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Mastering the PowerPoint Masters
By Jennifer Rotondo, Creative Minds, Inc.The Master of a PowerPoint presentation is a powerful tool if used to its maximum potential. Consider it the skeleton of a presentation. Just as our skeleton supports our bodies, so should the Master support the presentation.
There are two Masters that effect what you see in the presentation. They are the Slide Master and the Title Master. The Title Master only defines the style for the title slides. These are usually used to open or close the presentation and for transitioning to another section. Every other layout option is defined by the Slide Master. On both of the Masters you can define the style for the entire presentation. This makes it very easy for the user to change something in one location, the Master, and it effects the whole presentation.
Things you should do on the Master:
1. Format the background
This is where you Insert your background whether you select a PowerPoint design or create a custom template, this is where you want to place it. It copies to every slide and keeps the file small in size.
2. Define the color scheme
Format your Slide Color Scheme on the Master. Decide what all the colors of the presentation will be in one location. Define the colors of the text, shadows, fills for charts and even hyperlink colors.
3. Select fonts and bullets
Apply your fonts to the Masters. These will take effect for any slide in the presentation. Try to stay clear of serif fonts and use no more than two per presentation. You should also select what bullets you want in the body text.
4. Add consistent animation
Use the Master to set the animation for the presentation. Through Slide Show, Custom Animation, time the animations or set them on a mouse click and choose from 54 different animations. Choose wisely. You want your audience focused on the information, not on what will fly in next.
5. Add logos or elements to be on each slide
Anything you need on every slide should be placed on the Master. A company logo, slide #'s, copyrights, etc., all of these should be placed once on the Master and then they will be displayed on every slide.
The Masters usually aren't used to their full potential. They are very powerful tools making you more efficient in creating your presentations. Anything consistent you need in your presentation should be incorporated into the Masters!
Learn more about Jennifer Rotondo in our Contributors area.
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