Learn about Slide Master view in PowerPoint 2016

Users may have noticed when choosing a different theme in PowerPoint 2016, it will rearrange the text on the slides and add the shapes to the background. This is because each theme has its own integrated slide layout and background graphics. You can edit these layouts with the Slide Master feature. When learning how to use Slide Master view, users will be able to customize the entire slide show with just a few clicks.

What is Slide Master view?

Slide Master is a special feature in PowerPoint that allows to quickly modify slides and their layout in a presentation. From there, the master slide can be edited (this will affect every slide in the presentation). Users can also modify individual slide layouts, which will change any slide using those new layouts.

For example, let’s say you find a theme you like but aren’t satisfied with some of the slide layouts. You can use Slide Master to customize the layout the way you want.

In the view Slide Master, tab Slide Master will appear first above Ribbon, but users can still access commands on different tabs as usual.

Manual Slide Master

Whether making big changes or just a few minor adjustments to slides, Slide Master can help create a consistent, professional presentation without too much effort. You can use Slide Master to change anything in your presentation, but here are some of the most common uses.

• Modify the background: Slide Master makes it easy to customize the background for all slides at once. For example, you can add a watermark (watermark) or logo to each slide in a presentation or modify the background graphics of an existing PowerPoint theme.
• Rearrange placeholders: If you often rearrange placeholders on each slide, users can save time by rearranging them in Slide Master. When adjusting one of the layouts in Slide Master, all slides with that layout change.
• Customize text format: Instead of changing text color on individual slides, users can use Slide Master to change text color on all slides at the same time.
• Create unique slide layouts: If you want to create a presentation that looks different from regular PowerPoint themes, users can use Slide Master to create their own layouts. Custom layouts can include background graphics and your own placeholders.

Some changes to the overall layout, like custom font and theme colors can be quickly done from the tab. Design.

How to change all slides

If you want to change something on all slides, you can edit Slide Master. In the example in this article, we will add a logo to each slide.

1. Select the tab View, then click on the command Slide Master.

2. The presentation will switch to view Slide Master and tab Slide Master will be selected on Ribbon.

3. In the left navigation pane, scroll up and select the first slide. This is Slide Master.

4. Make the desired changes to Slide Master. In the example in this article, we will insert the logo of Mongibello on the slide.

5. Move, resize or delete the objects in the slide as needed. In the example, the logo size will be changed and moved to the lower right corner.

6. When finished, click on the order Close Master View on the tab Slide Master.

7. The variation will appear on all slides of the presentation.

When making changes to Slide Master, users should review their presentation to see how it affects each slide. There may be a problem with some slides. In the next section, we’ll show you how to fix this by individually customizing the slide layout.

Customize slide layouts

Users can use Slide Master to modify any slide layout in their presentation. It’s easy to make small adjustments like background graphics adjustments or more important changes like rearranging or deleting placeholders. Unlike the slide master, changes to the slide layout will be applied only to slides that use the layout in a presentation.

How to customize an existing slide layout

In this example, the new logo is added hidden behind the transparent image Picture with Caption Layout. We will customize this layout to make room for the logo.

1. Open Slide Master.

2. Locate and select the desired layout in the left navigation pane. You can hover over each layout to see which slides are currently using that layout in the presentation.

3. In some layouts, background graphics may be hidden. To display graphics, deselect Hide Background Graphics.

4. Add, move or delete any object as desired. In this example we’ll delete the gray PowerPoint background image.

5. If you want to change the arrangement of the placeholders, the user can move, resize or delete any of them. In our example, we’ll move placeholders for text, black bars to the right, and placeholders for images to the left.

6. When finished, click on the order Close Master View on the tab Slide Master.

7. All slides using the layout will be updated.

You can also move placeholders on the master slide. Note this will also move placeholders across multiple slide layouts at the same time. However, some slide layouts may still need to be adjusted manually.

Customize text format

Users can also customize text formatting from Slide Master view, including font, text size, color and alignment. For example, if you want to change the font for every placeholder for your presentation’s title, you can modify the main title style on the master slide.

Each placeholder for the title is associated with the main title style on the master slide. For example, watch the slides before changing the title font.

Now let’s look at the same slides after changing the title font.

Instead of customizing individual placeholders, users can change the theme’s font. From the tab Slide Master, Click on the command Fonts in the group Background, then choose the desired fonts.

Create a new slide layout

One of Slide Master’s most powerful features is the creation of a new slide layout. Here’s an easy way to add a cool and unique slide layout to an existing theme. You can even use this feature to design an entirely new theme, like in the example below.

How to insert a new slide layout

1. Navigate to the view Slide Master. From the tab Slide Master, Click on the command Insert Layout.

2. The new slide layout will appear.

3. Layout will include placeholders for header and footer by default. Click the box Title and Footers in the group Master Layout to enable and disable these placeholders.

4. You can now add background graphics, shapes and images to your slide layout. You can also move, adjust, and delete existing placeholders. In our example, we’ll move the placeholder for the header to the lower right corner. The text is also changed to align right instead of left.

5. To add a new placeholder, click the lower part of the command Insert Placeholder, then select the desired type. In this example we will use Picture.

6. Click and drag to draw the placeholder on the slide.

How to rename custom layouts

When it’s finished designing a custom layout, users should give it an easy-to-find name.

1. From the view Slide Master, Select the desired layout, then click the command Rename.

2. A dialog box will appear. Enter the desired name, then click Rename.

How to use custom layouts

Once you’ve created a custom slide layout, it’s easy to add a new slide with that layout or apply it to an existing slide.

1. If currently in view Slide Master, click on the command Close Master View on the tab Slide Master.

2. From the tab Home, Users can insert a new slide with a custom layout or apply it to an existing slide. In this example we will choose Layout and apply the new style to slide 6.

3. Custom slide layouts will be applied.

PowerPoint also allows to add new placeholders to existing slide layouts.

Use custom layouts in other presentations

When modifying a slide layout or master slide in Slide Master view, you’re actually creating a custom version of the current theme. If you want to apply the theme to other presentations, you’ll need to save it.

How to save a theme

From the tab Slide Master, Click on the command Themes, then choose Save Current Theme from the drop-down menu.

If not in view Slide Master, You can save the theme from the tab Design. Just click the drop-down arrow in the group Themes, then choose Save Current Theme.

Good luck!

See more:

• How to burn presentation slides to CD
• How to create text effects in PowerPoint
• How to use action buttons in PowerPoint