Introduction
In PowerPoint 2000, placeholders are pre-formatted containers on slides that hold text, graphics, tables, charts, and other objects. Being able to effectively move and resize these placeholders is an important skill when creating presentations.
Identifying Placeholders
Placeholders are easily identifiable by the icons that appear inside them when a slide layout is inserted. Common placeholder types include:
- Title
- Text
- Date
- Slide number
- Table
- Chart
- Picture
- Organization chart
- Media clip
When you click inside a placeholder, the border changes to display sizing handles around the edges and corners.
Moving Placeholders
To move a placeholder:
- Click inside the placeholder to select it
- Hover the mouse pointer over the border until it changes to a four-headed arrow
- Click and drag the placeholder to the desired location on the slide
You can also use the arrow keys on your keyboard to nudge placeholders up, down, left or right in small increments.
Resizing Placeholders
There are a few ways to resize placeholders in PowerPoint 2000:
Corner Handles
- Click inside the placeholder to display the sizing handles
- Hover over a corner handle until the mouse pointer displays a diagonal double arrow
- Click and drag diagonally to resize, keeping the original aspect ratio
Side Handles
- Click and drag a side handle to squeeze or stretch a placeholder vertically or horizontally without maintaining the original proportions
Height and Width Fields
You can precisely resize a placeholder using the Height and Width fields:
- Select the placeholder
- Go to Format > Size
- Enter values (in inches) into the Height and Width fields
- Click OK
Tips
- Hold down the Shift key while resizing to retain a placeholder’s proportions
- Use Align or Distribute tools to line up multiple placeholders
- Snap objects to gridlines and slide edges for precise alignment
Conclusion
Mastering techniques for moving and resizing placeholders unlocks greater control and flexibility when arranging content on slides. Whether tweaking the layout of an individual slide or updating standardized layouts across an entire presentation, these skills allow you to create polished, professional presentations in PowerPoint 2000.
