End Powerpoint Presentations With a Black Slide

Give your presentation a proper ending

Slideshow projector with light glowing.

Max Attenborough/Getty Images

How often have you been in the audience for a PowerPoint slide show and suddenly it was over? When there's no indication that the show ended, the show stops on the last slide in the presentation. Let your audience know that the slideshow is over by ending it with a black slide. You don't have to create a new slide and make it black; there's a convenient feature in PowerPoint that does this for you.

Instructions in this article apply to PowerPoint 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, 2003; and PowerPoint for Microsoft 365.

Enable the Black Slide in PowerPoint 2019 to 2010

In PowerPoint 2019 to 2010, the option to end in a black slide is set by default. If you find this isn't the case, locate and enable this setting by doing the following:

  1. Go to the File tab and select Options.

  2. Select Advanced.

  3. Scroll down to the Slideshow section.

  4. Select the End with a black slide check box.

    PowerPoint screenshot with the Options dialog box showing.
  5. Select OK.

End with a Black Slide in PowerPoint 2007

If you use PointPoint 2007, the steps to end a presentation with a black slide are a bit different.

Here's how to enable a black slide in PowerPoint 2007:

  1. Click on the Office button.

  2. At the bottom of the dialog box, click PowerPoint Options.

  3. In the list of options on the left, select Advanced.

  4. Scroll down the list of options to find the Slide Show section.

  5. Select the End with black slide check box.

    PowerPoint 2007 Options dialog box - End with black slide
  6. Click OK.

End with a Black Slide in PowerPoint 2003

In PowerPoint 2003, the option to end a slide show with a black slide is found in the Tools menu.

Here's how to change a slide show to end with a black slide in PowerPoint 2003:

  1. From the menu, go to Tools and select Options.

  2. In the Options dialog box, click on the View tab.

  3. Select the End with black slide check box.

    PowerPoint Options dialog box - End with black slide
  4. Click OK.

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