Interface of the Presentation Package
A presentation package is a software tool used to create
slideshows and presentations, such as Microsoft
PowerPoint, Google Slides, or LibreOffice Impress. The
typical interface of these tools includes several key
elements:
Slide Pane: A vertical panel on the left that shows miniature
versions of all your slides.
Slide Area: The main workspace where you design and edit
individual slides.
Ribbon/Toolbar: Contains commands for various functions,
including formatting, inserting objects, adding transitions,
etc.
Notes Pane: Located below the slide area, where you can
add notes for each slide (for speaker’s reference).
View Options: Allow you to change how you see your
presentation, such as Normal View, Slide Sorter View, or
Slide Show View.
Slide Show Controls: Located at the bottom or top of the
interface to start the slide show, move between slides, or
pause it.
Creating, Opening, and Saving Presentations
Creating a Presentation:
Open the presentation software and select New to start a
blank presentation or choose from pre-designed templates
to help structure your slides.
You can create slides manually, or use a template for quicker
setup.
Opening an Existing Presentation:
Go to File > Open and navigate to the location of the file you
wish to open.
Alternatively, you can click on a recent file directly if it was
opened recently.
Saving a Presentation:
After creating or editing your presentation, click on File >
Save As to choose a location and file format (e.g., .pptx, .pdf,
.odp).
You can also use the Save button or Ctrl+S to save changes
to the currently open file.
Professional Look of the Presentation
Working in Different Design & Views:
Normal View: The default view where you work on individual
slides.
Slide Sorter View: Allows you to see all slides at once in a
thumbnail view, making it easy to rearrange them.
Slide Show View: Used to view the presentation as it will
appear to your audience.
Reading View: A mode that allows you to preview the
presentation in full-screen without the distraction of editing
tools.
Master Views: For editing the background, font styles, and
layout of all slides at once (Slide Master, Handout Master,
etc.).
Working with Slides:
Inserting New Slides: You can add new slides by going to
Home > New Slide or using the shortcut Ctrl+M.
Rearranging Slides: In Slide Sorter View, simply drag and
drop slides to change their order.
Deleting Slides: Right-click on the slide in the Slide Pane and
select Delete Slide.
Formatting and Editing
Text Formatting:
To format text, select the text box and use the Font section in
the Ribbon to change font style, size, color, bold, italics, or
underline.
You can adjust the alignment (left, center, right, justify), line
spacing, and paragraph indentation through the Paragraph
section.
Image Formatting:
To format an image, click on the image, and the Picture
Tools/ Format tab will appear.
You can adjust size, crop, apply artistic effects, add borders,
or set image transparency.
Paragraph Formatting:
Use the Paragraph section in the Ribbon to adjust line
spacing, text alignment, bullet points, numbering, and
indentation for your paragraphs.
You can also apply text direction changes (vertical or
horizontal) and set indentation for more complex layouts.
Checking Spelling and Correcting Typing Mistakes:
Most presentation software includes a built-in spell checker.
To check spelling, click Review > Spelling or use the
keyboard shortcut F7.
Mistakes are usually underlined, and you can right-click to
correct them or use suggested corrections.
Making Notes Pages and Handouts
Notes Pages:
Notes Pages allow you to add speaker notes that will appear
below the slide in the presenter view or in a printed format.
To add notes, click on the Notes section below the slide area
and type the relevant text.
Handouts:
Handouts are printed versions of the presentation slides that
can include multiple slides per page with room for notes.
To print handouts, go to File > Print, select Handouts from
the print layout options, and choose how many slides to
show per page (1, 2, 3, 6, etc.).
Drawing and Working with Objects
Drawing Tools:
Use the Insert > Shapes option to draw basic shapes such as
rectangles, circles, arrows, lines, etc.
You can also use the Freeform shape tool to draw custom
shapes.
Working with Objects:
Once shapes, text boxes, or images are inserted, you can
format them (resize, rotate, position, change fill color) using
the Format tab.
Objects can be layered, with options to send them to the
front or back.
Adding Clip Art and Other Pictures
Adding Clip Art:
You can insert clip art by going to Insert > Pictures > Stock
Images or Online Pictures, depending on the software.
Search for clip art by keywords and insert it into your slide.
Inserting Other Pictures:
Click Insert > Pictures and choose whether you want to
insert a picture from a file on your computer, online sources,
or stock images.
Once inserted, the image can be resized, moved, or
formatted as needed.
Designing Slide Shows
Slide Design:
Use the Design tab to change the overall theme, background
color, or layout of your slides.
Pre-made templates are available, or you can customize
backgrounds, font styles, and other design elements to
match your presentation style.
Transitions:
To add transitions between slides, go to the Transitions tab
and select from various effects like fade, wipe, or zoom.
You can adjust the speed and apply the transition to all
slides or to specific slides only.
Running and Controlling a Slide Show
Running the Slide Show:
To start the slide show, click Slide Show > From Beginning or
press F5.
You can also start from the current slide using From Current
Slide.
Controlling the Slide Show:
Use the arrow keys or mouse clicks to advance or go back
between slides.
You can also use a remote control or keyboard shortcuts
(e.g., N for next slide, P for previous slide).
Presenter View: If you’re using multiple monitors, the
Presenter View will display the current slide, next slide, and
speaker notes, while the audience sees only the current
slide.
Printing Presentations
Printing Slides:
Go to File > Print to open the print options.
Choose whether to print slides, notes pages, or handouts.
You can specify the number of copies, which printer to use,
and paper size.
Printing Handouts:
In the Print menu, choose the option to print handouts,
which will display multiple slides on a single page with
optional space for notes.
This option is useful for sharing printed copies of the
presentation with an audience.
