Using the Slide Master in PowerPoint

• Using the Slide Master in PowerPoint 2010
• Using the Slide Master in PowerPoint 2007

The most common reasons for using the slide master are to:

• change font colors and styles for every slide
• add a clipart or picture to every slide
• add a footer or date to every slide



Since PowerPoint 2007, presenters have the ability to add multiple design themes to a single presentation.  This is done by accessing the slide master and adding extra slide layouts complete with the new design theme(s).

If you need to have the same photo/clipart (such as a company logo) on every slide, the most efficient way is to insert the photo onto the slide master. Each time a new slide is added to the presentation, the photo will be present.

• Add Pictures to the PowerPoint 2010 Slide Master
• Add Pictures to the PowerPoint 2007 Slide Master

Questions about picture problems are common in my inbox. In the case of adding many photos, in the same location on each slide, you may wish to avoid doing this task individually. Using a picture placeholder, makes sure that all photos appear in the same spot on every slide.

• Add Picture Placeholders to PowerPoint 2010 Slides
• Add Picture Placeholders to PowerPoint 2007 Slides

Edit the slide number field on the PowerPoint slide master to increase the slide number size on all of your slides at one time.

There are four different Master Slides -
• Slide Master - for all slides in the presentation other than the Title Master
• Title Slide Master - the master for the Title page only
• Notes Master - the master for creating the Notes pages
• Handout Master - the master for creating Handout pages