by Steven Pittsley CNE | Sep 18, 2006 7:00:00 AM

Takeaway: If you've ever tried to transport or share a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation only to discover that essential pieces were missing and it wouldn't run properly, you'll appreciate the convenience and simplicity of the PowerPoint For CD feature. You can even include the Viewer for those who don't have PowerPoint installed.

The Microsoft PowerPoint 2003 Package For CD feature is a flexible tool that allows you to either burn a presentation and all supporting files onto a CD or copy them to a specified folder. The package that's created using this tool includes image files, video clips, TrueType fonts, sound files, and other files used by the presentation. The package can also include the PowerPoint Viewer, making it easy to share the PowerPoint presentation with those who don't have PowerPoint installed on their workstations.

Creating a CD

To use the Package For CD feature to burn a CD, start by inserting a blank CD into your computer's CD writer. Next, open the PowerPoint presentation and click File | Package For CD, as shown in Figure A, to open the dialog box shown in Figure B.

Figure A

Figure B

Type a descriptive name for the package in the Name The CD text box. You can also click the Add Files button to add any files you want in the package that are not included in the package by default.

Now, click the Options button to open the dialog box shown in Figure C. Here, you can modify the default settings for creating the package:

• PowerPoint Viewer: When this option is selected, the PowerPoint Viewer is included in the package.
• Linked Files: Includes all the files that are linked to the package, such as videos and pictures.
• Embedded TrueType Fonts: Embeds all the TrueType fonts within the presentation so that they will be available on other computers.
• Password To Open Each File: Enter a password to protect each file in the package, including the PowerPoint presentation.
• Password To Modify Each File: Enter a password to restrict modification of any file in the package.

Figure C

Once you've set the desired options, click OK to return to the Package For CD dialog box. To create the package and write it to the CD, click the Copy To CD button. The Copying Files To CD progress window will appear (Figure D), providing status information as the package is created and written to the CD.

Figure D

When the procedure is complete, the Copying Files To CD window will display the message shown in Figure E.

Figure E

After a few moments, the CD will eject from the drive and the Copying Files To CD window will close. Now you have the option of copying the same files to an additional CD (Figure F). Click Yes to create another CD or No to end the process.

Figure F

Copying to a folder

Although the feature is called Package For CD, PowerPoint doesn't require that a CD writer be installed on the workstation. viagra brand by online You can simply create a package and copy it to a folder for sharing with others.

To create a package and copy it to a folder, you follow the basic steps described above: Open the presentation and click File | Package For CD, then enter a package name, click the Add Files button if you want to include additional files, and click the Options button to modify the default settings for creating the package.

When you're finished, click the Copy To Folder button to open the dialog box shown in Figure G. Enter a name in the Folder Name text box and then click the Browse button to navigate to the location where you want the package saved.

Figure G

To finish the process, click OK. The package will be created and copied to the location you specified in the previous step. Surprisingly, you won't be notified that the procedure is complete.

To view the presentation and the files included in the package, open Windows Explorer and navigate to the location where you saved the package. Figure H shows an example of the files that are included in a package. In addition to the PowerPoint presentation and the supporting files, this package contains the PowerPoint Viewer (pptview.exe).

Figure H

Date: January 7th, 2008

Author: Susan Harkins

Microsoft Office users know that PowerPoint is a powerful presentation package, but some of them find it easier to write the content than to create and deliver the final show. The truth is that PowerPoint is just as easy to use as all the other Office applications, but a lot of users just aren’t quite up to speed with it. Here are a few quick tips that will help your users get familiar with some of PowerPoint’s most useful features.

Note: This information is also available as a PDF download.

#1: Annotate your presentation

With PowerPoint 2003, you can use the mouse pointer to write on a slide during a presentation. It’s similar to writing on a transparency. This capability works best with a pen input device or a Tablet PC, but the mouse will work — it just isn’t as steady.

There are three free-style drawing tools:

To use this feature, right-click the background of a slide and select Pointer Options. You can also choose a color. Then, simply select one of the ink options. Use the ballpoint and felt tip tools to write messages and draw objects. The highlighter’s color appears behind the text and doesn’t block the view of highlighted text or objects.

Just be careful: Ink markings aren’t permanent. When you close the presentation, be sure to click Yes when prompted if you want to save markings you made during the presentation.

#2: Get your timing down

PowerPoint has a stopwatch feature that lets you time yourself as you rehearse a presentation. When you run a rehearsed timing session, PowerPoint records how long you spend on each slide. You can use this information in one of two ways:

• Use the timed results to set a timed slide.
• Use the timed results to help keep you on track during the presentation.

To enable this feature, choose Rehearse Timings from the Slide Show menu. PowerPoint will start the slide show and display the Rehearsal dialog box in the top-left portion of the screen, as shown in Figure A. The timer displays the elapsed time for each slide and the overall presentation.

Figure A: The timer tracks each slide and the overall presentation.

If you’re creating a self-running presentation, be sure to save at least one run — your best run if possible. That way, your presentation can default to the rehearsed setting, just in case. If even one slide in your self-running presentation makes it through to your finished presentation without a timed setting, your show will come to a screeching halt — and so will the impression you hoped to make. With a saved rehearsed timing setting, that won’t happen.

When you’re finished rehearsing, PowerPoint returns you to Slide Sorter and displays each slide’s time below the slide.

#3: Don’t ladies viagra tie up your audience

The person viewing your self-running presentation might not need as much time with each slide as you anticipate. Be sure to include at least one action button with each slide so viewers can opt out of a slow slide or skip past a slide that doesn’t apply to them.

To add a navigation action button to every slide in the presentation, add the button to the slide master by choosing Master from the View menu. Then, click Slide Master. In PowerPoint 2007, you’ll find Slide Master in the Presentation Views group on the View tab.

When the slide master appears, do the following to add an action button:

1. Choose Action Buttons from the Slide Show menu. (In PowerPoint 2007, you’ll find Shapes in the Illustrations group on the Insert tab. Click the drop-down button. Action buttons are at the bottom of the list.)
2. Click the appropriate action button (AutoShapes) from the resulting submenu.
3. Click and drag inside the slide where you want to drop the button.
4. When you release the mouse, PowerPoint will display a dialog with several settings. Most of the time, the default settings will be adequate — especially for a self-running presentation.

The action button submenu can also float. After displaying it, simply grab the handle — the dots at the top — and drag it to another spot. You can then add action buttons to your slides without going through the menu selections. (PowerPoint 2007 doesn’t have this feature.)

You don’t have to put an action button on the slide master. You can add a navigation button to just a single slide if you want to limit viewers’ control of the presentation.

#4: Take a quick peek

While editing a slide, you can click the Slide Show From Current Slide button (at the bottom of the Slides pane). PowerPoint will start the slide show from the selected slide, instead of at the beginning. If you just want a quick look at the current slide, press Esc to return to edit mode. Otherwise, click through the remaining slides in the show. Skipping several slides in the show can be a great time-saver.

A full-size slide may be a bit more slide than you really want or need at the time. To see a smaller version, hold down the Ctrl key while clicking Slide Show From Current Slide. Instead of consuming the entire screen, PowerPoint will display a quarter-size version of the slide. Again, you can press Esc to return to edit mode or click in the small screen display to advance through the remaining slides.

#5: Change the body text default

You can use the slide master to set the font type, size, and other properties for each slide’s title and body text, but you can’t use it to change the default font for other objects, such as text boxes. Luckily, there’s another way. First, display a slide in edit mode and make sure no objects are selected. Then, choose Font from the Format menu. In the resulting Font dialog box, choose all the desired options and click OK. From that point on, non-title, not-body text will reflect the new style you just created. (This technique doesn’t work in PowerPoint 2007.)

#6: Nudge over…

Moving objects is as easy as dropping and dragging, right? That’s true until you’re working on a laptop that doesn’t support a mouse. When that’s the case, use the arrow keys to move an object. Select the object and then use the appropriate arrow key. Each key press will move the object approximately 1/12 of an inch. PowerPoint applies this predefined amount when the grid is enabled. To change or disable grid settings, click Draw on the Drawing toolbar and choose Grid And Guides. In the resulting dialog box, you can select or deselect the Snap Objects To Grid check box, adjust the grid spacing, and display the grid and/or drawing guides on your slides.

#7: Make a quick copy

Using the Edit menu, you can make copies of most objects, but there’s a quicker way. In almost any view, hold down the Ctrl key and drag the object just a bit. Doing so will automatically generate a copy of the selected object. Hold down Ctrl + Shift to create a copy that’s aligned with the original object.

#8: Squeeze it all in

Sometimes, you just can’t get everything you want to fit on one slide. If that text is in a placeholder, you don’t need to cut and paste part of the text into a new slide. In Outline mode, PowerPoint can push text along with just a few clicks. First, display the Outlining toolbar by choosing Toolbars from the View menu and then choosing Outlining. Next, click the Outline tab to display the presentation text in the Outline pane. Position the cursor at the end of the last line you want to keep on the current slide. Then, press Enter and click Promote (the arrow at the top that’s pointing left) on the Outlining toolbar. Doing so will insert a new slide for all the text you just split from the previous one. Enter a new title for the new slide, as shown in Figure B. Continue to adjust the text as necessary.

Figure B: Use Outline mode to control overflowing text.

This method still works in PowerPoint 2007, but you don’t need the Outlining toolbar. Just press Enter at the appropriate spot to insert a new slide.

#9: Suppress bullets

By default, PowerPoint enters a new bullet every time you press Enter, as long as you’re using the bulleted list format. Fortunately, you’re not stuck. Hold down the Shift key and press Enter to insert a soft return. This will drop the insertion point to the next line without adding a new bullet, as shown in Figure C.

Figure C: You won’t always want a bullet point for every new line.

#10: Create invisible links

Hyperlinks make it easy to jump from one place to another, but by default, linked text looks different from the rest of your message. If you find the difference distracting, most likely your audience will too. Eliminate that distraction as follows:

1. Enter the text you want to link.
2. Select the Rectangle button on the Drawing toolbar and create an AutoShape that covers just the text-don’t make it too large. (In PowerPoint 2007, choose a shape from the Illustrations group on the Insert tab.)
3. Select the AutoShape and click the Insert Hyperlink button on the Standard toolbar. (In PowerPoint 2007, you’ll find Hyperlink in the Links group on the Insert menu.) In both versions, you can right-click the shape and choose Hyperlink from the resulting submenu.
4. Enter the hyperlink in the Address field in the resulting Insert Hyperlink dialog box and then click OK.
5. Right-click the AutoShape and choose Format AutoShape. Set the fill color to No Fill and the line color to No Line and click OK.

The invisible AutoShape is really the link and not the text.

Susan Sales Harkins is an independent consultant and the author of several articles and books on database technologies. Her most recent book is Mastering Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express, with Mike Gunderloy, published by Sybex. Other collaborations with Gunderloy are Automating Microsoft Access 2003 with VBA, Upgrader’s Guide to Microsoft Office System 2003, ICDL Exam Cram 2, and Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Microsoft Access 2003, all published by Que. Currently, Susan volunteers as the Publications Director for Database Advisors. You can reach her at ssharkins@gmail.com.

Date: November 13th, 2007

Author: Susan Harkins

PowerPoint is a powerful presentation package, but most of us don’t use it often enough to learn its many timesaving tricks. The good news is that you don’t have to be an expert to get more mileage out of PowerPoint features. Here’s a look as some of the shortcuts and tricks you can use to put PowerPoint to work for you.

Note: This information is also available as a PDF download.

#1: If you don’t like the design, pick another

You can build a presentation from scratch, but most of the time a design template is more than adequate. These templates apply consistent design and formatting attributes from the first slide to the last. Click the Slide Design button on the Formatting toolbar to open the Slide Design task pane to get started. (In PowerPoint 2007, choose a design template from the Design group.)

You’re not stuck with a design once you choose it. At any time, even after the presentation is complete, you can choose another design. Simply select the one you want; you won’t lose any content.

You can also change the design for only selected slides, without actually removing the template from your presentation. In the Slide pane or Slide Sorter View, select the thumbnails that represent the slides you want to change. Next, click on the drop-down arrow beside the desired design in the Apply A Design Template list and choose Apply To Selected Slides (Figure A). (There’s no drop-down arrow in PowerPoint 2007; just right-click on the design.) PowerPoint will immediately update the selected slides.

Figure A

#2: Hone for focus

Resist the urge to crowd as much text as you can onto a single slide. If a busy slide doesn’t overwhelm your audience, it will most certainly distract them. Instead of listening to you, they’ll read ahead.

Once you have a rough draft of your presentation, review it with the following goals in mind:

By following these steps, you may reduce content by as much as half, and your presentation will be more focused.

#3: Don’t forget The end!

When you come to the end of your presentation, what comes next? If you click out of Slide Show View, your audience will get a behind-the-scenes peek at your work, and you probably want to avoid that. Instead, end your presentation with a slide that maintains the presentation’s master slide details but displays a simple message such as Thank you for your support or Thank you for coming.

Of course, the end slide doesn’t have to display a message. A blank slide might be adequate. You might even consider combining two end slides: Display a short thank you, or otherwise appropriate message, and follow it with a blank slide. That way, if you click out of the message slide, you’re still covered.

Professional presentations include a slide dedicated to ending the presentation. It protects you and cues your audience.

#4: Create your own AutoContent template

The AutoContent Wizard is a great place to start when you’re not sure what a presentation should cover. This wizard creates a new presentation using built-in templates, and you can customize the results.

What you might not know is that you can add an existing presentation to the AutoContent Wizard’s library. To do so, complete the following steps:

1. Launch the wizard by choosing New from the File menu.
2. Click the From AutoContent Wizard link in the New Presentation task pane.
3. Click Next in the wizard’s first pane.
4. Choose the most appropriate content template category and click Add (Figure B).
5. Locate your presentation file and click OK.

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6. Quit the wizard.

At this point, the presentation you added is available to use as a content template. Don’t let a good, generic presentation go to waste. Most likely, you’ll have to customize it, but that’s true of any content template you choose.

The AutoContent Wizard isn’t available in PowerPoint 2007. Instead, use a themed template. Choose File from the Office menu and select New to get started.

Microsoft offers more free templates.

#5: Send a presentation to Word

PowerPoint can print views, but you can’t modify the results much. For instance, you can print handouts or even individual slides, but PowerPoint just prints a hard copy of your exact slides. If you want to enhance or format handouts, send the presentation to Word, which offers more flexibility. To do so, complete the following steps:

1. Choose Send To from the File menu.
2. Select Microsoft Office Word from the resulting submenu.
3. In the Send To Microsoft Office Word dialog (Figure C), choose one of the many send options. The Outline Only option sends only the content.
4. Click OK.

Figure C

Once your content is in Word, you can apply formatting and printing options that aren’t available to you in PowerPoint.

In PowerPoint 2007, you use the Publish command to send content to Word. Choose Publish from the Office menu and then choose Create Handouts In Microsoft Office Word.

When you do supply handouts, consider handing them out at the end of the presentation instead of at the beginning. Some people will pay more attention to your handouts than your presentation.

#6: Reverse those points

You probably know that you can display bullet points one at a time by choosing an animation scheme in the Slide Design task pane. Specifically, choose Fade In One By One from the Subtle section. What you might not know is that you can display bullet points in reverse order. The easiest way to reverse point order is to choose Show In Reverse in the Moderate section of the Animation Scheme task pane.

It’s a good idea to spend some time viewing all of the Animation Scheme options. It won’t take long, just a few minutes. Being familiar with all the effects is the key to using each appropriately. In addition, where animation is concerned, less is better than more — go easy and use animation only when you have a specific reason to and not just because you like a particular scheme.

You’ll find animation options on PowerPoint 2007’s Animations tab in the Animations group. Use the Animate drop-down list to choose the desired effect. The interesting advantage in 2007 is that as you choose an effect, PowerPoint displays it, so you can see it at work before you select it.

#7: Beware of busted GIFs

PowerPoint 2000 was the first version to support animated .gif files, but the viewer didn’t. (PowerPoint Viewer is a support application that lets others view your PowerPoint presentation, even if they don’t have PowerPoint installed locally.) Unfortunately, the older viewers don’t support .gif files. This limitation has the potential to spoil your otherwise flawless presentation.

The good news is that more recent viewers do support .gif files. In fact, they offer full-feature support all the way back to PowerPoint 97. If you’re still using an older version of PowerPoint — 97, 2000, or XP — the latest viewers will run your presentations, .gif’s and all. Microsoft offers a list of the different PowerPoint Viewer versions.

#8: Reverse slide print

Most printers allow you to print in reverse, but you can’t always get to individual printer options — especially with networked printers that are configured for all users by an administrator. If printing options are limited, you can still have PowerPoint print your slides in reverse order, with or without help from your printer:

1. Choose Print from the File menu. (In PowerPoint 2007, choose Print from the Office menu.)
2. Click the Slides option in the Print Range section.
3. Enter the range of slides in reverse order. For instance, if you want to print slides 1 through 10 in reverse order, enter 10-1 instead of 1-10. It’s an easy solution to implement.

PowerPoint will remember this setting until you change it or exit the presentation. Even if your printer has a reverse option available, you might find the PowerPoint route easier to take if you consistently print the same range of slides during the same work session, as your printer might not remember the setting.

#9: Reduce file size

PowerPoint files can be huge. If you send them via e-mail, you might find it takes a while to upload and download a presentation, especially if you or a recipient is still using a dial-up connection.

You probably use special software to compress the file before sending. You can also reduce the size of the original file by deleting the slide thumbnails. To do so:

1. Choose Properties from the File menu.
2. Click the Summary tab.
3. Locate the Save Preview Picture check box at the bottom of the dialog box (Figure D) , deselect it, and click OK.

Figure D

Doing this will save a huge hunk of KBs, even before you compress the file. If you disable the thumbnails, you can’t preview the file in the Open dialog box, but that seems like a small tradeoff for the KB savings.

This option is harder to find in PowerPoint 2007. From the Office menu, choose Prepare and then Properties. From the Document Properties drop-down list, choose Advanced Properties to find the Summary tab. You’ll still save some space, but not as much.

# 10: Control the pointer from the keyboard

During a slide show, PowerPoint hides the pointer five seconds after you display each slide, and then it disappears. When you click to view the next slide, the pointer becomes visible for another five seconds. You can control pointer display by clicking the icon in the bottom-left corner of the screen, but that’s a bit distracting in the middle of a presentation. Instead, consider controlling pointer visibility from the keyboard:

• Ctrl + H hides the pointer immediately.
• Ctrl + A displays the pointer immediately.

Once you use Ctrl + A to display the pointer, it’s fixed. There’s no five-second delay. You must use Ctrl + H if you want it to go away.

Susan Sales Harkins is an independent consultant and the author of several articles and books on database technologies. Her most recent book is Mastering Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express, with Mike Gunderloy, published by Sybex. Other collaborations with Gunderloy are Automating Microsoft Access 2003 with VBA, Upgrader’s Guide to Microsoft Office System 2003, ICDL Exam Cram 2, and Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Microsoft Access 2003, all published by Que. Currently, Susan volunteers as the Publications Director for Database Advisors. You can reach her at ssharkins@gmail.com.