Misaligning Content in PowerPoint

Misaligned objects on a PPT slide jump out like a sore thumb.

They look sloppy and tell your viewer that you’ve quickly thrown the slide together without care and attention.

The best solution is to use Smart Guides.

PPT slide containing four boxes which are misaligned.

Microsoft Stock Image

This helps you to lock the shapes in position when you click and drag them around the slide.

Then click “Smart Guides” if there is not a check mark already next to that option.

you’ve got the option to alsouse PPT’s in-built Gridlines featureto line up your shapes manually.

PPT presentation demonstrating how to access the Smart Guides by right-clicking on the gray area, opening ‘Grid And Guides’, and selecting ‘Smart Guides’.

Having Too Many Bullet Points in PowerPoint

This is a nightmare for audiences!

It’s uninspiring, daunting, and amateur.

The best way to overcome this is to use PPT’s SmartArt feature.

PPT slide with Smart Guides activated and Box 1 being realigned to Boxes 2 and 3 using this feature.

hit the desired layout.

But rememberour aim is to make the slide more presentable and easier to read and digest.

At the moment, this slide still looks uninspired and difficult to read.

PPT slide showing five bullet points, each containing its own sub-bullet point.

Adjust one of the selected shapes and they will all change together.

it’s possible for you to then choose from the array of options that appear.

Transitions between slides can look professional and slick.

PPT screenshot showing how to convert text to SmartArt in the ‘Paragraph’ group of the ‘Home’ tab in the ribbon.

However, overusing these features can distract your audience and look tacky.

you might see more options by clicking the “Animation Styles” drop-down arrow on the right-hand side.

Transitions are how your PPT presentation moves from one slide to the next.

PPT slide showing the paragraphs converted to SmartArt.

They can be accessed in the “Transitions” tab.

Using the Wrong Color Combinations in PowerPoint

The latest versions of PPT offer us a wide range of colors.

The best way around this is to use PPT’s “Color Variants” mechanism.

PPT slide containing text in SmartArt that has been amended in size and color using the ‘SmartArt Design’ tab in the ribbon.

In the resulting menu, hover over “Colors” and choose a variant you like.

Also, venture to stick to these rules:

5.

Use an image with a minimum of 150 pixels per inch (PPI) orupscale your imageto avoid blurriness.

PPT window showing where to access the SmartArt option within the ‘Illustrations’ group of the ‘Insert’ tab.

you’re able to also force PPT to use the maximum possible image resolution.

Finally, when you resize an image, verify you do so from the corner handles.

This will maintain the correct proportions and avoid squashed or stretched images.

PPT animation options.

Using Hard-to-Read Text in PowerPoint

8.

To counteract this, simply use a plain background.

However, if keeping the picture is a must, increase its transparency.

PPT window showing the ‘Animations’ tab open and the additional ‘Animation Styles’ drop-down arrow highlighted.

Right-smack the gray area surrounding your slide, and click “Format Background”.

you’re free to now keep your picture and your audience will be able to see your text.

PPT slide showing red font on a blue background.

PPT window highlighting the ‘Design’ tab.

PPT window highlighting the ‘Variants’ drop-down option.

PPT window highlighting where to access the color variants.

PPT’s ‘Options’ dialog box is open with ‘Advanced’ and ‘High Fidelity’ highlighted.

An image in PPT with the corner handles highlighted.

Microsoft Stock Image

PPT window highlighting how to open the Slide Master through the ‘View’ tab on the ribbon.

PPT slide with a picture as a background behind some black text.

PPT window showing how to access ‘Format Background’ by rickt-clicking in the gray area.

The ‘Format Background’ pane open in PPT, with the transparency slider highlighted.

PPT slide showing a faded background behind text which can be read.