Chapter 2: Navigating PowerPoint
Discover PowerPoint basics such as working in different views and navigating through PowerPoint. Knowing how to navigate through an application can save time, avoid frustration, and help you build a quality presentation. In this chapter, you learn the elements in the PowerPoint screen, and how to get help when you need it.
Work with Ribbon Groups, Commands, and Galleries
Using the Quick Access Toolbar
Explore Normal View
PowerPoint offers several views that you can use to work on different aspects of your presentation. Having different views is important because certain views are better for performing certain tasks. For example, arranging slides is easiest in Slide Sorter view.
You will usually work in Normal view, where you can create, position, and format objects on each slide. In Outline view, you can enter presentation text in outline form and the text automatically appears on the slide.
A Navigation Buttons
You can change views using the command buttons on the View tab of the ribbon, or using the command buttons on the status bar. These buttons include Normal view (
), Slide Sorter view (
), Slide Show view (
), and Reading view (
).
B Slides Thumbnail Pane
The Slides Thumbnail pane contains thumbnails of each slide. The thumbnails are numbered by the order in which they appear in the slide show. You can click and drag the thumbnails to change the order of slides and you can delete slides from this pane.
C Slide Pane
The Slide pane is the largest pane in Normal view and shows a slide and all its contents. Here you can create and manipulate slide objects such as graphics and animations, and type text directly on to the slide.
D Notes Pane
The Notes pane appears below the Slide pane. You can enter speaker notes associated with each individual slide into this pane. You can then refer to these notes while presenting a slide show without your audience seeing them.
Navigate PowerPoint Views
In addition to Normal view, you can use Slide Sorter view to organize slides, Notes Page view to create detailed speaker notes, and Slide Show view or Reading view to display your presentation. Each view has certain tasks that are easier to perform in that particular view.
Outline View
Outline view has a pane that enables you to enter text into your slides in a familiar outline format. In this view, the Outline pane replaces the Slides Thumbnail pane. Top-level headings in the outline are slide titles, and entries at the second level appear as bullet points. The outline is a great reference if you need to write a paper to accompany your presentation.
Slide Sorter View
Slide Sorter view is the best view to change the order of slides, delete slides, or duplicate slides. In Slide Sorter view, you can click and drag a slide to move it. If you double-click a slide, PowerPoint changes to Normal view and displays that slide in the Slide pane.
Reading View
You can click Slide Show view () to present your show. Slides appear one at a time at full screen size. Reading view () is very similar to Slide Show view, but gives you more navigation flexibility because the status bar remains at the bottom of the screen. To exit either view, press 
.
Notes Page View
In Notes Page view, you can display each slide and the associated speaker notes as one full page. You can also type notes on the page while viewing your slide — this is the most convenient view for typing presentation notes. From the View tab, click Notes Page to work with this view.
Work with Ribbon Groups, Commands, and Galleries
You can find all the commands that you need to design and present your slide show on the ribbon. The ribbon is the user interface at the top of the PowerPoint window. Commands are necessary to design your presentation, and knowing their location allows you to find them quickly so you can work efficiently.
Related commands are grouped on the ribbon tabs. Commands are further arranged into groups on the tab, with the group names shown at the bottom of the group. Some command buttons include down arrows that display menus or galleries of commands when you click them.
Work with Ribbon Groups, Commands, and Galleries
Click any tab on the ribbon.
This example selects the View tab.
The commands for the particular tab you clicked appear on the ribbon.
Click the button or check box for any command.
This example selects Macro.
The Macro dialog box appears.
Click Cancel to cancel the command.
Click the down arrow (
) next to any button to display a gallery.
Note: Clicking a down arrow () displays a menu or menu.
Click the desired choice from the menu or gallery that appears.
Click a dialog box launcher (
).
Note: A dialog box launcher () displays a dialog box when you click it.
In this example, the Grid and Guides dialog box appears.
Click OK to accept any selections you have made in the dialog box.
The presentation reflects any changes you made.
A For some ribbon commands, such as those on a contextual tab, you must first select an object on the slide before choosing a command.
B Note that the Drawing Tools Format tab does not appear until you click an object like a text box.
TIPS
How do I learn what a particular ribbon button does?
Position the mouse pointer (
) over the button, and a ScreenTip describing the button appears. You see ScreenTip that lists the button name, any available shortcut key, and a brief description of the button. By default, ScreenTip features are enabled, but you can disable them in the PowerPoint Options dialog box (described in Chapter 3).
What happens if I click the main part of a ribbon button that has a down arrow on it?
If the sole purpose of the button is to open a gallery or menu, PowerPoint does that. If the main part of the button executes a command, PowerPoint applies that command using either the settings you last used or the most commonly used settings for that command.
Arrange Presentation Windows
Sometimes you need to view multiple presentations on-screen at once — for example, when you want to compare their contents or copy a slide from one presentation to another. You can arrange PowerPoint in such a way that you can see multiple open presentations at the same time. This handy feature is found on the View tab.
You should limit the number of open presentations to three or four. Otherwise, you cannot see enough of each presentation to make this feature useful.
Arrange Presentation Windows
Open two or more presentations.
Click the View tab.
Click Cascade (
).
The presentation windows move so they overlap.
A You can click Switch Windows and then click a presentation in the menu to make that presentation active.
Click Arrange All (
).
The presentation windows appear side by side.
B You can drag a window’s title bar to move the window.
Click the Maximize button (
) on one of the windows.
The window appears full screen again.
Find and Use KeyTips
You can use the KeyTips feature to employ keyboard shortcuts to select and execute ribbon commands. You may be more comfortable using your keyboard instead of your mouse or touchpad. For example, you may use a notebook computer with a finicky touchpad. Alternatively, you may have your mouse pointer set up to go fast, which makes it hard to point at something with pinpoint accuracy. KeyTips allows you to run commands quickly without using the mouse or touchpad, making you more proficient in your presentation work.
Find and Use KeyTips
Press 
.
A The KeyTips (shortcut keys) for the ribbon tabs and Quick Access Toolbar appear in boxes beside the ribbon tabs.
Press the shortcut key for the tab you want to use.
This example presses 
to display the Slide Show tab.
The Slide Show tab appears with KeyTips displayed next to the commands.
Note: To abort using KeyTips, press .
Press the shortcut key for the command you want to execute.
The command executes, or a menu, gallery, or dialog box appears so you can finish choosing commands.
B This example presses 
(
changes to 
).
Using the Quick Access Toolbar
The Quick Access Toolbar appears above the File tab at the top of the PowerPoint application window. For your convenience, it contains command buttons for the most commonly used PowerPoint commands.
You can click the command buttons on the Quick Access Toolbar to execute these commands quickly. You can also easily add (or remove) some of these commonly used commands to (or from) the Quick Access Toolbar. You can even add your personal favorite commands to it.
Using the Quick Access Toolbar
Click the desired button on the Quick Access Toolbar.
PowerPoint executes the command.
Note: Finish executing the command if any menu or dialog box appears.
Click the down arrow (
) on the right side of the Quick Access Toolbar to access the menu.
A Note the check mark (
) appearing next to commands on the Quick Access Toolbar.
B Click More Commands to see all available commands (see Chapter 3 for more information).
Click one of the commands from the menu list.
C The selected command appears as an icon on the Quick Access Toolbar and a check mark () appears next to it in the menu.
Resize the Notes Pane
It is often handy to have notes associated with slides. You may want to refer to notes while designing a slide or during a slide show presentation. You can enter notes into the Notes pane, which appears under the Slide pane in Normal view. Notes entered into the Notes pane are automatically displayed in Presenter view during a slide show presentation, but your audience cannot see the notes. (See Chapter 15 for more information on Presenter view.) You can resize the Notes pane to make it easier to enter and read the notes.
Resize the Notes Pane
Click the View tab.
Click Notes.
A The Notes pane appears.
Position the mouse pointer () over the pane divider until the mouse splitter pointer (
) appears.
Click and drag upward.
The Notes pane resizes and the slide automatically resizes in the Slide pane to compensate.
Click Notes to hide the Notes pane.
Zoom to Full Screen
There are times when you need maximum space to work on your presentation. For instance, while moving slides in Slide Sorter view, a little more space may allow you to see more slides or allow you to make the slides bigger so you can see them more clearly. You can zoom to full screen in design mode to take advantage of every little bit of space. When you zoom to full screen, the space occupied by the ribbon, status bar, and other elements is used to view the slides. You can zoom to full screen in any view.
Zoom to Full Screen
Hide the Ribbon
Click the View tab.
Click Slide Sorter.
Slide Sorter view appears.
Click the Ribbon Display Options button (
) in the upper-right corner of the PowerPoint window.
Click Auto-hide Ribbon.
Slide Sorter view zooms to the entire screen.
Click the Ellipsis button (
) in the upper-right corner of the screen.
The ribbon appears. You can now access the ribbon commands. The ribbon disappears after executing a command or clicking a slide. Repeat Step 5 each time you want to execute a command.
View the Ribbon Continuously
Click the Ribbon Display Options button ().
Click Show Tabs and Commands.
PowerPoint returns to the window view.
Navigate Slides
Slide show presentations generally contain many slides. As a result, PowerPoint provides different ways to navigate the slides so that you can choose one that is most efficient and effective for what you are doing. The way you work on your project determines the way you choose to navigate. You can use the various scroll bar buttons to navigate slides in Normal view, click a slide in the Slides Thumbnail pane to select a slide, or view slide thumbnails in Slide Sorter view.
Navigate Slides
Navigate Using the Scroll Bar
Click the View tab.
Click Normal.
Click and drag the scroll bar to scroll through slides.
Click the Next Slide button (
) to display the next slide.
Click the Previous Slide button (
) to display the previous slide.
Navigate Using the Slide Thumbnail Pane
Click and drag the scroll bar to move through the slides.
Click a slide thumbnail.
The selected slide appears in the Slide pane.
Navigate Using the Outline View
Click Outline View.
Click and drag the scroll bar to move through the slides.
Click a slide icon (
).
The selected slide appears in the Slide pane.
Navigate in Slide Sorter View
Click Slide Sorter.
Slide Sorter view appears.
Click and drag the scroll bar to move through the slides.
Click a slide.
PowerPoint selects the slide.
Note: Double-click a slide to view it in Normal view.
TIPS
Why are there no scroll bars in the Slide Thumbnails or Outline View panes?
If PowerPoint can display all slides in the presentation without scrolling down or up, it does not display a scroll bar. The fact that there is not a scroll bar means you are viewing all of the slides in the presentation.
Is there a way to see more slides in Slide Sorter view so I can easily find the one I want to view?
Yes. You can click and drag the Zoom slider in the lower-right corner of the PowerPoint window to make the slides smaller, which shows more slides. You can also click the Zoom In (
) or Zoom Out (
) buttons at each end of the slider.
Using Help
Microsoft Office PowerPoint Help offers two ways to get help. If you are connected to the Internet, it provides help from Microsoft Office Online. If an Internet connection is not available, PowerPoint uses Help files installed on your computer. PowerPoint also allows you to select between searching online and searching on your computer manually. You can find answers to your questions by selecting from a list of popular searches or by searching using keywords. The keyword searches are very similar, whether online or on your computer.
Using Help
Click the Help button (
).
The PowerPoint Help window appears.
Type a keyword in the search text box.
A Optionally, you can click in the Popular Searches list.
Click the Search button (
).
PowerPoint shows a list of online articles.
Click the Home button (
).
The Help home page appears.
B You can click a graphic to show a help article for that topic.
Click the PowerPoint Help down arrow ().
The drop box opens.
Click PowerPoint Help from your computer.
The Basic Help home page appears.
C Click Back (
) and Forward (
) to navigate back and forth.
D Click Print (
) to print information.
E Click Use Large Text (
) to increase font size.
Type a keyword in the search text box.
Click the Search button ().
PowerPoint displays ribbon commands associated with the keyword you typed.
Click an item to display detailed information about that item.
Click Next to see more results.
Click the Close button (
) to exit Help.
TIP
Is there a fast and easy way to open the Microsoft Office.com Help page from PowerPoint?
Yes. Click more (A20 after executing a search and PowerPoint launches your Internet browser and opens the Microsoft Office.com Help web page. From here, you can click various topics for help. You can even get a training video for PowerPoint 2013 for free!
