etiquette plays a crucial role in delivering an effective presentation that captures the attention of your audience. Following proper guidelines ensures that your slides are visually engaging, informative, and professional. By applying simple rules, you can avoid common pitfalls like overwhelming your audience with too ...

  25. Full Form of PPT (Definition, Features)

    The full form of PPT is PowerPoint Presentation. We can define PowerPoint presentations as presentations that one generally uses in corporate meetings for educational purposes such as training, induction, etc. In addition, even used by students for creating their high school/ college projects and assignments. These are prepared by sourcing and ...

  26. Heart PPT Free Download: Definition and Functions

    Also See: Role of Nutrition in Maintaining Health PPT. Heart PPT Free Download: Definition and Functions. Its rhythm is controlled by electrical signals, which trigger the heart to contract and relax. A healthy heart is essential for overall well-being, and maintaining it involves regular exercise, a balanced diet, and avoiding harmful habits ...

  27. How to use Company Slide Deck Branding on PPT with Copilot

    The company that I work for has a PPT template with company branding on it. When I use Copilot on the branded PPT, it requires me to approve a blank PPT first as the Copilot will not work on top of/with the company branded PPT. Does anyone know a work around this? To merge company branded PPT and Copilot? Thanks!