Google Slides is a popular free presentation software that allows you to easily create, edit, share, and collaborate on presentations online. With its user-friendly interface and powerful features, Google Slides makes it simple for anyone to build professional and visually appealing slide decks.
In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the step-by-step process to create presentations from scratch in Google Slides.
Step 1: Open Google Slides and Start a New Presentation
Go to slides.google.com or open the Slides app on your mobile device. Click on the “+” icon that says “Start a new presentation” to open a blank canvas.
Alternatively, you can start from one of the many beautiful templates offered in the template gallery by hovering over the template preview and selecting “Use as template”.
How to start a new Google Slides presentation
Step 2: Add and Edit Slides
The toolbar at the top contains all the main editing tools. To add a new slide, click on the “+” icon or go to Insert > New Slide.
To edit an existing slide, simply click on the slide thumbnail on the left to select it. You can then add, modify or delete any elements on that slide.
Step 3: Add Text
To add text boxes, click on the “T” icon in the toolbar or Insert > Text box. Click and drag to draw a text box, then start typing to add text.
You can format the text easily with options like font, size, color etc. To format, select the text and use the options in the toolbar.
Step 4: Insert Images, Videos, Charts and More
Google Slides offers various options to make your presentation visually appealing:
- Images: Click the image icon or go to Insert > Image to add an image from your computer, Google Drive, or search the web.
- Videos: Add a video from YouTube, Drive or your device.
- Charts: Choose from different chart types like bar, pie etc. and add data.
- Shapes: Pick shapes, lines, arrows etc. to highlight or connect elements.
- Tables: Add tables to organize data into rows and columns.
How to insert images and other elements in Google Slides
Step 5: Choose a Theme
Themes allow you to quickly apply visual styles to your presentation. Click on the Design tab to browse the various theme options.
Pick a theme and the font, colors etc. will automatically apply to all slides, creating a professional and consistent look.
Step 6: Add Slide Transitions
Make your slides more dynamic by adding cool transitions between them. Go to Slide Change > Transition and select a transition effect you like.
You can control the transition duration and even apply motion effects like spinning or fading.
Step 7: Present and Share
When your presentation is ready, click on “Present” to go into fullscreen presentation mode. Or open the presentation in Google Meet for online meetings and webinars.
To let others view or edit, click Share and enter email addresses or create shareable links. Enable commenting to get feedback easily.
Step 8: Export and Download
If you need to download your presentation, Google Slides allows you to export to PowerPoint (.pptx), PDF and more formats.
Go to File > Download and select your preferred format. The file will download to your device for offline access and portability.
So that’s a quick 8-step guide on how to create stunning presentations in Google Slides! With practice, you’ll be designing professional slide decks in no time. The best part is everything saves automatically so you’ll never lose your work.
Let us know in the comments if you have any other questions on using this fantastic free presentation tool!
