Introduction
PowerPoint 2000 is a complete presentation graphics program that allows you to produce professional-looking presentations. Some key features include:
- Create slides with text, graphics, sounds, movies, and links to the Web
- Choose from many predesigned templates and color schemes
- Animate text and graphics on slides
- Print slides, outlines, handouts, and speaker notes
- Run an on-screen slide show
When you first open PowerPoint 2000, you are given three options for starting a new presentation:
- AutoContent Wizard – steps you through creating a presentation by asking questions
- Design Template – provides predesigned slide backgrounds and color schemes
- Blank Presentation – allows you to design your own slides from scratch
Using the AutoContent Wizard
The AutoContent Wizard is a handy tool that allows you to create a presentation quickly. It provides 8 to 12 slides you can customize by adding your own pictures and text.
To use the wizard:
- Choose File > New
- Click the General tab
- Select AutoContent Wizard
- Follow the step-by-step instructions
The wizard asks you questions to help build your presentation such as the type of presentation and how you will use it.
Benefits
- Quickly creates an entire presentation framework
- Provides guidance on what to include on each slide
Drawbacks
- Fairly structured format
- Limited customization options
Using a Design Template
PowerPoint comes with many predesigned templates you can use to create presentations. Using a template can save time since the formatting and color schemes are already set up.
To use a template:
- Choose File > New
- Click the General tab
- Select Design Template
- Browse and select a template
- Customize slides by adding your own text/graphics
Benefits
- Professionally designed backgrounds
- Color schemes already set up
- Consistent formatting
Drawbacks
- Less control over design
- Can look generic
Creating a Blank Presentation
The blank presentation option gives you the most flexibility to create custom slides from scratch.
To use a blank presentation:
- Choose File > New
- Click the General tab
- Select Blank Presentation
You can design each slide using:
- AutoLayouts
- Custom backgrounds
- Unique color schemes
- Personalized text formatting
Benefits
- Complete creative control
- Customize every element
- Make unique presentations
Drawbacks
- More time consuming
- Easy to create inconsistent formatting
Working With Slides
Once you open a new presentation, the main PowerPoint window provides everything you need to build your slide show:
Outline Pane
- Organize presentation content in outline format
- Easily rearrange slides
Slide Pane
- Design individual slides
- Add text, graphics, animations
Notes Pane
- Create speaker notes to use when presenting
Views
- Switch between different ways of viewing your presentation while you work:
- Normal
- Slide Sorter
- Slide Show
It’s easy to add new slides to your presentation using the New Slide dialog box. You can insert slides with:
- Bulleted lists
- Charts
- Text and clip art
- Blank slides
Saving and Printing
You can save and close presentations to work on later just like other Office documents.
Print options include:
- Full slides
- Outlines
- Handouts
- Notes pages
Before closing PowerPoint, make sure to save your work!
Opening an Existing Presentation
To open an existing PowerPoint 2000 presentation:
- Select File > Open
- Browse to the file
- Click Open
The presentation will open in PowerPoint and you can edit the slides as needed.
Presentation Tips
- Use slide transitions and animations sparingly
- Limit text – use more graphics/visuals
- Check spelling and grammar
- Use high quality images
- Practice delivering your slide show
Creating an effective PowerPoint 2000 presentation takes planning, but it’s easy once you learn the program’s basic features. The key is customizing the built-in tools to showcase your unique presentation content.
