PowerPoint Tip - Highlight Important Words

Slides with numerous text on them are really hard for audiences to comprehend immediately. There is basically also significantly details. Either folks listen to the presenter and ignore the slide, or a lot more most likely (and worse), they study the slide and ignore the presenter.

The brain just has difficulty listening to 1 set of words although reading yet another set. As well, research display that individuals have a tendency to skim what they study on screen (as opposed to what they study on paper); as a result, they miss several of the words.

The greatest remedy is to place fewer words on a slide. It is straightforward to divide 1 slide into 3, for instance. An additional crucial method is to edit ruthlessly, removing any unnecessary words.

Nonetheless, if you really feel that you want to place significantly of text on a slide, you can aid your audience get the most out of it by highlighting important words. Here are 2 strategies.

Use an additional colour for important words

An simple method is to use another colour for important words. Folks speedily get the point by skimming these words. Merely choose the important words and select yet another colour by clicking the Font Colour button on the Formatting or Drawing toolbar. (In 2007, use the minitoolbar's Text Fill button or the Text Fill button in the WordArt Types group of the Format tab that seems whilst you choose the text.)

Animate a filled rectangle behind the words

An additional technique is to use custom animation to show a filled rectangle behind the important words. Comply with these methods:

one. Select Rectangle from the Drawing toolbar. (In 2007, select Insert tab> Shapes> Rectangle.)

2. Drag across some essential words to cover them with the rectangle.

three. Take away the outline and specify the fill of the rectangle. The colour desires to be a sturdy contrast from the text, but display up against the background. To Eliminate the outline, use the Line Colour button on the Drawing toolbar and set it to No Line. To transform the fill colour, use the Fill Colour button on the Drawing toolbar and pick an acceptable colour. (In 2007, on the Format tab, use the Shape Outline button in the Shape Designs group, and pick No Outline. Use the Shape Fill button and pick an suitable colour.)

four. Pick Slide Display> Custom Animation. (In 2007, pick Animations> Custom Animation.)

five. Pick Add Impact> Entrance> Wipe. You can pick any entrance animation you need, but retain it mild. A Fade animation is too good.

six. Set the parameters for the animation at the best of the Custom Animation job pane. For Wipe, set it to wipe From Left. I employed Quickly for the Speed setting. I left the On Click setting so that I might manage the timing as I was speaking.

7. Proper-click the rectangle, and pick Order> Send to Back. (In 2007, Suitable-click and pick Send to Back.)

eight. Test the animation in Slide Display view.

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Ellen Finkelstein, is the very best-promoting author of How to Do Every little thing with PowerPoint 2007 (and prior editions for PowerPoint 2002 and PowerPoint 2003) Her award-winning Internet web site functions loads of absolutely free tips on PowerPoint, the month-to-month PowerPoint Tips Newsletter, and the PowerPoint Tips Weblog - http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com