How to Add Section and Slide Zooms in Microsoft PowerPoint

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Microsoft PowerPoint presentations often follow a linear slide-by-slide format. However, the software includes powerful tools to break out of this linear flow and allow the presenter to jump between sections or slides out of order. These tools are called Section Zooms and Slide Zooms.

In this step-by-step tutorial, you’ll learn how to add interactive Section Zooms and Slide Zooms to your PowerPoint presentations. Using zooms makes your presentations more dynamic, memorable, and engaging for your audience.

Step 1: Understand PowerPoint Section and Slide Zooms

A Section Zoom in PowerPoint allows you to quickly jump from one part of your presentation to another section out of order. The zoom shows a thumbnail image of the section you are jumping to.

A Slide Zoom works similarly but links to a specific slide rather than a section. Use Slide Zooms to emphasize important slides or talking points.

Both tools use a dynamic zoom transition effect to make the jumps more visually interesting.

Step 2: Set Up Sections (for Section Zooms)

To use Section Zooms, you first need to split your PowerPoint presentation into separate sections:

  1. Select the first slide where you want a new section to start
  2. Go to the “Home” tab and click “Section” > “Add Section”
  3. Repeat to add additional sections

This divides your presentation into parts that can be linked to with Section Zooms.

Step 3: Insert a Section Zoom

Once your presentation sections are set up:

  1. Navigate to the slide where you want the Section Zoom to appear
  2. Go to “Insert” > “Links” > “Zoom” > “Section Zoom”
  3. Check the sections you want to link to
  4. Click “Insert”

A thumbnail image of the section will appear that links to the start of that section.

Step 4: Customize the Section Zoom

To change the look and feel of a Section Zoom:

  1. Select the Section Zoom and go to “Zoom” tab
  2. Pick a “Zoom Style” or create a custom image
  3. Adjust size, shadows, reflections, etc.

Experiment until you have a Section Zoom you are happy with.

Step 5: Insert a Slide Zoom

To add a Slide Zoom instead of linking to a section:

  1. Navigate to the slide
  2. Go to “Insert > Links > Zoom > Slide Zoom”
  3. Select the target slide
  4. Click “Insert”

This adds a thumbnail linking to your chosen slide.

Step 6: Set Zoom Transition Speed

The transition speed controls how fast the zoom appears. To change it:

  1. Select the Zoom and go to “Zoom Format” tab
  2. Open “Zoom Options” pane
  3. Adjust transition speed

Faster speeds make the zoom more dramatic.

Step 7: Disable Return Zoom

By default, after visiting a Zoom destination the viewer returns to the original Zoom thumbnail. To disable this:

  1. Select the Zoom
  2. In “Zoom Options”, uncheck “Return to Zoom”

Now the viewer will remain on the destination slide.

Step 8: Add Multiple Zooms

Add several Section or Slide Zooms to create an interactive presentation allowing you to jump between key points.

Use Zooms sparingly, though. Too many can be distracting. Place them strategically on slides related to the content they are linking to.

Presentation Zooms in Action

Once set up properly, PowerPoint Zooms make your presentations more memorable, dynamic, and interactive.

They allow you to emphasize key sections or slides without following a rigid slide-by-slide flow. Use them to highlight connections between different parts of your presentation.

With a bit of creativity, Zooms can turn a boring slideshow into an exciting multimedia event!

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