How to Make a PowerPoint on Mac

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Introduction

PowerPoint is a popular presentation software developed by Microsoft. While PowerPoint is most commonly associated with Windows PCs, you can also create PowerPoint presentations on a Mac.

There are a few different options for making PowerPoints on a Mac:

  • Use Microsoft PowerPoint for Mac
  • Use Apple’s Keynote app and export presentations to PowerPoint format
  • Use web-based apps like Google Slides

In this guide, we’ll cover the basics of making PowerPoints using Microsoft PowerPoint on a Mac.

Get PowerPoint on Your Mac

The easiest way to get PowerPoint on a Mac is to subscribe to Microsoft 365. This gives you access to the full Microsoft Office suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more.

Here’s how to get PowerPoint for Mac with Microsoft 365:

  1. Go to www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365
  2. Click “Buy now” and purchase a Microsoft 365 subscription
  3. Download and install the Microsoft 365 apps from the Mac App Store
  4. Open PowerPoint and start creating presentations!

You can also purchase a one-time license for PowerPoint for Mac 2019 if you don’t want an ongoing subscription.

Create a New Presentation

Once you have PowerPoint installed, it’s easy to start a new presentation:

  1. Open PowerPoint
  2. Click the “File” menu and select “New Presentation”
  3. Choose a theme or template to apply to your presentation

PowerPoint includes many professionally designed themes and templates you can use to quickly format your presentation.

Add Slides and Content

The main content in a PowerPoint presentation goes on individual slides. Here’s how to add new slides:

  • Click the “New Slide” button in the toolbar
  • Go to the “Insert” menu and select “New Slide”
  • Right-click within the left slide thumbnail pane and select “New Slide”

You can add various types of content to your slides, including:

  • Text – Click inside a slide placeholder or text box to add text
  • Images – Drag and drop images onto a slide or insert them from the toolbar
  • Video – Insert video files to play directly in your presentation
  • Charts/Graphs – Create charts and graphs to visualize data
  • Shapes – Insert shapes, arrows, lines, and more

Apply Slide Transitions and Animations

To make your slides more visually compelling, apply slide transitions and animations:

Transitions determine how one slide changes to the next during a presentation. For example, you can set slides to fade or wipe between each other.

Animations add movement and effects to slide elements like text and images. For instance, you can set text to fly in from the side or images to spin.

Applying transitions and animations helps presentations feel more dynamic and polished.

Save and Export Your Presentation

When you finish your PowerPoint presentation on a Mac, you’ll want to save it and export/share it:

  • Save the presentation as a PPTX PowerPoint file so you can edit it later
  • Export to PDF format to share a read-only version
  • Package the presentation and related files to easily present on another computer
  • Share via email, cloud storage, collaboration platforms, and more

Saving frequently is important to avoid losing work. PowerPoint for Mac has auto-save and auto-recovery to help protect against crashes.

Presentation Tips

Here are some quick tips for making great PowerPoint presentations on a Mac:

  • Use high-quality photos and graphics
  • Limit text – use concise bullets
  • Pick a simple, consistent theme
  • Use slide animations and transitions in moderation
  • Check for spelling and grammar errors
  • Practice your presentation with slides and notes

Keeping these best practices in mind will help you create professional, impactful presentations.

Advanced Features

PowerPoint for Mac shares most key features with the Windows version but lacks a few advanced options like:

  • Morph transition animations
  • 3D model imports
  • SVG vector image editing
  • Video compression
  • Accessibility checker

However, the Mac version offers excellent core presentation capabilities for most needs. And Microsoft continues adding features to close the gap between platforms.

Conclusion

Whether you want to make a business pitch deck, academic presentation, or share vacation photos, PowerPoint for Mac enables you to create beautiful, engaging slideshows.

With an Office 365 subscription, you can download PowerPoint for Mac and start building presentations in minutes. Add slides, insert media, apply animations, and incorporate your personal flair with themes and templates.

So give PowerPoint on a Mac a try today – your next great presentation is just a few clicks away!

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