Slide Design for Non-Designers - Amazon S3Design+for+Non-Designers-ebook.pdfSlide Design for...

Slide Design for Non-Designers

Slide Design

for Non-Designers

By Ellen Finkelstein

Author of: How to Do Everything with PowerPoint 2007

101 Tips Every PowerPoint User Should Know PowerPoint 2013 Essentials

PowerPoint for Teachers: Dynamic Presentations and Interactive Classroom Projects

www.ellenfinkelstein.com

http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/


ii


Published by Rainbow Resources Publishing

2010 Coral Lane | Fairfield, IA 52556 Copyright 2012 & 2017 by Rainbow Resources Publishing,

Fairfield, Iowa. All rights reserved. For information, e-mail

[email protected]

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No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or

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Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-

8400, fax (978) 646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed

to contact@ellenfinkelstein or Ellen Finkelstein, Rainbow Resources Publishing, at the

above address, or 641-472-1832.

Limit of liability/disclaimer of warranty: the publisher and the author make no Representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the Contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without Limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom. The fact that an organization or website is referred to in this work as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does not mean that the author or the publisher endorses the information the organization or website may provide or recommendations it may make. Further, readers should be aware that Internet websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between the time this work was written and when it is read. For general information on our other products and services, please go to www.ellenfinkelstein.com. This book may be published in both electronic and print format. Microsoft and PowerPoint are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft, Inc., in the U.S.A. and/or certain other countries. Microsoft product screen shots reprinted with permission from Microsoft Corporation. (c) 2012, 2017. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

mailto:[email protected]


iii

About the Author

Ellen Finkelstein has been teaching and

writing about PowerPoint and presenting since

1994. She is the author of 101 Tips Every

PowerPoint Should Know, How to Do Everything

with PowerPoint 2007 (and earlier editions on

PowerPoint 2000, 2002, and 2003), PowerPoint

2013 Essentials, as well as the co-author (with

Pavel Samsonov, PhD,) of PowerPoint for

Teachers: Dynamic Presentations and Interactive

Classroom Projects.

Ellen has written articles on PowerPoint for,

and been quoted in, numerous magazines and

websites.

Her well-known website,

www.ellenfinkelstein.com, contains PowerPoint

and presentation tips and tutorials, including the

PowerPoint Tips Blog. The free PowerPoint Tips



iv

Newsletter is e-mailed to over 10,000

subscribers. You can sign up for your own copy

at

ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/getstarted/.

http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/getstarted/


v

Acknowledgments & Dedication

I’d like to thank my husband, Evan, for

supporting me in my work, and my two children,

who are the joys of my life.

***

To MMY, for teaching me that religion and

science are not in conflict, and that anyone can

experience the deepest level of life as bliss

consciousness.


vi


vii

Table of Contents

About the Author ........................................... iii

Acknowledgments & Dedication ........................ v

Table of Contents .......................................... vii

Introduction .................................................. ix

Chapter 1: Create custom theme colors .......... 14

Converting colors from your website............ 3

Getting your own colors ............................. 6

Using your colors ...................................... 7

Chapter 2: Format the slide master ................ 10

Left- and top-justify slide titles ................. 11

Create top and bottom borders ................. 13

Chapter 3: Use the Tell ‘n’ ShowSM Method ...... 20

Diagrams ............................................... 22

Charts ................................................... 25

Clean up a chart ..................................... 26

Save a chart template in PowerPoint 2013 and later ...................................................... 28

Save a chart template in PowerPoint 2007/2010 ............................................. 28

Images .................................................. 29

How to remove complex image backgrounds in PowerPoint 2010 and later .................... 33

Chapter 4: Layout principles .......................... 36

Alignment .............................................. 39

The rule of thirds .................................... 41

Chapter 5: Contrast ...................................... 49


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Chapter 6: Finishing Touches ......................... 52

Keylines ................................................. 52

Belly Bands ............................................ 54

Semi-transparent band ............................ 56

Shadows ................................................ 58

Chapter 7: The 4 layouts that always look good 63

Vertical image on one side of the slide ....... 64

Full slide image ....................................... 67

Title and image on the rest of the slide ...... 68

Text at upper-left, image at lower-right ..... 69

Chapter 8: Keep a library of slides .................. 72

Chapter 9: Summary .................................... 75

Bonus Chapter A: Keyboard shortcuts ............. 78

Table 1: Normal view keyboard shortcuts ..... 78

Table 2: Slide Show view keyboard shortcuts 82

Bonus Chapter B: More Design Tips ................ 84

Bonus Chapter C: More valuable information .... 85

Get more tips for free! ............................. 85

Visit EllenFinkelstein.com ......................... 85

Get other great books, courses and webinar recordings! ............................................. 86

Get personalized training ......................... 86

Let me know what you thought of this book 87


ix

Introduction

Watch a short introductory video I made to explain how you can get the most out

of this e-book! Go to www.allaboutpresenting.com/dap/my-content/ where you downloaded this e-

book. Use the log-in information you received when you bought this e-book.

(Be sure to save that log-in information in a safe place so you can easily find it whenever you see references to this page

throughout the book.)

When I did a survey of my subscribers

asking them which topics they were interested

in, 50% of the respondents chose “Slide Design

for Non-Designers.” I also did a similar webinar a

couple of years ago for an outside webinar

company that was very popular. So I know I’ve

hit a nerve.

I empathize, because I’m not a designer

either. I used to write for Presentations magazine

before it stopped publishing and I once wrote an

article about presentations without bullet points. I

included an image of a sample slide but it was so

http://www.allaboutpresenting.com/dap/my-content/



x

poorly designed that a reader wrote a letter to the

editor asking how they could print such a slide! It

was very embarrassing and I decided I would

learn how to create great-looking slides.

I listened to top designers at the

PowerPoint Live conference each year (now

called Presentation Summit), looked at award-

winning presentations, read books like

PresentationZen by Garr Reynolds and

Slide:ology by Nancy Duarte, and practiced my

skills. Finally, I got to the point where people

complimented my slides! That felt great and I

want to give you that same experience.

Start using the principles in this ebook

immediately. As soon as possible, I suggest that

you open an existing presentation and give it a

makeover using some of the principles that you’ll

learn in this ebook. The sooner you use these

principles, the more they’ll become an effortless

part of your toolbox. Designing slides will

become much easier for you. Not only that, you’ll

spend less time on them and the results will be


xi

far superior—both in the way the slides look and

in the effect on your all-important audience.

I recommend that whenever possible, you

hire a professional designer. With the right

person, the results can be spectacular. If your

presentation is important enough and you have

the money, go for it! But the reality is that this

isn’t always possible. It’s expensive and takes

time.

Your presentations are important, so you

want good results. This is a need that we all

share. How can you design good slides on your

own?

When you look at the slide in Figure i-1,

you immediately think it’s boring, don’t you?

Well, your audience does, too. That starts you off

Figure i-1: A good example of what not to do!


xii

on the wrong foot.

Most people have an idea of what they

don’t want, but they aren’t sure how to get a

look that looks professional and has high-impact.

They know that they aren’t designers, so they

get frustrated quickly.

But by looking at the slide in Figure i-1, we

have one guideline of what not to do: Choose a

standard background (one of the ones that

comes with PowerPoint) and add bulleted text.

I’ll explain techniques that professionals

use that you can easily use as well. First and

foremost in this category is consistency. Have

you noticed how professionally designed

presentations use consistent colors and fonts? In

the first chapter, I’ll show you how to set up

colors for your presentation.

Throughout this book, look for these icons!

They indicate a tip, a download, or an outside

resource.


xiii

Tip

Download

Resource

These icons will provide you with valuable

content.


xiv

Chapter 1: Create custom theme

colors

Watch a short video I made on how to

create custom theme colors. Go to www.allaboutpresenting.com/dap/my-

content/ where you downloaded this e-book. Use the log-in information you received when you bought this e-book.

Professionally designed presentations use

consistent colors and fonts. The first technique is

to start each presentation by doing something

most people never do — setting theme colors. If

you deliver a similar presentation over and over,

you can do this once and save it as a template or

theme.

If you work in a large company, a template

or theme may already be available for you. In

fact, you may be required to use it.




2

Why create a theme colors? First of all, the

default colors look old and tired. Second, your

presentation colors should support your other

materials, such as your website and print

materials. Finally, your colors should be

consistent throughout your presentation and

without appropriate theme colors, you’ll find

yourself changing colors of individual objects on

slide after slide after slide.

Figure 1-1: Setting up theme colors are a first step

to designing a presentation.


3

How do you find the colors you want? The

first place to go is to your website and print

materials. These are more likely to be

professionally designed and continuity among all

your content is important for branding. Here are

instructions for converting these colors to the

red-green-blue (RGB) format that PowerPoint

uses.

Converting colors from your website

Websites use a hexadecimal code for

numbers. They look like this: 0033FF. You need

to convert those to the red-green-blue (RGB)

system that PowerPoint can accept. The easiest

method is to ask your Web designer for the

colors used on your site. If that doesn’t work,

there are 2 other methods you can use—looking

at the code on your website or using a color

picker.

Follow these steps to use the code from

your website:

1. Open a page from your website in your browser.


4

2. Right-click and choose View > (Page) Source.

3. Choose Edit > Find and search for the # sign.

4. Write down the 6 alphanumeric digits that follow each instance of the # sign.

Examples are #FF0000 and #003366. Note: if your formatting is all contained in

a CSS file (your Web designer will know), you need to get the numbers from that

file. 5. Go to www.dtp-

aus.com/hexadeci.htm for a hexadecimal to RGB conversion table.

6. Take the first 2 numbers of the

hexadecimal code and convert that. That’s the red.

7. Convert the next 2 numbers for the green 8. Convert the last 2 numbers for the blue.

9. Do this for all the numbers on your website.

You now have the RGB colors you need.

http://www.dtp-aus.com/hexadeci.htm

http://www.dtp-aus.com/hexadeci.htm


5

Figure 0-1-2 The

Eyedropper makes

copying colors easy.

Perhaps an easier method is to display

colors (such as from your website) on the screen

and use a color picker

(also called an

eyedropper) to get the

RGB numbers. If all you

have is a printed

brochure, you can scan it

and then view it on your

screen.

If you have

PowerPoint 2013 or later,

you have a color picker

within PowerPoint! Almost

everywhere you can choose a color, you’ll see

the Eyedropper item. Here are the steps to use

it:

1. Select the object that you want to

recolor. For creating theme colors, you can start with a series of boxes on a slide

and then get their RGB stats. 2. If the color you want is available in

PowerPoint (on a slide, for example), click the Eyedropper item and click the


6

object that has the color you want to match.

3. If the color is outside PowerPoint (on a web page, for example), click the

Eyedropper item and move your cursor onto a slide. Then press and hold the Ctrl

key and click and draft your mouse over the color you want. Release the mouse

button and Ctrl key.

For earlier versions, you can use a 3rd party

color picker. Here are the steps for one color

picker, ColorPic:

Download the free ColorPic

(www.iconico.com/colorpic/) or another program that lets you point (with an “eyedropper”) to colors on the screen and

get the color specifications. (Many free ones are available.)

1. Open the program and point to the

color you want. 2. Write down the resulting color

specifications. Note: ColorPic gives you several specification types, but for

PowerPoint, you want the RGB numbers.

Getting your own colors

If you’re starting from scratch, use an

online tool that generates color schemes. One

http://www.iconico.com/colorpic/


7

example is Adobe Color. You can find color

schemes or create your own. It’s lots of fun!

Go to color.adobe.com; you need to register to use certain features. You can’t download themes in a format PowerPoint

can use, but you can print and view the color values, including RGB values). Click

the button with the tooltip that says, “Make changes to this theme and view color values.”

Using your colors

Once you’ve

decided on your colors,

it’s time to set up

PowerPoint.

Create the theme

colors:

1. For PowerPoint 2007 and 2010,

on the Design tab, click Colors.

For PowerPoint 2013 and later,

open the Slide Master by choosing

View>Slide Master and then click Colors.

Figure 1-3: Start with an

existing set of colors.

http://color.adobe.com/


8

2. Pick the theme color set that you like most or that is closest to the colors you

want. 3. Click Create New Theme Colors or

Customize Colors at the bottom. 4. Click a color swatch that you want to

change and choose the new color. For custom colors, click More Colors. Look at

the sample in the dialog box to see how the colors work together.

5. When you’re done, enter a memorable name for your theme colors and click

Save.

You can now see that name on the list of

theme colors. Now, whenever you need a color,

all the colors you specified are available in the

Figure 1-4: You

can change the

colors to suit your

needs.


9

1st row of colors in the color palette. You also

have tints of those colors available.

You can use these colors in other presentations as well! Depending on your version of PowerPoint, choose the Design

tab, then Colors or choose the View tab, then Slide Master, then Colors. Click the

Colors drop-down arrow and choose the Theme Colors you created.

Download a free PowerPoint theme (a

.thmx file) with custom theme colors where you downloaded this e-book at

www.allaboutpresenting.com/dap/my-content/. Use the log-in information you received when you bought this e-book.




10

Chapter 2: Format the slide

master

Now that you have your theme colors,

you’re ready to create the slide master. I’m going

to give you some tips for that, too.

To get to the slide master, press Shift and

click the Normal view icon at the bottom-right of

the PowerPoint screen. Or choose View from the

ribbon, then click Slide Master.

In the left-hand pane, scroll to the upper,

larger thumbnail and click it to display it in the

central area. This is the Master and it controls all

the layouts. The other thumbnails show the

Figure 2-1: Slide Master view in PowerPoint 2016


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various layouts that you can choose for any

slide; changes you make on these thumbnails

affect only slides that use that layout.

Left- and top-justify slide titles

Have you ever noticed how the position of

centered slide titles jumps from slide to slide,

giving you a slight eye strain? For this reason, I

recommend titles that are left-justified

horizontally and top-justified vertically.

To left-justify, select the text that says,

“Click to edit Master title style” and click the Left

Justify button on the mini-toolbar that pops up or

on the Home tab of the ribbon.

To top-justify, select the placeholder by

clicking its border, right-click, and choose Format

Shape. Click the Text Options link, then click the

Textbox icon just below. From the Vertical

Figure 2-2: The Left Justify button is

selected so all slide titles start on the left.


12

Alignment list, choose Top. An alternative is to

bottom-justify.

Figure 2-3: Top-justify a slide title so that the top

of the slide title is always in the same place.


13

When setting the font size for titles, if some of your titles will be long, make the

text size smaller. Although 44 is the default, 40 or 36 will make your life

easier. The title text doesn’t need to be much bigger than the slide text.

Since you should have some idea of the

color of your background (white or some other

color), make sure that your title and body text is

legible against it. Very legible. Select it and

choose a new color from the mini-toolbar or the

Home tab.

Create top and bottom borders

Start with your background, if you’ll have

one. What, you can create a presentation without

a background? As I’ll show you, you can create

some great slides like that. In fact, some of the

top designers don’t use backgrounds. Without a

background, you’ll feel liberated. My concept of

slide design for non-designers doesn’t necessarily

include backgrounds, although I sometimes use

them.


14

If you feel you must have a background

and text slides, keep the background very

simple. For example, top and bottom borders are

a quick way to create a unique background that

isn’t distracting and looks distinctive and

professional. Because the middle is white, it’s a

variation on the no-background concept.

Here are the steps for a simple background

with top and bottom borders:

1. On the Master, draw a rectangle that covers the title placeholder and format it

as desired. For example, remove the outline by choosing Shape Outline, No

Outline on the Format tab.

Figure 2-4: A background should not be

distracting.


15

2. Right-click it and choose Send to Back. Make sure that the text shows up clearly

against the fill color. 3. Draw another rectangle on the bottom.

Make this one much narrower. 4. If you want, you can use a transparency

gradient fill. I explain how in Chapter 3.

Another alternative to a white background is a gradient. For detailed instructions on creating a gradient, see

the blog post on my website, “Create multi-color gradients in PowerPoint” at

www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/create-multi-color-gradients/.

Choose a very readable font. Most people

don’t pay much attention to the font if they’re

not designers. For example, I don’t like the

Figure 2-5: On a screen, sans-serif fonts are

easiest to read.

http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/create-multi-color-gradients/

http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/create-multi-color-gradients/


16

default Calibri font because I think the stroke is a

little thin for easy reading, so I often choose

Arial, Tahoma, or Verdana.

By creating your own background or using

no background at all, your presentation will seem

to be customized, rather than boilerplate. Your

audience will appreciate it.

If you have a top and bottom border, for

example, you can easily vary it for your audience.

While most people suggest using your own colors,

for branding, how about using your potential

customer’s colors? If you do that, you’ll be the

only one, I can almost guarantee you, and your

attention to this detail will be noticed.

Once you have a good background and

slide master, be sure to save it as a template or

theme, so that you can reuse it. One secret of

the pros is that they save everything, well

organized so they can find it easily; they reuse

their best ideas and don’t reinvent the wheel

each time. That’s because, as you’ve probably


17

figured out by now, doing a good job of design

takes time. (In Chapter 8, I explain how to

create and use a Slide Library.)


18

To save a theme in PowerPoint 2007 and

later, go to the Design tab and click the More

button to the right of the Theme Gallery. At the

bottom, choose Save Current Theme. Then, your

settings will be available from the Theme Gallery.

Download a free PowerPoint theme (a

.thmx file) with custom theme colors, plus a sample 2-slide presentation where

Figure 2-6: To save your slide master settings as a

theme, expand the Themes Gallery and choose Save

Current Theme at the bottom.


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you downloaded this e-book at www.allaboutpresenting.com/dap/my-

content/. Use the log-in information you received when you bought this e-book.

Templates can include text, shapes,

images, and so on, but themes only include

design information. To save a template, choose

File>Save As and choose one of the template

options in the File of Type drop-down list. You

can save a template in all versions of PowerPoint.


20

Figure 3-1: Bullets make any topic look

boring.

Chapter 3: Use the Tell ‘n’

ShowSM Method

Nobody loves slide after slide of bulleted

text. I’m sure you have sat through such a

presentation, perhaps many. Face it, no matter

how fascinating the topic and skilled the

presenter, bullets look boring. From long

experience, people associate bulleted text with

boring presentations, so when you use them, you

start out at a disadvantage.


21

When you use the Tell ‘n’ ShowSM

method, your slide design is much more

simplified. Text and visual, text and visual. How

easy is that? Put one point on a slide, so you

may need to expand one slide to four.

What is the Tell ‘n’ ShowSM method? You

tell your point using the slide title. Then you

show it with a graphic that explains your point.

It’s just like the boy’s book (see Figure 3-2). On

one side, the text tells the story. On the other

side, a BIG picture shows the story.

Figure 3-2: The Tell ‘n’ ShowSM method helps you

design slides with ease.


22

I have a video on YouTube that shows

this transformation. The URL is ellenhelps.me/1point. This 5-minute

video will change your presentation life. (While you’re there, please “like” the video and I invite you to subscribe to my

YouTube channel.)

When you have text on a slide, think how

you can convey the concepts visually. The three

basic types of visuals are:

1. Diagrams: Show a process or relationship

2. Charts/graphs: If you have numbers that show a trend, use a chart.

3. Photos: Use photos that are literal or symbolic.

Other visuals also exist, such as a table of

data (a spreadsheet) or a map, but I’ll focus on

these three. I’ll cover each type separately.

Diagrams

Diagrams show relationships, so they help

your audience visualize concepts. You can turn

text into a diagram. This is easy in PowerPoint

2007 and later using the SmartArt feature, but

http://www.ellenhelps.me/1point


23

you can also create diagrams manually, by

inserting shapes, arrows, and so on.

Even though the diagram is just text, it

looks a lot more striking, so people remember

what you’re saying. And to repeat—a diagram

shows a relationship between the words, which

bullet points don’t. You can turn the text in

Figure 3-3 into the diagram in Figure 3-4,

showing that content comes first, then design,

then delivery.

Figure 3-3: Bullets don’t show relationships.


24

To convert bulleted text to SmartArt, follow

these steps:

1. Click inside the text placeholder.

2. On the Home tab, in the Paragraph group, click Convert to SmartArt.

3. Choose one of the diagrams, as shown in

Figure 3-5, or choose More SmartArt diagrams for all the options.

4. Use the SmartArt Tools Design and Format tabs to change colors, formatting,

and more.

Figure 3-4: A diagram shows relationships clearly

and makes text more visually appealing.


25

Charts

How do you create charts that people can

actually understand? You accomplish this by

limiting the amount of information in any one

chart. If you need to present complex data, do it

in a handout. You should also simplify the display

of the chart. Keep the chart 2D, remove or dim

the grid lines, and keep the colors consistent with

the rest of the presentation.

The typical chart is awful!

Figure 3-5: You can choose froma wide variety of

SmartArt diagrams.


26

Here are my suggested steps for improving

chart formatting.

Clean up a chart

1. Right-click and choose Change Chart Type. Then choose a 2D chart type; 3D

charts are harder to understand. 2. Select the border (if any) and the grid

lines and press the Del key on your keyboard. If you feel that you need the

grid lines, select them, right-click and choose Format Gridlines. In the Line Color

category, choose Solid Line and choose a soft color, such as light gray for a white

background. 3. If you need the values to be clear, click

one of the bars, right-click and choose

Figure 3-6: Many charts are difficult to understand

and full of unnecessary elements.


27

Add Data Labels. Repeat for other sets of bars if necessary.

4. The text is almost always too small. Right-click on each axis, the legend, and

data labels, choose Font, and enter a larger Font Size in the Font dialog box.

5. To format a bar or column chart, right-click a bar and choose Format Data

Series, which means all the bars of one color. You can use the Series Options

category to make the bars wider, by reducing the Gap Width value. (Who

would guess?)

Depending on your data, you may also need

to format the axes to get the numbering and

formatting that you want. Right-click an axis,

choose Format Axis and you’ll see lots of

numerical and labeling options.

Figure 3-7: A simpler chart is easier to understand.


28

Finally, when you have what you want, save the chart style! Many people don’t

know that they can do this.

Save a chart template in PowerPoint 2013 and later

With the chart selected, right-click and

choose Save as Template. Give the file a name

and click Save.

Save a chart template in PowerPoint 2007/2010

With the chart selected, click the Chart

Tools Design tab. In the Type group, choose Save

As Template. Give the file a name and click Save.

To use the chart template next time, right-

click and choose Change Chart type. In the dialog

box, choose the Templates category and choose

the template you want.

Imagine how much time you’ve saved!


29

Images

Images are important for creating the

emotional impact that enables audiences to

remember your presentation and make decisions.

Don’t use clipart, use photos. By clip art,

I mean line drawings. An exception is for clean,

modern icons. PowerPoint no longer includes a

gallery of photos (or clip art). Office 365 (the

version that you pay for by subscription) offers a

Figure 3-8:

Most clip art

looks silly.

Figure 3-9:

When you use a

photograph,

your slide looks

more

professional.


30

good library of icons.

In PowerPoint 2013 and later, choose Insert

tab > Online Pictures where you can use Bing

Image Search or connect with online accounts

where you store your own images. For example,

you can connect with Flickr and OneDrive.

When you get results from Bing in any

version, although the images are supposedly

Creative Commons images (offering various levels

of permission to use), be sure to check. And

remember that you need to give attribution for

most Creative Commons licenses.

To find free images that you can legally use, on my website, go to my blog post at www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/find-

free-photos-and-images-for-powerpoint/. If you can’t find what you want for free,

go to stockunlimited.com, where you can buy top-quality photos inexpensively.

Remove the background of images. Find

images with a solid background, like the clock in

Figure 3-10. They’re much more powerful. Make

them large!

http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/find-free-photos-and-images-for-powerpoint/

http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/find-free-photos-and-images-for-powerpoint/

http://www.ellenhelps.me/stock


31

To remove a solid background, select the

image. Go to Picture Tools Format tab, Adjust

group, click the Color drop-down list, and choose

Set Transparent Color at the bottom. Click the

background. PowerPoint 2010 introduced a more

sophisticated background removal tool, which I

cover at the end of this chapter.

Crop images to just what you need. This

not only saves space but cropped images are

much more powerful because you focus the

audience on the essence of the image. Look at

Figures 3-11 and 3-12. Doesn’t the cropped

subway car look so much closer?

Figure 3-10: A picture with no background is

effective, especially when it is the focus of

the slide.


32

To crop an image, click the image to select

it and display the Format tab. Click the Crop

button in the Size group. Drag the crop handles

inward. Then click off the image.

Figure 3-11: This is the original photo.

Figure 3-12: The cropped photo makes the

subway look closer, so it’s more powerful.


33

How to remove complex image backgrounds in PowerPoint 2010 and later

Since PowerPoint 2010, you can remove the

background around strong objects within a photo,

even if the background is more than one color.

Follow these steps:

1. Select the photo.

2. On the Format tab that appears, click the Remove Background button. Depending

on your version of PowerPoint, you may see a border with handles on the corners

and edges. If you do, drag the border outward (usually) so that all of the object

that you want to keep is inside. Purple areas will be deleted; normally colored

Figure 3-13: Here is the original image.


34

areas will be retained. (Note: It may be helpful to increase the zoom, which is at

the lower-right corner of the PowerPoint window.)

3. To keep an area that is marked for removal (purple), click the Mark Areas to

Keep button. Then either click and drag along an area of the object in the drawing

or just click in several places. 4. To remove an area that is marked to be

kept (normally colored), click the Mark Areas to Remove button. Then either click

and drag along an area of the object in the drawing or just click in several places.

5. When you’re done, click Keep Changes. If

you don’t like the result, choose Undo on the Quick Access toolbar (or press Ctrl +

Z).


35

You won’t always get perfect results with

this tool. If you have Adobe Photoshop or

Photoshop Elements and know how to use it well,

you can get more precise results. But when it

works in PowerPoint, it’s wonderful!

I work with my clients to make over

slides using the Tell ‘n’ ShowSM method. Check out this service at www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/1-on-

1-presentation-training/

Figure 3-14: Without the background, the shoes stand

out better, making the point clearer.

http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/1-on-1-presentation-training/



36

Chapter 4: Layout principles Watch a short video I made on how to use the rule of thirds. Go to

www.allaboutpresenting.com/dap/my-content/ where you downloaded this e-


When your slide master is done, it’s time to

start designing the individual slides. The problem

for most people is that they don’t know where to

put the various elements (meaning text and

graphics) so that the slides look professional and

help the audience understand the content.

Figure 4-1: Layout prinicples help you know where to

put slide elements.




37

In this chapter, we’ll cover some basic

principles and then two layout techniques—

alignment and the rule of thirds.

Did you know that professional designers

often sketch various layouts on paper?

Figure 4-2: Designers often sketch out

their layout ideas on paper.


38

When you have a lot of content on a slide, sketch out options on a piece of

paper before going into PowerPoint.

Here are four important principles to help

you with layout:

1. Keep it simple, less is more.

2. Look at other presentations, ads in magazines, billboards, websites, and

brochures for ideas 3. Ask others to review your slides. This

applies to all your design, not just layout; some people just have a better eye for

these things than others.

For simple slides, use PowerPoint’s

standard layouts. They help you lay out slides and keep them consistent.

Designers know certain principles and they

learn how to use them. You can learn, too. It’s

Figure 4-3: The layout of this slide came from

choosing one of several options.


39

mostly a matter of trying them out and seeing

the difference. After a few tries, you start

thinking more like a designer!

In the next two sections, I’ll talk about two

principles that will help you lay out a slide:

alignment and the rule of thirds.

Alignment

Alignment just means lining up elements

on your slide.

Figure 4-4: Alignment is a principle of layout

that designers use often.


40

You may have seen or created a slide with

everything centered. I see this type of slide a lot.

But think of what the eye has to do as it

scans the content. It might seem orderly because

everything is centered, but it’s really very helter-

skelter.

If instead you align the text, the eye has a

much straighter path. The direction of the rope

leads your eye to the text instead of to a blank

Figure 4-6:

Aligning

text with an

image

makes the

slide easier

for the eye

to scan.

Figure 4-5:

When all the

elements are

centered,

they aren’t

aligned.


41

area on the slide. Think about where an image

leads your eye and then use that space.

The rule of thirds

The rules of thirds is often used by

designers. It’s not a rule that you must use, but it

can help if your slides don’t seem just right.

The rule of thirds has been used for a

long time by both painters and photographers. The next time you take a

photo, think of the rule of thirds!

You divide up the slide into thirds both

horizontally and vertically. The idea is to put

important content on the intersections of the

lines, called – would you believe it? – power

points!

You can also put content along the lines. For

example a tree trunk might be aligned with one of

the vertical lines.


42

In Figure 4-8, the focal point is at the

center of the slide, not on any rule-of-thirds

points.

Figure 4-8: This slide does not use the rule of

thirds.

Figure 4-7: The rule of thirds creates focal

points for your slide.


43

However, on the slide, you can see how the

focus is on the lower-right intersection.

Figure 4-10 shows a slide with more

content, with and without the guides. This slide

would be hard to lay out without the help of the

rule of thirds principle. It has an asymmetrical

kind of balance that’s very pleasant.

Figure 4-9:

This slide has the

same content as

the slide in Figure

4-8, but its content

is on the focal

points.

Here you see it with

and without the

rule of thirds

guides.


44

For the default widescreen slide, which is

13.33" wide by 7.5" high, the rule of thirds

measurements are 4.44" horizontally and 2.5"

vertically as shown in Figure 4-11.

Figure 4-10:

Here you see a

more complex

slide with and

without the

guides.

Figure 4-11: Here you see a more complex

slide with and without the guides.


45

A standard slide is 7.5 inches high and 10

inches wide. Therefore, the measurements are

3.33 horizontally and 2.5 vertically.

An easy way to work with the rule of thirds

is to use the guides in PowerPoint. In PowerPoint

2007 and later, go to View tab> Show group, and

check the Guides check box.

Your screen now looks like Figure 4-12:

If the ruler isn’t displayed, choose View

(tab)> Ruler. The ruler will help you space the

guides properly.

Figure 4-11 These measurements

divide a widescreen slide into thirds.

Figure 4-12: When you display guides, you see one

vertical and one horizontal line.


46

Since you need two guides in each

direction, you need to add one guide in each

direction. To add a guide, hold down the Ctrl key

and drag the existing guide. (Sometimes it’s hard

to drag the guide; just keep trying until you find

the exact right location to drag.) When you drag,

you see measurements to help you, as shown in

Figure 4-13.

Figure 4-13: As you drag a

guide, you see measurements

taken from the ruler.


47

Because the ruler measures the slide from

the middle, the horizontal measurements go from

0 to 6.666 on each side. Set the two vertical

guides to 2.21 on the top ruler, as shown in the

next figure. (The exact measurement is closer to

2.22, but it’s hard to get it.) Set the two

horizontal guides to 1.25 on the vertical ruler at

the left. The result looks like Figure 4-14 is you

are using a widescreen slide.

You can turn off the guides whenever you

want, but if you like working with them, it’s OK—

they don’t show in Slide Show view.

Figure 4-14: Use PowerPoint’s guides to

layout a slide with the rule of third principle.


48

Now you have a tool to easily lay out slides;

you don’t have to be a designer to use it!

Download a presentation with sample slides using the ideas in this chapter where you downloaded this e-book at

www.allaboutpresenting.com/dap/my-content/. Use the log-in information you

received when you bought this e-book.

I work with my clients to design and lay out their slides. Check out this service at

www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/1-on-1-presentation-training/






49

Chapter 5: Contrast

Contrast is important for any design. The

basics are simple—text must have enough

contrast from the background to be clearly

legible. Use black or dark text on a white

background; use white or light text on a dark

background.

Figure 5-1: The brain is hard-wired to notice

contrasting elements.


50

But you can do more with contrast; you

can highlight specific content, such as the

example in Figure 5-2, with red text that adds

contrast. It looks sharper; it wakes you up and

you notice it. That’s what you want!

When you create your theme colors, as I

explained in Chapter 1, add one color that contrasts strongly with the rest of the

colors.

You can make one shape a different color so

that it stands out. In charts, if you want to

highlight one of the bars, click the Format tab and

fill it with a contrasting color.

Figure 5-2: You can make your audience notice a

specific element by making it a contrasting color.


51

If you have text on top of an image, you

need to make sure the contrast is strong enough

that the text is easily legible. I cover one method

of doing this, a semi-transparent band, in Chapter

6.

Download a presentation with sample

slides using the ideas in this chapter here you downloaded this e-book at

www.allaboutpresenting.com/dap/my-content/. Use the log-in information you


I work with my clients to design clear, powerful, and persuasive slides. Check

out this service at www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/1-on-







52

Chapter 6: Finishing Touches

Watch a short video I made on how to create striking shadows. Go to

www.allaboutpresenting.com/dap/my-content/ where you downloaded this e-book. Use the log-in information you


There are four finishing touches that I’d

like to teach you:

• Keylines

• Belly bands

• Semi-transparent bands

• Shadows

These features can make a ho-hum

presentation look professional. Designers use

them, but you can easily learn them, too.

Keylines

A keyline is just a thin line. It connects or

separates components and creates a simple

structure. It also highlights alignment. Just that

one line can make a slide look more professional.




53

Figure 6-1 shows a slide with two images

and two captions. It’s a good slide, but the eye

may not know where to go.

Figure 6-2 shows the same slide with two

keylines. Do you see how the lines hold the

image and its caption together and guide your

attention from one to the other? Plus, the keyline

adds a professional designer’s touch.

Figure 6-1: Without keylines, the slide is a

little hectic.


54

Belly Bands

A belly band is a band of color can hold

content on the slide together and give it

cohesiveness.

In Figure 6-3, you see a plain slide. There’s

nothing wrong with it, but nothing connects the

names of the cities.

Adding a band of color behind the text

connects the cities and adds a unifying factor.

Figure 6-3: This slide is a little too plain and has

nothing to hold together the names of the cities.


55

A belly band may have a transparency

gradient, which is one color, gradating from 0

transparency to 85% or 100% transparency. You

can use this technique for other shapes as well,

so it’s a good one to know.

To create a transparency gradient from left

to right in PowerPoint 2007 and later:

1. Insert a shape, such as a rectangle.

2. Right-click the shape and choose Format Shape.

3. Click the Line or Line Color category and choose No Line.

4. Click or expand the Fill category and choose Gradient Fill.

5. Change the angle in the Angle text box to 0°.

6. Under the Gradient Stops section, in

2007, click the down arrow and choose

Figure 6-4: The belly band carries the color across

the entire slide, behind the text and image.


56

Stop 2. Click Remove. In 2010 and later, drag the middle marker off the gradient

line to remove it. This gives you Stop 1 at a position of 0% and Stop 2 at a position

of 100% 7. Click or choose Stop 1. Click the Color

drop-down and choose the color you want. By default, the Transparency value

is 0%. 8. Click or choose Stop 2. Click the Color

drop-down and choose the same color. 9. Drag the Transparency slider to the

desired value, such as 85% or 100% (completely transparent).

10. To vary where the shape becomes

transparent, you can adjust Stop 2’s position.

Semi-transparent band

A semi-transparent band often holds text; it

makes the text easier to read in front of an

image. Often the band (which is just a rectangle)

is a dark gray, making it look like a sheet of

smoky Lucite, but you can also use white, black,

or a color from the image. Here’s an example:


57

You can see that the

bar allows the photo to

show through. Here are

the steps to create a semi-

transparent bar:

1. Insert a rectangle from the Drawing

group of the Home

tab. 2. To remove the

outline, right-click and choose Format

Figure 6-5: A semi-transparent bar provides a modern

look and helps make text easily legible.

Figure 6-6: A very dark

gray gives the look of

smoky lucite.


58

Shape. In the Line Color category, choose No Line.

3. Go to the Fill section or category. To set the color of the fill, use the Color drop-

down list. If you want to match a color in the image, choose the Eyedropper option

and click on that color in the image. 4. To make the fill semi-transparent, drag

the Transparency slider to 25-50%. (You may want to make minor adjustments

later.) 5. Close the task pane.

6. With the rectangle selected, type the text that you want to appear.

If you’re frustrated trying to get the text in the right place on the rectangle, insert

a separate text box on top of the rectangle and type your text there. You’ll

find it easier to drag the text box wherever you want it.

Shadows

Shadows add a subtle 3D effect and

professional designers use them widely. You’ll

need to experiment to find a look you like,

because there is no single technique. Here are

some examples.


59

When you have several objects overlapping,

a shadow gives a realistic look, as if the top

objects are a little above the bottom ones.

If you remove the background of an image,

PowerPoint does something wonderful when you

add a shadow — you get what I call a contour

shadow. (I explain how to remove the background

of an image in Chapter 3.)

Figure 6-7: Two of the books have bottom and right

shadows, to lift them above the books beneath.


60

If you combine this feature with the flexible

settings available in PowerPoint 2007 and later,

you can get some amazing results. Here you see

a fairly dramatic shadow around the young

woman.

To add a shadow in PowerPoint 2007 and

later, follow these steps:

1. Select the picture.

2. From the Format tab, choose Picture Effects> Shadow.

3. Choose one of the preset shadow options. 4. To further adjust the shadow, at the

bottom of the same menu, choose Shadow Options. A dialog box (2007 and

Figure 6-8: With a large shadow, the woman appears

to be almost jumping off the slide!


61

2010) or task pane (2013 and later) opens.

5. Use the settings to adjust the shadow.

Figure 6-9: In the Shadow category of the Format

Picture task pane, you have many options.


62

Play around with the Shadow settings until

you see the effect of each control and get the

results you want.

Download a presentation with sample slides using the ideas in this chapter

where you downloaded this e-book at www.allaboutpresenting.com/dap/my-


I work with my clients to design clear,

powerful, and persuasive slides. Check out this service at







63

Chapter 7: The 4 layouts that

always look good Watch a short video I made on how to use the 4 layouts that always look good. Go to

www.allaboutpresenting.com/dap/my-content/ where you downloaded this e-


Here is a shortcut to good design—my 4

layouts that always look good. When you’re in a

hurry, or if you find the principles I’ve covered to

be too involved, just use these.

A typical slide, with a centered image, such

as the one you see in Figure 7-1, is very

common, but it’s very forgettable. I have already

discussed how alignment can improve this type

of slide.

Note that a centered graphic is fine if your

graphic is a graph/chart or diagram. That’s

because you don’t want to extend text to the

edges of the slide; it just doesn’t look good.




64

But images are different. They actually look

better when you extend them to the edges of the

slide.

Instead, use one of the following 4 layouts.

Vertical image on one side of the slide

Figure 7-2 shows one layout that is easy to

create and always looks good. If the original

image isn’t vertical, you can often crop it. As I’ve

shown you, cropping can make the image more

powerful.

Figure 7-1: A centered image gives a default, boring

impression.


65

To create a slide like this, use the Title Only

layout. To choose this layout, right-click off the

slide (or on the slide but where there are no

objects) and choose Layout or Slide Layout. Then

choose Title Only.

Choose Insert > Picture and insert the

image you want to use. Move and resize the

image to cover the right side of the slide. Select

and crop it if necessary. If the image takes up

about half of the slide, this often places the focal

point of the image on a power point according to

the rule of thirds.

Figure 7-2: This layout displays text on the left with a

vertical image on the right.


66

Right-click the photo and choose

Order>Send to Back or Send to Back. You can

now see the title placeholder. Type the title of the

slide.

Select the title placeholder and drag the

right middle handle to the left, so that the

placeholder is on the left side of the slide, as

shown in Figure 7-3.

When you change the shape of the

placeholder, the text wraps to fit inside it.

Depending on the vertical alignment, the text will

wrap up, or down, as you see in Figure 7-3.

Drag the placeholder down so that it fits on

the slide. You can leave it at the upper left or

Figure 7-3:

Drag the right

side of the title

placeholder to

the left side of

the slide.


67

move it further down on the slide, depending on

what you think looks best.

Full slide image

Another great choice is to cover the entire

slide with a photo. Go ahead and hide that ugly

template you’re supposed to use!

Use the Title Only layout. To choose this

layout, right-click off the slide (or on the slide but

where there are not objects) and choose Layout

or Slide Layout. Then choose Title Only.

Then simply insert a photo and resize and

position it to cover the slide. But be careful not to

distort the photo. If one edge hangs over the

slide, figure out the best place to crop and then

crop it to fit.

Figure 7-4:

A full-slide

photo can be

very powerful.


68

Right-click the photo and choose

Order>Send to Back or Send to Back. You can

now type the title of the slide.

If the text doesn’t show up well on the

image, make the text placeholder semi-

transparent, as you see in Figure 7-5. This goes

back to the concept of contrast, covered earlier.

I explained how to make a shape semi-

transparent earlier in this book.

Consider extending the placeholder (or

shape) across the entire width of the slide or using a transparency placeholder that fades one edge to 100% transparency.

Title and image on the rest of the slide

You may want to leave the title area blank

for the text, so you can put the image below the

Figure 7-5:

A semi-

transparent

text

placeholder

ensures

legibility.


69

title. As with the other layouts, you may need to

crop the image.

Start with the Title Only layout. Insert the

image and resize and place it so that it fits below

the title text. Then crop it as necessary.

Figure 7-6: Put the title at the top and fill the rest of

the slide with an image.

Text at upper-left, image at lower-right

This technique works best with an image

that has no background. For this reason, I didn’t

use the previous image of the boy writing.


70

This layout creates a diagonal line between

two opposing centers of attention that the eye

follows.

I explain how to remove an image’s

background in Chapter 3, whether a solid color or

more complex.

Take an existing slide that has a title and a

photo and redo it with all four layouts. You’ll like

the results! Once you’ve used them a couple of

times, you’ll see how easy they are to create.

Download a presentation with sample slides using the ideas in this chapter

Figure 7-7: For this layout, use an image with

a background that matches the slide

background, or remove the background.


71

where you downloaded this e-book at www.allaboutpresenting.com/dap/my-


I work with my clients to design clear, powerful, and persuasive slides. Check out this service at







72

Chapter 8: Keep a library of slides

When you create a good slide, you don’t

want to recreate that work. That’s a waste of

time. Instead, keep a library of slides.

Professionals do this all the time.

Start a new presentation and call it Slide

Library on the title slide and for the file name. In

PowerPoint 2007 and later, on the Home tab,

choose the New Slide down arrow and then click

Reuse Slides at the very bottom. In the task

pane that opens, click Browse>Browse File (not

Slide Library). Check the Keep Source Formatting

checkbox at the bottom of the task pane selected

if you want to keep the original slide master.

When you browse to a file, you’ll see all its

slides displayed. Just click the ones you want to

add them to your Slide Library file.


73

As you create new presentations, continue

to add slides to your slide library. This library can

get large, so you may want to start a new one

every year, depending on how many slides you’re

keeping. Keep these libraries in a separate folder

for easy access.

When you want to use a slide, repeat the

process; in PowerPoint 2007 and later, on the

Home tab, choose the New Slide down arrow>

Reuse Slides. In the task pane that opens, click

Browse>Browse File. Browse to the presentation

you want. Check the Keep Source Formatting

checkbox at the bottom of the task pane selected

if you want to keep the original slide master.

Then click the slide that you want to insert it

after the current slide.

It’s easy to copy and paste a slide from

one presentation to another.

In the source file, click the slide in the left-

hand column and copy it to the Clipboard. In the

destination file, click where you want the file to

go in the left-hand column and paste. By default,


74

the file takes on the look of the destination file,

but you can use the Paste icon that appears to

choose Keep Source Formatting.

I work with my clients to design clear, powerful, and persuasive slides. Check

out this service at www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/1-on-





75

Chapter 9: Summary

Good slide design isn’t hard. Probably the

biggest mistake I see is presenters putting too

much on a slide. When I review clients’ slides, I

often turn one slide into two or even more slides.

Then, slide design is much easier.

Remember the techniques:

• Chapter 1: Create custom theme

colors

• Chapter 2: Design your slide master

• Chapter 3: Use the Tell ‘n’ ShowSM

method

• Chapter 4: Use the layout principles

of alignment and the rule of thirds

• Chapter 5: Use contrast to make

important elements stand out


76

• Chapter 6: Add finishing touches—

keylines, belly bands, semi-

transparent bars, and shadows

• Chapter 7: Use the 4 layouts that

always look good

• Chapter 8: Create and use a slide

library

I’ve given you lots of material, but when

you review it and start to use it, you’ll find that

you can design better slides, even without artistic

ability. As you practice the techniques, they’ll

become more and more familiar and soon you’ll

be getting better results almost effortlessly.

Download a presentation with sample

slides from this book where you downloaded this e-book at

www.allaboutpresenting.com/dap/my-content/. Also, watch the short tutorial videos I made for you. Use the log-in

information you received when you bought this e-book.

You can use these sample slides like a Slide

Library and then copy and paste them into a new




77

presentation. Then, just change the text and the

picture to customize the slide for your needs.

To change a picture but keep its formatting, right-click it and choose Change Picture. You may need to choose

From a File, depending on your version of PowerPoint. Then navigate to your own

image.

Would you like 1-on-1 consulting for your slides? I work with my clients to design

clear, powerful, and persuasive slides. Check out this service at





78

Bonus Chapter A: Keyboard

shortcuts

The following keyboard shortcuts are fast

and useful. You’ll get more done in less time. I

have included some that you probably know from

all Windows applications, like Ctrl+C to copy, etc.

Table 1: Normal view keyboard shortcuts

Shortcut Description

Down arrow Display the next slide

Up arrow Display the previous

slide

Ctrl+M Add a new slide

Up, Down, Left, Right

arrows

Nudge (move slightly)

selected object

Ctrl + Up, Down, Left,

Right arrows

Nudge (move slightly)

selected object with

even finer precision


79

Alt + Up, Down, Left,

Right arrows

Disable the invisible

grid so that you can

drag objects with no

restriction

Tab Cycle through objects

on a slide (select one

object first)

Ctrl+A Select all objects on a

slide, or select all text

in a selected

AutoShape, text box, or

text placeholder

Ctrl+Z Undo your most recent

action

F4 Repeat your most

recent action

Esc When you’re when

you’re editing text in an

object, exit Edit mode

so you can work with


80

the object (rather than

the text in it).

Otherwise, deselect any

selected objects.

Ctrl+G Group selected objects

so that you can work

with them as one object

Ctrl+Shift+G Ungroup selected

objects

Ctrl+D Duplicate a selected

object

Ctrl+drag Copy and move a

selected object

Shift+drag Constrain the

movement of a selected

object to vertical or

horizontal

Ctrl+Shift+C Copy formatting of the

selected object; works

with Ctrl+Shift+V


81

Ctrl+Shift+V Pastes the formatting

you copied to a selected

object

Shift+resize from a

handle

Constrains the object to

a square, circle,

equilateral triangle, etc.

Ctrl+Shift+resize from

a handle

Resizes a selected

object from its center

rather than from the

handle you’re dragging

Tab Indent selected text

Shift+Tab Outdent selected text

(move it to the left)

Shift +F3 Toggle sentence, lower,

and upper case of text


82

Table 2: Slide Show view keyboard shortcuts

Shortcut Description

F5 Switch to slide show

view with 1st slide

displayed

Shift+F5 Switch to slide show

view with current slide

displayed

Enter, Spacebar, N,

Page Down, Right

arrow, Down arrow

Next slide or animation

P, Up arrow, Left arrow,

Page Up, Backspace

Move to previous slide

or animation

Slide number + Enter Display the slide

number you typed

B Black out the screen

W White out the screen

Ctrl+P Switch to pointer (for

annotation)


83

Ctrl+A Display arrow cursor

E Erase screen annotation

Esc Exit slide show view


84

Bonus Chapter B: More Design

Tips

I have lots more design-related tips on

my PowerPoint Tips Blog. You might be

interested in some of these.

9 tips to design presentations for

webinars

Better photo slides—the 3-side rule

8 steps to add branding to your

presentations

5 principles for easier and faster slide

creation

6 steps to create a quick PowerPoint

makeover

http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/9-tips-to-design-presentations-for-webinars/

http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/9-tips-to-design-presentations-for-webinars/

http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/a-quick-way-to-design-better-photo-slides-the-3-side-rule/

http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/8-steps-to-add-branding-to-your-presentations/

http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/8-steps-to-add-branding-to-your-presentations/

http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/5-principles-for-easier-and-faster-slide-creation/

http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/5-principles-for-easier-and-faster-slide-creation/

http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/6-steps-to-create-a-quick-powerpoint-makeover/

http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/6-steps-to-create-a-quick-powerpoint-makeover/


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Bonus Chapter C: More valuable

information

To become an outstanding presenter, you’ll

probably need more than just this book. Here are

some additional resources.

Get more tips for free!

Sign up for the free PowerPoint Tips

Newsletter at

EllenFinkelstein.com/pptblog/getstarted/.

You’ll learn techniques to improve your content,

create great graphics, and professionally deliver

your presentation. You’ll also receive a free

training video, 13 Techniques to Make

Designing Your Slides EASY!

Visit EllenFinkelstein.com

EllenFinkelstein.com offers PowerPoint

tips, tutorials, and techniques to help you create

better presentations. It’s all free.

http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/getstarted/



86

Get other great books, courses and webinar recordings!

Do you need to learn more about

PowerPoint? Would you like to become a

PowerPoint expert? If you want to learn more

about PowerPoint, check out the books,

courses, and webinar recordings in my e-

store.

Get personalized training

I offer 1-on-1 training to work with you to

make over slides and develop a more powerful

presentation. Read more about this training

here.

I also offer team training, on-site or

virtually. Read about my corporate training

here.

Please tell your friends about Slide Design

for Non-Designers. They can get it at

ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/slide-design-

for-non-designers/

http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/powerpoint-estore/





http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/powerpoint-presentation-training-consulting/

http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/powerpoint-presentation-training-consulting/

http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/slide-design-for-non-designers/

http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/slide-design-for-non-designers/


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Slide Design for Non-Designers is also

for sale in quantity — at a steep discount. The

cover can be customized and branded. For more

information, contact us here.

Let me know what you thought of this book

How much did you know about PowerPoint

before you read this book? Which tips helped you?

How have you been able to work faster or create

better presentations?

I’d like to hear your experiences using

these principles. Contact me here.

http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/contact-us

http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/contact-us


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