Sign up to receive this series of tutorials by email. PowerPoint for the Absolute Beginner is offered as a daily or weekly ecourse.Note - The steps in this article can be used for all versions of PowerPoint from 97 to 2003. All of the features are in each version of PowerPoint, except item 11, which is specific to PowerPoint 2003. The location of commands and the look of the screens may vary slightly in different versions.
Beginner's Guide to PowerPoint 2007 - For those who have upgraded to PowerPoint 2007
Here is a Series of 11 PowerPoint Tutorials designed with the absolute beginner in mind. This series will take you through all the basics of making your first PowerPoint presentation.
1) What is PowerPoint? - Why Would I Want to Use PowerPoint?
PowerPoint is a software program to enhance your oral presentation and to keep the audience focused on your subject. It operates like an old-fashioned slide show, but uses modern technology in the form of computers and digital projectors rather than a slide projector of old. This more in depth description will detail what PowerPoint is and why you would want use it.
2) Slide Layouts and Slide Types in PowerPoint
Each page in a PowerPoint presentation is called a slide. PowerPoint presentations run just like the slide shows of old, only they are broadcast through a computer instead of a slide projector. This PowerPoint tutorial will show you all the different slide layouts and slide types.
3) Different Ways to Look at Your Slides
PowerPoint has several different views to look at your slides. You can see each slide on its own page, or as several thumbnail versions of the slides in Slide Sorter view. Notes view offers a page to add speaker notes under the slide. This PowerPoint tutorial will show you all the different ways to look at your slides.
4) Adding or Changing the Background Color of the Slide(s)
The only reason I can think of the keep your slides plain white, is for printing purposes, and there are ways to get around that. Add some color to the background to jazz it up a little. This PowerPoint tutorial will show you how to change the color of the background in a variety of different ways.
5) Change the Font Style, Size or Color on the Slides
Now that you have changed the background color of the slide, more than likely it is hard to read the black text. It is easy to change the font style, color and size so that your slide is easily readable. This PowerPoint tutorial will show you how to change the font sizes, colors and styles.
6) Add Pictures or Clip Art to PowerPoint Slides
Pictures and graphics are a big part of any PowerPoint presentation. They can be added using the icon on the content layout slide types or simply by using the Insert menu. This PowerPoint tutorial will show you how to use both methods.
7) Modifying PowerPoint Slide Layouts
Sometimes you like the look of the slide, but things are just not in the right places. Moving and resizing slide items is just a matter of clicking and dragging the mouse. This PowerPoint tutorial will show you how easy it is to move or resize pictures, graphics or text objects on slides.
8) Adding, Deleting or Rearranging Slides in Your Presentation
Just a few mouse clicks is all that is needed to add, delete or rearrange slides in a presentation. This PowerPoint tutorial will show you how to rearrange the order of your slides, add new ones or delete slides that you no longer need.
9) Use a Colorful Design Template for Your Whole Presentation
PowerPoint includes many professionally designed templates that enhance your presentation quickly and keep it looking like a coordinated package. This PowerPoint tutorial will show you how to make your presentation colorful and more interesting by using design templates.
10) Add Transitions to Slides
Transitions are the movements you see when one slide changes to another. Although, the slides are animated, the term animation in PowerPoint, applies to the movements of objects on the slide, rather than the slide itself. This PowerPoint tutorial will show you how to add the same transition to all slides, or give a different transition to every slide.
11) Use a Preset Animation Scheme to Add Visual Interest
New Feature in PowerPoint 2003PowerPoint 2003 has a new feature called Animation Schemes that applies transitions to slides, and animations to all text items in a tasteful and cohesive way. These animations add the final enhancement to make your presentation flow smoothly. This PowerPoint tutorial will show you how easy it is to be creative with animation, with very little work.
