10. Prepare and deliver presentations

If your presentation includes information that you want to deliver to some audiences but not others, you can create custom slide shows that each contain a subset of the slides in the presentation. The custom slide shows are saved with the presentation, so you need to maintain only one presentation for all audiences rather than individual presentations for each.

Before you deliver a presentation, you can rehearse it and, if you want to, set specific times for the slides to advance without you having to click or press anything. You can set slide timings to match the speed of your narration, or if the slide show will run on its own, to provide the right amount of time for audience members to read the information on each slide.

While you deliver a presentation, you can use the tools that are available in Slide Show view to navigate through the slides, draw attention to specific information with a digital laser pointer, and even draw on or annotate the slides with an on-screen pen or highlighter. If you’re presenting on a remote screen, you can use Presenter view to display your slide notes and cue yourself to upcoming slides.

This chapter guides you through procedures related to adapting presentations for different audiences, rehearsing a presentation and setting slide timings, and presenting slide shows.

If you plan to deliver variations of the same presentation to different audiences, you can save time by preparing one presentation that contains the slides for all the audiences, and then creating a custom slide show for each audience. Each custom slide show displays only the slides you select.

After you create a custom slide show, you can start it by selecting it from the Custom Slide Show menu on the Slide Show tab. If you want to set the custom slide show as the default show that runs when you click the From Beginning button or press F5, you can do so from the Set Up Show dialog box.

To set up a slide show to run manually

1. On the Slide Show tab, in the Set Up group, click the Set Up Slide Show button.

2. In the Set Up Show dialog box, do the following, and then click OK.

• In the Show type area, click Presented by a speaker (full screen).

• In the Advance slides area, click Manually.

To set up a slide show so that it runs automatically

1. On the Slide Show tab, in the Set Up group, click the Set Up Slide Show button to open the Set Up Show dialog box.

2. In the Show type area, do either of the following:

• Click Browsed at a kiosk (full screen) to loop the show continuously until someone presses Esc.

• Click Browsed by an individual (window) if the presentation will be viewed by viewers one at a time. In this case, the presentation will loop continuously by default, but you can disable this setting.

To create a custom slide show from scratch

1. Open the presentation you want to customize for different audiences.

2. On the Slide Show tab, in the Start Slide Show group, click the Custom Slide Show button, and then click Custom Shows.

3. In the Custom Shows dialog box, click New to open the Define Custom Show dialog box.

4. In the Slide show name box, enter a name for the custom slide show (for example, a name that identifies the audience).

5. In the Slides in presentation list, select the check box for each slide you want to include in the custom slide show.

6. Click Add to transfer the selected slides to the Slides In Custom Show list.

7. If you want to reorder the slides in the custom slide show, click a slide that you want to move in the Slides In Custom Show list, and then click the Up or Down button. The slide order in the slide show doesn’t affect the slide order in the presentation.

8. Click OK to return to the Custom Shows dialog box.

9. To test the custom slide show, click the slide show name, and then click Show.

To create a custom slide show based on an existing slide show

1. On the Slide Show tab, in the Start Slide Show group, click the Custom Slide Show button, and then click Custom Shows.

2. In the Custom Shows dialog box, click the slide show that you want to start from, and then click Copy to create a copy in the list.

3. With the Copy of slide show selected, click Edit to open the Define Custom Show dialog box.

4. In the Slide show name box, rename the custom slide show.

5. Modify the slide show by doing any of the following:

• Add slides from the Slides in presentation list to the Slides in custom show list.

• Delete slides from the Slides in custom show list.

• Reorder slides in the Slides in custom show list.

6. Click OK to return to the Custom Shows dialog box.

To start a custom slide show

1. Open the presentation that includes the custom slide show.

2. On the Slide Show tab, in the Start Slide Show group, click the Custom Slide Show button.

3. On the Custom Slide Show menu, click the custom slide show that you want to start.

To set a custom slide show as the default

1. On the Slide Show tab, in the Set Up group, click the Set Up Slide Show button to open the Set Up Show dialog box.

2. In the Show slides area, click Custom show to activate the Custom Show list.

3. In the list, click the custom slide show that you want to start by default. Then click OK to close the dialog box.

The “Add and manage slide transitions” topic in Chapter 8, “Add sound and movement to slides,” touched briefly on slide timings, because you can set a slide exit time that accomplishes the same thing from the Transitions tab. This topic discusses setting the slide timing from the Slide Show tab as part of the process of rehearsing and timing the delivery of a slide show.

Rehearsing a presentation is an opportunity to practice delivering your narrative or to review the content from the point of view of the audience to ensure that it is legible and clearly conveys your message. When you rehearse a presentation, PowerPoint automatically tracks and sets the slide timings for you, reflecting the amount of time you spend on each slide during the rehearsal. Then, during your actual delivery of the presentation, PowerPoint displays each slide for the length of time you indicated during the rehearsal.

While you rehearse the presentation, PowerPoint displays the slides in Slide Show view (at full screen) with the Recording toolbar in the corner of the screen.

The Recording toolbar has three buttons and two timers.

You can use these tools to manage the timing process as follows:

Next moves to the next slide. You can also use the standard methods of clicking, clicking on-screen buttons, or pressing keyboard keys.

Pause pauses the slide timing. If you’re interrupted during the rehearsal, you can pause the timing process to help keep your timing accurate.

The Slide Time counter shows the time that the current slide has been displayed.

The Repeat button pauses the slide timing and resets the Slide Time counter so you can start the timing of the current slide from scratch.

The Presentation Time counter shows the total slide show time during the rehearsal session.

When you complete the rehearsal, PowerPoint displays the total time and asks whether to save it (and overwrite any previously recorded slide timings).

It isn’t vital to get the slide timing exactly right during the rehearsal; you can modify it manually after you complete the process.

When you finish the rehearsal and save the slide timings, they’re visible in Slide Sorter view. Unlike the exit timings that you can set with transitions, the slide timings are not visible in the Thumbnails pane of Normal view.

You can review the slide timings and then, if you want to modify any of them, you can do so manually.

If you want to record your delivery of a presentation, the process is similar to that of rehearsing it. You can record from the beginning of the presentation or from a specific slide, and you can include your audio narration and on-screen annotations, if you want to. You can use your recording to review your work, or you can distribute it to people or post it online for people to watch on their own.

If you’re not satisfied with the narration for a slide, you can clear the narration from the slide, and then re-record the narration for only that slide. If you decide that you don’t want to use slide timings or narration, you can remove those elements from the slides.

To rehearse a slide show and record slide timings

1. Display the presentation in any development view.

2. On the Slide Show tab, in the Set Up group, click the Rehearse Timings button.

3. Narrate the slide at the speed you intend to when you present the slide show, or wait a sufficient amount of time for your intended audience members to read and comprehend the slide. Then advance to the next slide by clicking the Next button on the Recording toolbar, or by using any of the methods described in the next topic, “Present slide shows.”

4. Repeat step 3 through to the end of the slide show.

5. When the slide show ends, PowerPoint displays the total delivery time and asks whether you want to save the recorded slide timings. Click Yes to save the timings or No to discard them.

To manually adjust the time for a slide

1. Select or display the slide.

2. On the Transitions tab, in the Timing group, to the right of the slide timing in the After box, type or select the time you want.

To record a presentation and review the recording

1. Display the presentation in any development view.

2. On the Slide Show tab, in the Set Up group, do either of the following to open the Record Slide Show dialog box:

• To record the presentation starting with slide 1, click the Record Slide Show button.

• To record the presentation starting with the current slide, click the Record Slide Show arrow, and then click Start Recording from Current Slide.

3. In the Record Slide Show dialog box, if you don’t want to record timings, clear the Slide and animation timings check box. If you don’t want to record annotations, clear the Narrations, ink, and laser pointer check box.

4. Click Start Recording. PowerPoint switches to Slide Show view, starts the presentation, and displays the Recording toolbar in the upper-left corner of the screen.

5. Use the techniques described in the previous procedure to move through the slide show and to pause, restart, and end the recording.

To test recorded narration

1. Display slide 1 (or the first slide that has recorded narration) and then switch to Reading view, where each slide is accompanied by its recorded narration.

To manage slide timings and narration

1. On the Slide Show tab, in the Set Up group, click the Record Slide Show button, click Clear, and then click any of the following:

• Clear Timing on Current Slide

• Clear Timings on All Slides

• Clear Narration on Current Slide

• Clear Narrations on All Slides

The alternative view for a slide show is Presenter view, which is designed to display Slide Show view to the audience on one monitor, and a presentation control panel to the presenter on another monitor. The presenter’s control panel displays a large version of the current slide, a small version of the next slide, and the slide notes.

Presenter view is intended for use with two displays, but you can also display it on one monitor if you want to.

PowerPoint has default slide show settings based on the number of monitors connected to your computer:

If you have only one monitor, slide shows open by default in Slide Show view. From there, you can switch to Presenter view if you want to.

If you have multiple monitors, slide shows open by default in Presenter view. You can specify which monitor you want to display the full-screen slide show and which you want to display the presenter’s control panel. If you prefer to open slide shows in Slide Show view, you can turn off the automatic display of Presenter view.

To start a slide show in the default view

1. To start the slide show from the first slide, do any of the following:

• On the Quick Access Toolbar, click the Start From Beginning button.

• On the Slide Show tab, in the Start Slide Show group, click the From Beginning button.

• On the status bar, in the View Shortcuts area, click the Slide Show button.

• Press F5.

Or

To start the slide show from a specific slide, display the slide you want to start with, and then do either of the following:

• On the Slide Show tab, in the Start Slide Show group, click the From Current Slide button.

• Press Shift+F5.

To change the default slide show view on a multiple-monitor system

1. On the Slide Show tab, in the Monitors group, do the following:

• In the Monitor list, click the monitor you want to display the full-screen slide show on.

• Select or clear the Use Presenter View check box.

Or

1. On the Slide Show tab, in the Set Up group, click the Set Up Slide Show button to open the Set Up Show dialog box.

2. In the Multiple monitors section of the dialog box, do the following:

• In the Slide show monitor list, click the monitor you want to display the full-screen slide show on.

• In the Resolution list, click the screen resolution you want the monitor to display the slide show at, if it’s different from the current setting.

• Select or clear the Use Presenter View check box.

3. Click OK.

To switch from Slide Show view to Presenter view

1. Do either of the following:

• At the right end of the pop-up toolbar or presenter’s control panel toolbar, click the Slide Show Options (labeled ...) button, and then click Show Presenter View.

• Right-click the slide, and then click Show Presenter View.

If you haven’t configured slide timings, you can advance the slides manually by clicking the mouse button, pressing keyboard keys, or using the on-screen navigation tools. In Slide Show view, these are on the pop-up toolbar that appears in the lower-left corner of the screen when you move the mouse. In Presenter view, the navigation tools are displayed below the current slide.

The tools you use to move through and interact with slides are basically the same in Slide Show view and Presenter view; you simply access them slightly differently.

In Slide Show view, moving the mouse displays a pop-up toolbar in the lower-left corner of the slide. The toolbar buttons are a subtle color that varies based on the background but doesn’t draw attention away from the slide content. (It also isn’t very easy to see.) Pointing to a button brightens its color.

Clicking the Slide Show Options button at the right end of the pop-up toolbar displays a menu of additional options.

Presenter view provides additional information about the slide show and has a fixed toolbar with larger buttons.

During a presentation, you can direct the audience’s attention to specific information on the slide by pointing to slide elements with the laser pointer, drawing on the slides with an electronic “pen,” or highlighting text with a highlighter. You have an unlimited choice of colors for the pen and highlighter, and three for the laser pointer.

While you’re delivering a presentation, you might find it necessary to provide information that is not directly related to the current slide—perhaps in response to a question from an audience member. You can opt to pause the display of a presentation if it uses slide timings, and to display a blank black or white slide, so the audience understands that you’re discussing a subject other than that of the slide.

To set the default annotation colors

1. On the Slide Show tab, in the Set Up group, click the Set Up Slide Show button to open the Set Up Show dialog box.

2. In the Show options section, do either of the following:

• In the Pen color list, click the color you want to set as the default for the pen. You can choose from the Theme Colors palette or the Standard Colors palette, or you can click More Colors and choose or enter any color.

• In the Laser pointer color list, click the red, green, or blue color swatch.

3. Click OK.

To display the pop-up toolbar in Slide Show view

1. Move the mouse.

To move through slides in any view

1. To advance to the next slide, do any of the following:

• Click the slide.

• Click the Next button.

• Press the N, Spacebar, Enter, Down Arrow, Right Arrow, or Page Down key.

• Right-click the slide, and then click Next.

2. To return to the previous slide, do any of the following:

• Click the Previous button.

• Right-click the slide, and then click Previous.

• Press the P, Backspace, Up Arrow, Left Arrow, or Page Up key.

3. To move to a specific slide, press the slide number key and then press Enter. (For example, to move to slide 4, press 4 and then press Enter.)

4. To move to any other slide, do either of the following to display all the slides, and then click the thumbnail of the slide you want to move to:

• Click the All Slides button.

• Press Ctrl+S.

5. To return to the previously viewed slide, click the Slide Show Options button, and then click Last Viewed.

6. To return to slide 1, press and hold the left and right mouse buttons.

To select and use annotation tools

1. Do any of the following:

• On the pop-up toolbar or presenter’s control panel toolbar, click the Pointer Options button, and then click Laser Pointer, Pen, or Highlighter.

• Right-click the slide, click Pointer Options, and then click Laser Pointer, Pen, or Highlighter.

• Press Ctrl+L to change the pointer to a laser pointer.

• Press Ctrl+P to change the pointer to a pen.

• Press Ctrl+I to change the pointer to a highlighter.

2. Do any of the following:

• Move the pointer over the slide to point with the laser pointer.

• Drag to write on the slide with the pen.

• Drag to highlight slide content.

3. To turn off the active tool, press the Esc key.

To change the pen or highlighter color during a slide show

1. With the pen or highlighter active, do either of the following:

• Click the Pointer Options button.

• Right-click the slide, click Pointer Options, and then click Ink Color.

2. Click any of the 12 available colors.

To remove annotations from a slide

1. To hide the annotations, do any of the following:

• Click the Slide Show Options button, click Screen, and then click Hide Ink Markup.

• Right-click the slide, click Screen, and then click Show/Hide Ink Markup.

• Press Ctrl+M.

Or

1. To delete the annotations, do any of the following:

• Click the Pointer Options button, and then click Eraser. Then click or drag across each individual annotation that you want to delete.

• Click the Pointer Options button, and then click Erase All Ink on Slide.

• Right-click the slide, click Pointer Options, and then click Erase All Ink on Slide.

• Press Ctrl+E to change the pointer to an eraser. Then click or drag across each individual annotation that you want to delete.

• Press E to erase all pen and highlighter markup on the slide.

To change the magnification of all or part of a slide

1. To zoom in or out of the entire slide, do either of the following:

• To zoom in, press the Plus Sign key or Ctrl+Plus Sign.

• To zoom out, press the Minus Sign key or Ctrl+Minus Sign.

2. To magnify a specific area of the screen, do either of the following, then move the magnifier to highlight the area you want to magnify, and click:

• Click the Zoom In button.

• Right-click the slide, and then click Zoom In.

3. To stop using the Zoom tool, press the Esc key.

To pause the play of a timed presentation

1. Do any of the following:

• Click the Slide Show Options button, and then click Pause.

• Right-click the slide, and then click Pause.

• Press the S key on your keyboard.

To display a blank black or white screen during a slide show

1. Do any of the following:

• Click the Slide Show Options button, click Screen, and then click Black Screen or White Screen.

• Right-click the slide, click Screen, and then click Black Screen or White Screen.

• Press B or the Period key to display a black screen.

• Press W or the Comma key to display a white screen.

To return from a blank screen to the slide show

1. Do any of the following:

• Click the Slide Show Options button, click Screen, and then click Unblack Screen or Unwhite Screen.

• Right-click the slide, click Screen, and then click Unblack Screen or Unwhite Screen.

• Press B or the Period key to hide a black screen.

• Press W or the Comma key to hide a white screen.

To resume the play of a timed presentation

1. Do any of the following:

• Click the Slide Show Options button, and then click Resume.

• Right-click the slide, and then click Resume.

• Press the S key on your keyboard.

To end the presentation of a slide show

1. Do any of the following:

• On the Slide Show Options menu, click End Show.

• Right-click the slide, and then click End Show.

• Press Esc or Ctrl+Break.

If you used the Pen or Highlighter tool to draw on any of the slides in the presentation, PowerPoint prompts you to keep or discard the annotations.

2. Do either of the following:

• Click Keep to keep the annotations in the presentation.

• Click Discard to delete the annotations.

To manage Slide Show view options

1. In the Backstage view, click Options to open the PowerPoint Options dialog box.

2. Display the Advanced page, and then scroll to the Slide Show section.

3. Select or clear any of the following check boxes:

• Show menu on right mouse click

• Show popup toolbar

• Prompt to keep ink annotations when exiting

• End with black slide

Adapt presentations for different audiences

Rehearse a presentation and set slide timings

Present slide shows

1. Create a custom slide show named Managers that includes slides 1 through 6, 9, 10, and 14 through 16.

2. Start the Managers custom slide show.

3. Advance through all the slides, including the blank one at the end of the show. As you move from slide to slide, notice the slide numbers in the lower-right corner of the screen.

4. Remove slide 3 from the Managers slide show.

5. Set the Managers slide show as the default slide show.

6. Save and close the presentation.

1. Rehearse the presentation, and then save the recorded slide timings.

2. Display the presentation in Slide Sorter view and locate the slide timings.

3. Adjust the slide timing for slide 1 until it is a whole number of seconds.

4. If you have audio input and output devices on your computer, record the presentation, and read the slide content aloud. Then display the presentation in Reading view and listen to your narration.

5. Save and close the presentation.

1. Open the Set Up Show dialog box, and then do the following:

• Set the default pen color to a color of your choice.

• Set the default laser pointer color to green.

• Examine your settings in the Multiple monitors section. Find out what screen resolutions are available on your computer, and consider reasons that you might specify a screen resolution here.

• If your computer is connected to multiple monitors, select the Presenter view check box to continue this set of practice tasks in Presenter view. Otherwise, you’ll be in Slide Show view.

2. Close the dialog box, and then start the slide show.

3. Advance to slide 2.

4. Move directly from slide 2 to slide 6.

5. Return directly to slide 2.

6. Move to slide 3, and use the Laser Pointer to point to each bullet as you read it.

7. Zoom in on the bulleted list, and then return to the standard magnification.

8. Highlight the words unique and successful.

9. Draw a line in the default color below the word shared.

10. Erase all the ink annotations on the slide.

11. Move to slide 4.

12. Change the pen color to Dark Red.

13. Draw a line below the word overview.

14. End the slide show, and discard your ink annotations.

15. Save and close the presentation.