PowerPoint

Unit 1: Creating a Presentation with PowerPoint

Lesson 1: Creating a Presentation

How do you create a new presentation?

When you first start PowerPoint, you are greeted with the following window,

The forth option is self-explanatory. Let's explore the three options above it for creating a new presentation.

is probably the best option if you want maximum help creating your presentation. The AutoContent wizard will ask you a few questions about the presentation you are creating and then generate the skeleton of your presentation including 8-10 slides. Your job then is to add the content for your specific presentation. This is probably the best option if your presentation fits one of the predefined types (Project Overview, Selling Your Idea, Business Plan, etc).

The next option gets you started without any sample slides, but with a design template defined for all new slides you create. A design template specifies such things as format, style, and color. Here is an example of a slide from a presentation using the design template Fireball,

The last option for creating a new presentation gives you maximum control. When you select this option and click PowerPoint starts with no sample slides and no design template set. The slides you create will be plain:

That explains your options when you first start PowerPoint, but what about when you want to create a new presentation after PowerPoint has been started?

While PowerPoint is running, selecting the toolbar button is the same as above.

Selecting the menu option File/New... brings up the following dialog box,

Notice the icon in the upper left-hand corner for the AutoContent Wizard. Selecting this icon is the same as selecting the option above. The other options under the Presentations tab will create a sample presentation for the type of presentation selected.

The Presentation Designs tab lists design templates. The options on this tab are the same options you will see when you select the option above.

The following animation shows how to create a new presentation with a specific design template set,

Creating a New Presentation

Notice that when you are selecting a template a thumbnail size image of a sample slide is shown in the preview window on the right.