powerpoint apply slide master to existing presentation

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How can I apply a new version of a master layout to my existing slides with an older version of that master layout?

My company offers a PowerPoint template for business presentations that contains multiple slide masters (with multiple layouts). They recently updated this template. Now I need to update my existing presentations that still use an older version of that template.

What I tried:

I created a new presentation from the new template. I then copied all slides from my old presentation into that new presentation.

Result: All slides changed their layouts to the corresponding layout of the first slide master (in the list of all slide masters) instead of keeping their slide master with the same name.

I opened my old presentation. I copied all new slide masters from the template into the old presentation and then removed all old slide masters from it.

Result: Again, all slides changed their layouts to the corresponding layout of the first slide master (in the list of all slide masters) instead of keeping their slide master with the same name.

With my last try I effectively replaced the existing slide masters, but technically it was a copy and remove operation. So that's probably why the slides lost their reference to the correct slide masters.

Is their a way to technically replace a slide master, so that its new layout(s) apply to existing slides?

• microsoft-powerpoint

• Have you opened the master slides of the old presentation and directly editing them? That is, removed the objects within the existing master slide and then creating the new layout within the same master slide. That is, do not ever delete the master slides. You can probably copy the objects from within the new master slide and paste them into the existing old master slide without deleting the slide itself.. Unless I misunderstood what you, you haven't tried this. –  Brian Jul 19, 2023 at 15:29
• I do not want to repeat the work that someone else already did, when updating the template. In other words, I do not want to apply every change (he/she did to the slide masters of the old template) to the slide masters of my presentation manually. This just does not scale well. I am looking for a way to take the new slide masters (with all their changes at once) and apply them to my old slides without knowing all the detailed changes. –  stackprotector Jul 19, 2023 at 15:43
• 1 Hopefully I'm wrong but I don't see any other way. "Normal" slides are linked to their respective master slide and only change when that slide changes. And I don't see how copying the objects in a new master slide and pasting them onto an old master slide is repeating the work. The purpose of the master slide is that all "normal" slides that are linked to it so that you do not need to be individually changed should there be a change to the template; only the template (i.e. master slide) needs to be edited. –  Brian Jul 19, 2023 at 15:50

Currently, there does not seem to be a way to apply a newer version of a slide master conveniently. So you have to do it the hard way:

Copy and paste the new slide masters into your existing presentation.

Change every single slide to use a layout of the new slide masters.

Remove the old slide masters.

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Apply a slide master to a presentation

May 18, 2014 by Ellen Finkelstein 28 Comments

I recently received this question.

“I have a power point presentation (created in 2007 and recently moved into 2010) that I want to change the master slide with a new one my designer gave me. It was given to me as a regular slide and I want to make it a master slide so all the slides will change using this new background.”

What do you receive from a designer?

The basic question is how to apply a slide master to an existing presentation.

When you receive a “regular slide” from a designer, you need to figure out where the design is.

If the design is actually on the slide itself, you need to make some changes — and your designer doesn’t know very much about PowerPoint. That’s because in order for you to easily apply the design to other presentations, the design should be on the slide master.

It’s easy to check. Follow these steps:

• Choose View tab, Slide Master.
• In the left-hand pane, scroll up to the first, larger thumbnail.

If the design is on the Slide Master, you’re in good shape. If not, you need to find some way to transfer the design from the slide itself to the slide master. Often all you need to do is to select all of the objects on the slide, cut to the Clipboard, and paste on the first, larger thumbnail (the “Master”) in Slide Master view. Then save the presentation.

The wrong way

You should keep the presentation you received unchanged, so save a copy to use as a basis. Then open both the designed copy and your original presentation — the one that you want to apply the design to.

In the original presentation, select all of the slides. You can click the first slide, press and hold the Shift key, and click the last slide. You can do this in the left-hand pane or in Slide Sorter view. Then copy them to the Clipboard.

Display the designed copy, click in the left-hand pane, and paste. By default, the slides will take on the destination design.

A better way

• In Normal view, click the Design tab.
• At the right end of the Themes gallery, click the More button, as you see here.
• At the bottom of the themes gallery, click Save Current Theme.
• You’ll be in the default Themes folder. Don’t change the folder! Type a descriptive name for your theme and click Save.
• Click the Design tab.
• If you don’t see your theme, click the same More button at the right end of the Themes gallery and choose your theme from the Custom section, as you see here for a light-blue gradient theme that I created.

Do you have any questions about applying a design to a presentation? Leave a comment!

“101 Tips Every PowerPoint User Should Know” is for everyone who never took a course or read a book about PowerPoint! These tips will fill in the gaps, speed up your work, make presentations easier, and help you get better results. Now updated through PowerPoint 2016 and Office 365. Learn more at http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/101-tips/

Related posts:

• Creating a slide master–or two–in PowerPoint
• Customize the colors in your slide master
• Customize the default theme to instantly get the look you want
• May, 2009 PowerPoint 2007 Theme – dun-aqua

28 Leave a Reply

I like the helpful information you provide in your articles.I’m quite certain I’ll learn many new stuff right here! Best of luck for the next!

This is an excellent piece of advice. I had been struggling for 3 hrs before I had the sense to look on U-tube and then found this site. Very many thanks indeed.

I am an independent contractor and my client has a theme going in three different ways and wants to create a slide master. I have been using PowerPoint for several years and never seen a slide master done this way. Is it possible to create a slide master using an image in three locations in a presentation?

I don’t understand the question. Do you mean that you want 3 different images, so that some slides use image 1, some use image 2 and some use image 3? If so, you can do that by using 3 different slide masters and assigning slides to the slide master with the image you want.

Thank you for this information. I have a related question. I’ve been asked to copy slides from one presentation (with one or more slide masters)into my existing presentation (already up to 3 slide masters). I attempted the first slide master I saw and pasted it into my presentation. Admittedly, I’m not sure if that’s the right one. I’m not sure how to determine that. But, when I paste the slides the graphics shift. What’s the best way to add slides from one presentation into your existing presentation and either keep the source formatting, in the case of graphics, or have …  Read more »

Many thanks – I used he “better way”. You saved me heaps of time !!

I am working within a PowerPoint 2010 document that has been tinkered with by multiple people for several years, without consistency or use of the Slide Master and Layout option for inserting slides. I have edited the Slide Master and its downstream layouts, but when I try to apply them to existing slides (through using the Layout option and picking the right layout), nothing happens to the current formatting of the slide. Instead, I get new text boxes on top of the current content. I really want this to be a clean document that can be used easily in future, …  Read more »

Thanks!! The “Better way” worked like a charm 😀

Thanks for the sensible critique. Me & my neighbor were just preparing to do a little research on this. We got a grab a book from our area library but I think I learned more clear from this post. I am very glad to see such magnificent information being shared freely out there.

I received a design from a client that they want to use for a current PPP. I tried the above steps and can do one slide at a time (copy/paste, copy/paste) but was wondering if there was a quicker way to transfer the slides on the current PPP to the new design? I do have the design under Customized but nothing happens when I click on it while in the current presentation. I have listened to your 13 tips and it was very helpful, thank you.

Linda, you should be able to apply a theme on the Design tab. If you can’t, try clicking another theme. Does that work? If not, try opening a new presentation and applying that theme. If that works, copy and paste the slides to the new presentation and try again. Can you open the design you got from the customer? Is it a PPTX, POTX OR THMX file? If it’s a PPTX file, you can open it, duplicate it (for safety), and copy and paste slides into the duplicate. By default, they will take on the destination theme. Thanks for letting …  Read more »

This all seems great but I am still having difficulty trying to relate it to my situation. Just as an intro, I have a large number of Power Point files, around 500 that contain the lyrics for hymns and songs that I prepare for our church services each week. I tried to standardize the format when I first start on this many years ago. So each file contains a Song Title slide of a standard layout and, that is followed by a number of slides all of the same format and layout that contain the lyrics for the song. Each …  Read more »

Rod, there’s no automated way to convert text boxes on slides to existing layouts. I spend a lot of time doing this manually for clients. But you can start creating new slides using layouts from the Slide master. Some of that mess is probably because you started in PowerPoint 2003 and the conversion to the 2007 + later system isn’t seamless either. Creating the layouts you need is a start and I have a post on that at http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/create-a-custom-layout/. Once you have them, you can start applying the layout to a few slides at a time (start with one to …  Read more »

Powerpoint 2010: Why when I have my own model, I cannot update an old presentation with that new model? or maybe how can I do that? I have tons of powerpoint presentations that we need to update with new logo and format…. What is the best way: use a model or a theme?

I’m not sure what you mean by a model. A template? A template can have content in it, like a logo, so if you want to include a logo on every slide with the Title Slide layout, use a template. I’m also not sure exactly what you mean by format. Slide size? Background? You can open a new presentation with a new template and copy all of the slides from the old presentation to the new one. It’s pretty quick.

I have powerpoint presentations made in Office 2008. I want to port them over to a new machine using Office 2016. The master slides no longer look right. Is there a way to import themes or masters from the old powerpoint to the new powerpoint?

I saved my new template, but when I click “more” on templates it doesn’t show up anywhere on the list. Why not? Very frustrating. Arrrggghhh!!!

I have a presentation from NL with there language in the slide masters, fx.: “Alleen beeld, zonder ondertitel” and I have the new theme/templates in language fx.: UK. When I Copy or Reuse or change the theme to the new template (UK), the old slidemaster pages will appear in slidemasters. Is there a way to override or take in the old slides into the new master, without the old slidesmasters? Hope you can help

I haven’t used templates from another country, so I’m not sure. The text there, which translates, per Google, to Only Image without Subtitle, may have been put in manually, in which case PowerPoint won’t change it. I would probably try to copy a layout from the old master and paste it within the section that has the layouts for the new master and see what happens.

I am editing a bunch of presentations and want to make their appearance consistent. The master slides are the same in all the presentations (or they will be when I’m done), but different layouts are used for similar kinds of slides within presentations, and some of them don’t have master slides at all. How can I apply a master slide layout to a slide that has no master slide? when I apply a master slide layout, I get new placeholders with the correct bullets, formatting, etc., but I have to copy the content from the existing placeholders to the new …  Read more »

I’m not totally sure I understand. There’s always a master slide. Have you tried Reset Slide? It’s right next to the Layout item on the ribbon and right-click menu. Or, you could create new layouts that match the old ones and change the layouts of the slides to those new layouts.

I am working in hospital and we decide to create a default theme for all the employees in the department, so when they open the hospital devices and use the PowerPoint they see the formal theme we create . is it by slide master then using the share folder ? thanks,,

When I try this method I get a mix of both old and new master slides. I have tried this on various presentation and themes and the results are similar. Any other tips or underlying assumptions?

Sounds similar to the Linda Parker comments above.

Do you mean that both masters are available in View, Slide Master? Or that some slides use one master and some another?

Yes, There is weird mix of old and new. I would have hoped that when you when to design and browse and choose the new theme it would fully write over the old them but that is not happening in my case.

I had to use brute force to move past this issue but now I am having other issues with slide master, so I am seeking some in person support.

I do consulting so I have analysts all around who are wizards at this but they are even stumped at this point.

Ellen – You probably just saved me an hour of grunt work. Had a huge presentation all done and the corporate office changed the design. Followed your instructions and it worked a charm in less than a minute. Thank you!

Glad to help!

I tried to use the better way, but it actually did not work. The theme was created, but when I wanted to apply it to the old PPT only parts of it changed?

When using the wrong way, it worked a little bit better, but the font for example stayed black (old version), when it should be white (new version).

Any ideas what when wrong?

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Quick Tip: Apply and Transfer PowerPoint Slide Master

In this article, we will show you step-by-step how to apply a PowerPoint slide master. A PowerPoint slide master allows you to apply a predefined design to all slides of a presentation. It can be designed for each presentation individually and can also be exported into other presentations so you can ensure a consistent design across all your presentations.

Apply a PowerPoint slide master - step by step

To apply a PowerPoint slide master, you must of course first create a slide master. We explain how to create a slide master here.  After you have created your slide master, it is automatically applied to the current presentation. However, the slide master contains not only the master slide itself but also various layouts that you can define. If you edit a layout in the master, it automatically adjusts any slides where that layout has been applied. If you add new layouts, you have the option to apply them to existing slides. We will show you how in 2 simple steps:

• Select the thumbnail of the slide you want to reformat on the left side of the normal view. Highlighted: TIP: You can select multiple slides at once by holding down the CTRL key. This saves time.
• Select the Layout button on the “Home” tab and click the new layout you want. It will be applied to all selected slides.

Transfer a PowerPoint master to other presentations

Now that you know how to apply a slide master to an existing presentation, we will show you how to transfer that master to another slide. This is a simple process:

Open Source

First, open the presentation with the slide master you want to transfer and the presentation into which you want to paste the slide master.

Switch to the presentation you want to update and open the slide master.

Right-click the thumbnail on the right and select one of the two actions:

• Use target design: The design colors, fonts, and effects of the target presentation are retained.
• Keep original formatting: The design colors, fonts, and effects of the presentation you are copying from will be applied.

Now you know how to apply a slide master and how to transfer a slide master. Both processes take just a few steps.

Especially in large projects, manually copying slide masters can still lead to problems: old versions remain in circulation and the current version of the slide master is not necessarily applied to existing presentations. That leads to an inconsistent appearance to the outside world, looks unprofessional, and makes it difficult to enforce a corporate identity.

empower ® Content Enablement  can help you manage your slide masters and ensure that your current slide design is used in all PowerPoint presentations. Are you looking to go one step further and want to implement a tool that ensures uniform and corporate design adherent documents among all Office applications? Then have a look at our Brand Control Solution !

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Slide Master in PowerPoint – A Complete Beginner’s Guide!

By: Author Shrot Katewa

When I first started using PowerPoint, I had no idea about the “Slide Master”. In fact, when I first learned about it, I was quite confused. I didn’t quite understand its purpose and how it worked. Furthermore, some of the changes I made to the slide master were scary at first simply because I didn’t understand how it worked!

Slide Master in PowerPoint allows you to have master control over all slides. It allows you to make changes to all slides at once. You can also use the slide master to create footers, add watermarks and slide numbers, generate custom presentation templates, edit placeholders, among other things.

Retrospectively thinking, having a “Slide Master” in PowerPoint is such an important feature! Knowing how to use the slide master properly can help you save a lot of time while creating a presentation!

So, in this article, I’ll share with you all the details you need to know about a Slide Master in PowerPoint. Without further adieu, let’s get started!

1. What is the Slide Master In PowerPoint and Why is it Used?

Slide Master is a Microsoft PowerPoint feature that allows you to easily edit all the slides at once or the individual slide layouts of a presentation.

1a. What is a Slide Master?

The slide master in Microsoft PowerPoint contains all the information on the slide layout as well as the theme of a presentation. This includes the fonts, color, effects, background, and the size and position of the placeholders.

To access the slide master, first, click on the “View” tab in PowerPoint . Then, click on the “Slide Master” option. This will open the slide master view in PowerPoint.

The master slide is the top slide in a hierarchy of slides in a presentation (as shown in the image above). Changes that you make to the master slide impact all the slides in the slide master.

It is important to note that the actual design and content of the presentation must be added to the slides in the “Normal View”. Any images or content you add to the slide master will become uneditable in the normal view of the PowerPoint presentation.

The best way to use the slide master is by using “Placeholders”. I’ve written a detailed article on “Placeholders” in PowerPoint . Make sure to check out that article to learn more about them!

1b. Uses of Slide Master View in PowerPoint –

Since the slide master stores information about the theme and the layout of the slides in a PowerPoint presentation, you can use the “Slide Master” view to edit several elements in the presentation.

a. Change Slide Background

Using the “Slide Master” view, you can change the background of all the slides at once. The background editing features are available in the “Background” section of the “Slide Master” menu.

You can click on the “Colors” option to change the colors for the slides, the “Fonts” option to set a specific font for the presentation, and the “Effects” option for the background effects. Besides, you can click on the “Hide Background Graphics” option to remove all background graphics from the entire presentation.

Clicking on the “Format Background” option under the “Background Styles” button, you can access various customizable background colors and designs for the presentation.

b. Rearrange Placeholders in Slide Layout

In Microsoft PowerPoint “Slide Master” view, you can edit both the master slide and the slide layouts. By rearranging the placeholders in a slide layout, you will only create changes for the slides using that specific layout instead of the entire presentation.

To rearrange the placeholders, all you have to do is click on a placeholder and drag it to your preferred position on the slide.

c. Customize Overall Text Formatting

In the “Slide Master” view, you can easily change or customize the overall text formatting. You have to first click on the content placeholder in the master slide which is the top slide in the slide layout panel on the left side of the screen.

Then click on the “Home” tab from the menu ribbon. In the “Font” section of the “Home” menu, you can customize the fonts like the style, size, color, highlights, etc. This will customize the text of all the slides.

d. Customize Theme Fonts

By customizing the theme fonts in the “Slide Master” , you can choose a set of fonts for various list levels of text in all the slides. To do so, click on the “Fonts” option in the “Background” section under the “Slide Master” tab. Then click on your preferred set of fonts from the dropdown menu.

e. Customize Theme Colors

The theme color in a “Slide Master” contains a set of colors for various elements of the slides in a presentation like the background, heading, body text, etc. By customizing the theme color in “Slide Master” , you can customize the colors for the entire presentation.

All you have to do is click on the “Colors” option in the “Background” section of the “Slide Master” menu and select your preferred theme colors from the dropdown menu.

f. Create Unique Slide Layouts and Templates

Using the features in the “Slide Master” menu, you can edit any element and object in the presentation. You can change the color, font, arrangement, theme, etc. of the entire presentation.

You can also create and edit individual slide layouts. You can easily use the “Slide Master” view to create fully unique slide layouts and templates.

2. Difference Between Slide Master and a PowerPoint Template?

In Microsoft PowerPoint, a Slide Master contains information about the layout and the theme of the presentation.

A PowerPoint template, on the other hand, is a design or pattern of a slide or even a whole presentation. In short, a template is a copy of a presentation blueprint that can be edited to fit your needs, while the master slide stores the layout and theme of that template.

3. How to Access the Slide Master in PowerPoint?

In Microsoft PowerPoint, you can access the slide master in the “View” menu. You have to first click on the “View” tab in the menu ribbon located at the top of the screen. Then click on the “Slide Master” option in the “Master Views” section of the “View” menu. This will open the “Slide Master” view where you can edit the master slide and the slide layouts.

4. How to Edit a Slide Master in PowerPoint?

Microsoft PowerPoint allows you to edit the slide master using the “Slide Master” view. You can edit the master slide itself, and also the slide layouts separately. You can even add or remove master slides and slide layouts.

4a. Using the Master Slide to Apply Changes to All Slide Layouts in PowerPoint

Since the master slide contains all the information on the theme and layouts of the entire presentation, any change in the master slide will be automatically applied to all the slide layouts under the master slide.

To apply changes in the master slide, all you have to do is click on the master slide from the slide layout panel and use the features available in all the tabs in the menu ribbon.

4b. How to Change Slide Background in the Slide Master?

In the “Slide Master” view, click on “Background Styles” and select the “Format Background” option from the dropdown menu. This will open a sidebar on the right side of the screen.

In the “Format Background” sidebar, you can change the color, gradient, or pattern of the background. You can also add an image as the background.

4c. How to Customize Fonts and Text Formatting in the Slide Master in PowerPoint?

To customize fonts and text formatting in the “Slide Master” view, you have to follow the 2 simple steps.

Step-1: Click on the “Customize Fonts” option

You have to first click on the master slide from the slide layout panel. Then click on the “Fonts” option from the “Background” section of the “Slide Master” menu. From the dropdown menu, click on the “Customize Fonts” option at the bottom.

Step-2: Click on the “Save” button

In the “Create New Theme Fonts” dialog box, click on the “Heading font” box to customize the heading and on the “Body font” box for the body text. Then click on the “Save” button at the bottom of the dialog box.

4d. How to Customize Theme Colors in Slide Master?

In the “Slide Master” view of Microsoft PowerPoint, you can customize the theme color by following the 2 easy steps.

Step-1: Click on “Customize Colors”

In the “Background” section of the “Slide Master” view, click on the “Colors” option. Then click on the “Customize Colors” option at the bottom of the dropdown menu.

Step-2: Click on “Save”

In the “Create New Theme Colors” dialog box, click on the box next to each option to select your preferred colors. Then all you have to do is click on the “Save” button at the bottom of the dialog box.

4e. How to Apply Effects in PowerPoint Slide Master?

To apply effects in the “Slide Master” view of PowerPoint, click on the “Effects” option in the “Background” section. This will open a dropdown menu containing fifteen effect options to choose from. All you have to do is click on your preferred effect from the dropdown menu.

4f. How to Edit Footer in PowerPoint?

The footer in a PowerPoint presentation is a text that appears at the bottom of all slides. To edit the footer in the “Slide Master” view, all you have to do is click on the “Footer” box at the bottom of the master slide. Then type in the text you want in the footer.

Check out my other article on “How to Add a Footer in PowerPoint?” to learn more about editing, adding, and removing footers in PowerPoint.

4g. How to Add Logo to All Slides Using Slide Master in PowerPoint

Adding a logo to your Microsoft PowerPoint presentation can be a smart way of branding. It is quite easy if you know the correct steps.

In fact, I’ve written a detailed article on how to add a logo in PowerPoint . Do make sure to check out that article as well to get all the advanced tips and tricks and to know the correct way to do it!

Meanwhile, here are the key steps to add a logo to all slides using the “Slide Master” in PowerPoint –

Step-1: Click on the “Insert” tab

The first step is to click on the master slide from the slide layout panel on the left side of the screen in the “Slide Master” view. Then click on the “Insert” tab from the menu ribbon.

Step-2: Click on the “Pictures” button

The next step is to click on the “Pictures” button in the “Images” section of the “Insert” menu. Then click on the “This Device” option from the dropdown menu. This will open a dialog box.

Step-3: Click on the “Insert” option

In the “Insert Picture” dialog box, click on the logo you want to add to the presentation. Then click on the “Insert” button at the bottom of the dialog box to add the logo to the master slide. This will automatically add the logo to all the slides of the presentation.

4h. Use Slide Master to Add a Watermark in PowerPoint 

A watermark is an identifying text or image that usually appears across a document and is semi-transparent. You can learn about how to add or remove watermarks in PowerPoint in my other article.

Meanwhile, I’ll share the key steps in a brief manner below –

In the “Slide Master” view, click on the master slide which is the top slide in the slide layout panel. Then click on the “Insert” tab from the menu ribbon located at the top of the screen.

Step-2: Click on the “Text Box” option

In the “Insert” menu, click on the “Text Box” option from the “Text” section. Then draw the text box on the master slide. You can now type in the text you want as a watermark on all the slides.

Step-3: Click on the “Format Text Effects” option

The next step is to select the text in the watermark text box. Then “Right Click” on the selected text and click on the “Format Text Effects” option. This will open the “Format Shape” sidebar on the right side of the screen.

Step-4: Increase the text transparency

In the “Format Shape” sidebar, click on the “Text Fill and Outline” option which is the first icon. In the “Text Fill” section, click on the “Solid Fill” option. Then drag the slider next to the “Transparency” option to the right until the text reaches your preferred transparency.

5. Understanding Slide Layouts in PowerPoint Slide Master

Slide Layouts in Microsoft PowerPoint are slide designs that have pre-arranged placeholders that you can use to add your content quickly and easily. To understand the functions of slide layouts in PowerPoint and how to use them, you can read my article on slide layouts in PowerPoint .

5a. How to Know Which Slides Use What Slide Layouts

Using the “Normal” view in PowerPoint, you can see which slides are using what slide layouts. All you have to do is follow the 2 simple steps.

Step-1: Click on the “Normal View” option

In the menu ribbon located at the top of the screen, click on the “View” tab. In the “View” menu, click on the “Normal” option which is the first option in the “Presentation Views” section. This will return the screen to “Normal View” .

Step-2: Click on the “Layout” option

In the slide thumbnail panel at the left side of the screen, “Right Click” on a slide. Then click on the “Layout” option from the context menu. This will open a list of all the slide layouts available in the presentation. You will see the slide layout being used by the selected slide is highlighted in the list.

5b. How to Insert and Rename Slide Layouts

To insert or rename slide layouts, you have to first access the “Slide Master” menu from the “View” tab in the menu ribbon.

Inserting Slide Layouts

In the slide layout panel on the left side of the screen, you have to first click on the place where you want to insert a new slide layout. Then click on the “Insert Layout” button in the “Edit Master” section of the “Slide Master” menu.

Renaming Slide Layouts

To rename a slide layout, you have to first click on the layout from the slide layout panel. Then click on the “Rename” option next to the “Insert Layout” button in the “Slide Master” menu. This will open the “Rename Layout” dialog box where you have to type in the new name for the slide layout.

Finally, you have to click on the “Rename” button in the dialog box to rename the slide layout.

6. Understanding Placeholders in Slide Master in PowerPoint

In Microsoft PowerPoint, a placeholder is a pre-formatted box on the slide where you can easily add content with a single click. You can learn more about placeholders in PowerPoint in my other article.

Using the “Slide Master” view, you can add, remove and edit the type and position of the placeholders in each slide layout. There are seven types of placeholders: “Text” , “Pictures” , “Chart” , “Table” , “SmartArt” , “Media” , and “Online Image” .

Besides, you can also use a “Content” placeholder which allows you to add any type of mentioned content.

7. How to Insert a Slide Master in PowerPoint?

To insert a slide master in Microsoft PowerPoint, the first step is to open the “Slide Master” view from the “View” tab. In the “Slide Master” view, click on the “Insert Slide Master” button. It is the first button in the “Edit Master” section of the “Slide Master” menu.

Alternatively, you can press the “Ctrl+M” keys on your keyboard to insert a new slide master.

8. How to Delete a Slide Master in PowerPoint?

To delete an unused master slide in PowerPoint , you have to first “Right Click” on the master slide from the slide layout panel on the left side of the screen. Then click on the “Delete Master” option in the right-click menu. Alternatively, you can press the “delete” key on your keyboard.

9. How to Exit the Slide Master View in PowerPoint?

In Microsoft PowerPoint, you can exit the “Slide Master” view with one click. All you have to do is click on the “Close Master View” button. It is the last button under the “Slide Master” tab and is located in the “Close” section.

Home Blog PowerPoint Tutorials How to Work with Slide Master in PowerPoint

How to Work with Slide Master in PowerPoint

When editing PowerPoint templates or designing your own slides, you might need to repeat some slide elements in all slides, such as the company branding and tagline. Instead of manually adjusting each slide, such major changes can be made using the Master Slide in PowerPoint.

What is Slide Master in PowerPoint

PowerPoint Slide Master gives you control over how to display slides with uniformity based on your preferences. It is available via the View tab in PowerPoint and can be used to set logos, fonts, images, and other parts of your slides using a master view. The top slide or Master Slide in PowerPoint Slide Master is the primary slide, changes to which are reflected across the whole presentation. This is followed by other layouts available for your presentation that can also be adjusted in Slide Master.

How to Edit a Master Slide in PowerPoint

PowerPoint, by default, provides a Master Slide for every slide deck, even if you start with a blank presentation. For PowerPoint templates downloaded from the Microsoft Store or third-party sources, Master Slides are more refined than the default layout in PowerPoint. You can edit the Master Slide via View -> Slide Master .

The PowerPoint Master Slide is located at the top, and any changes made to it are reflected across all slides. For example, if you place a logo on the Master Slide, it will automatically appear on all slides in the presentation. Similarly, you can set the font style, font color, default image, and other elements for your slides by editing the Master Slide.

The below image shows how adding a logo to the Master Slide in PowerPoint reflected the changes across all slides in the PowerPoint template.

How to Create a Master Slide in PowerPoint

Creating a master slide that can be replicated across various presentations can help ensure that you can quickly apply the changes to new presentations while retaining your desired branding and theme style. To do this, you can create a PowerPoint Master Slide from scratch. To create a new Master Slide, open a blank PowerPoint presentation and go to View -> Slide Master .

From the Master Layout option in Slide Master, you can select the elements that you wish to single out for editing.

You can begin editing the master slide by adding a theme, logo, changing the font style, and adjusting other slide elements.

You can also add additional layouts and edit existing ones according to need. This is to edit not only the Master Slide but the overall design of your presentation. Once you are satisfied with the changes made to the Master Slide, click Close Master View from the Ribbon menu.

The changes you make to the Master Slide will be reflected on the presentation deck you are creating.

How to Apply Master Slides to an Already Existing PowerPoint Presentation

You can save and apply master slides to an existing PowerPoint presentation from one you might have saved earlier. To do this, you will require saving the original theme of your slides and then importing them to the presentation deck to which you intend to apply the master slides. Open the slide deck from where you wish to import the theme and go to View -> Slide Master .

From the Slide Maste r tab, go to Theme -> Save Current Theme .

Browse a location to save your theme from importing it to other PowerPoint presentations.

Open the PowerPoint presentation to import the theme style and go to View -> Slide Master .

From the Master Slide tab, go to Theme -> Browse for Themes .

Select the theme with the Master Slides to import to your PowerPoint presentation. Once the changes are applied, click Close Master View .

This will apply the changes to the existing presentation from the imported theme with your preferred Master Slide layouts.

Final Words

The Master Slide and associated layouts in Slide Master can help standardize various aspects of your slide design. Making it easier to manage branding, import slides for your preferred layouts, and help avoid manually editing slides in your presentation deck to apply specific layout changes.

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How to Change the Master Slide in PowerPoint

If you’re new to PowerPoint, you may not know what a Master Slide is or how it works. Essentially, the Master Slide in PowerPoint is the main template that governs the layout and formatting of your slides. It’s what sets the overall look and feel of your presentation, including things like font, background, color scheme, and layout. Understanding how to change the Master Slide is crucial if you want to create a polished, professional-looking presentation. In this article, we will explain everything you need to know about changing the Master Slide in PowerPoint.

Table of Contents

Understanding the Master Slide in PowerPoint

Before we dive into the particulars of changing the Master Slide, let’s first take a closer look at what it is and what it does. The Master Slide is essentially the blueprint for your entire presentation. It includes all the formatting and layout elements that will be applied to every slide in your deck. This can include things like:

• Background images and colors
• Headers and footers
• Slide numbers and dates
• Bullet point styles
• Fonts and font sizes

When you create a new slide in PowerPoint, it automatically uses the formatting and layout settings from the current Master Slide. However, you can also edit the Master Slide directly to make global changes that will be applied to all slides in your presentation. Here’s how:

Steps to Edit the Master Slide in PowerPoint

1. Open your PowerPoint presentation and click on the View tab in the top menu.

2. Click on the Slide Master button, located in the Master Views group.

3. This will open the Master Slide view. Here, you will see a series of thumbnail images representing each of the possible layout options for your presentation. Click on the thumbnail for the layout you want to change.

4. Make any changes to the Master Slide layout as desired, using the various formatting and design tools in the PowerPoint ribbon. For example, you can adjust the background color or image, add a logo or other graphic element, change the font styles, and create placeholders for images or text.

5. Click on the Close Master View button when you’re finished making your edits. This will take you back to the regular PowerPoint view, where you can see the changes you’ve made to the Master Slide.

Master Slide vs. Layout: What’s the Difference?

It’s important to note that the Master Slide is different from a Layout in PowerPoint. While the Master Slide dictates the overall look and feel of your presentation, a Layout is simply a pre-designed slide template that you can use to create new slides. Layouts are based on the Master Slide, but they can be customized individually to suit your needs. For example, you might have one Master Slide with several different Layouts, each with a different color scheme or graphic element.

Customizing the Master Slide with Themes and Colors

If you want to take your Master Slide customization a step further, you can also use Themes and Colors in PowerPoint to quickly update the entire look and feel of your presentation. Themes are pre-designed collections of colors, fonts, and effects that can be applied to your slides with just a few clicks. Colors, on the other hand, allow you to create your own unique color scheme by selecting specific shades for different elements of your presentation. Here’s how:

1. Click on the Design tab in the PowerPoint ribbon.

2. In the Themes group, click on the More button (the one with the three dots) to see all available Themes.

3. Click on a Theme to apply it to your entire presentation. You can also click on the Colors button to see a list of pre-designed color schemes or create your own custom scheme.

4. To further customize your Master Slide using Themes and Colors, click on the Slide Master button and make any additional changes as desired.

Adding and Removing Objects on the Master Slide

In addition to formatting and layout elements, you can also add or remove objects on the Master Slide. For example, you might want to add a company logo, a footer with contact information, or a graphic element that appears on every slide. To do this:

1. Click on the Slide Master button to enter the Master Slide view.

2. Click on the object you want to add or remove. If it’s not already there, you’ll need to add it first by using the Insert shapes or pictures buttons in the PowerPoint ribbon.

3. Use the Format Shape or Format Picture options in the ribbon to customize the object as desired. For example, you can adjust the size or position of an object, change its color or transparency, or apply special effects like shadows or reflection.

4. To remove an object, simply click on it and press the Delete key on your keyboard.

Saving Your Changes to the Master Slide

Once you’ve made all your edits to the Master Slide, it’s important to save your changes so that they apply to all slides in your deck. To do this:

1. Click on the Close Master View button to exit the Master Slide view and return to your presentation’s regular view.

2. Press the Ctrl + S keyboard shortcut (or use the Save button in the PowerPoint ribbon) to save your changes.

Applying a New Master Slide to an Existing Presentation

If you want to apply a newly edited Master Slide to an existing presentation, it’s very simple:

1. Go to the View tab in the PowerPoint ribbon and select Slide Master.

2. Make any desired changes to the Master Slide and then click on the Close Master View button.

3. Now go to the Home tab in the ribbon and click on the Layout button. Select a new Layout that matches the changes you made to the Master Slide.

4. Apply the new Layout to each slide in your presentation by clicking on the thumbnail image for the Layout in the PowerPoint ribbon.

Troubleshooting Common Issues with the Master Slide

While the Master Slide can be a very powerful tool for creating consistency in your presentation design, it can also cause some issues if not used correctly. Here are some common problems that can occur:

• Formatting changes don’t get applied to all slides: This can sometimes happen if you’ve made changes to individual slides instead of the Master Slide. To solve the problem, click on the Slide Master button and update the Master Slide directly.
• Objects on the Master Slide disappear: This can occur if you accidentally delete an object while in the Master Slide view. To fix the problem, return to the Master Slide view and re-add the object.
• Error messages when applying new Layouts: Occasionally, you might get an error message when trying to apply a new Layout to a slide. This can happen if the new Layout doesn’t match the size or orientation of the original slide. To avoid this problem, make sure you’re using compatible Layouts.

Tips and Tricks for Using the Master Slide Effectively

Here are some additional tips and tricks for getting the most out of your Master Slide:

• Always start with a customized Master Slide: While PowerPoint comes with several default Master Slide templates, it’s always best to create your own that matches your branding and design aesthetic.
• Create multiple Layouts: Customizing your Master Slide can be a great way to achieve consistency, but creating multiple Layouts can add even more flexibility to your presentation design.
• Use placeholder boxes: Creating placeholder boxes for images, graphs, or other content can save you time and effort when creating new slides.
• Keep it simple: While it’s great to have a customized Master Slide, be careful not to overcrowd your presentation with too many graphics or formatting elements. Less is usually more in PowerPoint.

How to Create a Custom Layout from a Master Slide in PowerPoint

If you’ve already customized your Master Slide and want to create a custom Layout from it, simply follow these steps:

2. Click on the thumbnail for the Layout you want to customize further.

3. Make any desired changes to the Layout, such as adding or removing placeholder boxes or changing background colors.

4. Once you’re done, click on the Close Master View button.

5. Go to the Home tab in the ribbon and click on the Layout button. Select the custom Layout you just created from the list.

Best Practices for Working with Master Slides in PowerPoint

Here are some best practices to keep in mind as you work with Master Slides in PowerPoint:

• Start with a clear plan: Before you start designing your Master Slide, make sure you have a clear idea of what you want your presentation to look like and what elements you need to include.
• Use consistent formatting: Stick to a consistent color scheme, font style, and layout throughout your presentation to maintain visual cohesiveness.
• Keep it project-specific: Don’t waste time creating a custom Master Slide for every project you work on. Instead, create a few different templates that can be easily adapted and customized as needed.
• Save frequently: As always, save your work often to avoid losing your progress.

The Benefits of Using a Consistent Master Slide for Branding

Using a consistent Master Slide layout and design can have a significant impact on your branding efforts. By using the same fonts, colors, and graphic elements throughout your presentation, you can help ensure that your audience remembers and recognizes your brand. This can be especially important for businesses or presenters who rely heavily on their brand identity to build trust and credibility.

How to Use Multiple Masters in One PowerPoint Presentation

If you need to use multiple Master Slides in a single PowerPoint presentation, it’s easy to do:

2. Click on the Insert Slide Master button to create a new Master Slide. You can also right-click on an existing Master Slide and select Insert Master Slide.

3. Customize the new Master Slide as desired using the same steps outlined earlier in this article.

4. Once you’re done, go to the Home tab in the ribbon and click on the Layout button. You should now see all available Master Slide layouts, including the new one you just created.

5. Select the appropriate Master Slide for each slide in your presentation to achieve the desired design and formatting.

The Importance of Updating Your Master Slides Regularly

Finally, it’s important to remember that your Master Slide is not set in stone. As your business or brand evolves or as new design trends emerge, you may need to update your Master Slide to keep up. Regularly updating your Master Slide can help ensure that your presentations always feel fresh and relevant, which can help keep your audience engaged and interested.

As you can see, changing the Master Slide in PowerPoint is a powerful tool for creating a polished, professional-looking presentation. By following the steps and best practices outlined in this article, you can create a customized Master Slide that works for your specific needs and enhances your overall branding efforts.

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How-To Geek

How to create a slide master in microsoft powerpoint.

Keep consistency throughout your entire presentation by creating a customized slide master.

Quick Links

Creating a slide master in powerpoint, save your customized slide master.

PowerPoint’s Slide Master lets you keep consistency throughout your presentation. If you want to customize a presentation’s fonts , headings, or colors in one place so that they apply to all your slides, then you’ll need to create a Slide Master.

Open your presentation, head over to the “View” tab, and then click the “Slide Master” button.

The Slide Master will appear in the left-hand pane. The Slide Master is the top thumbnail that appears in the pane, and each sub-thumbnail represents each slide layout available in your theme. Edits you make to the text of the Slide Master will affect the text in each slide layout. Alternatively, you can select and customize each slide layout.

Edit the Slide Master Theme

If you plan to use a specific theme with your presentation, it’s best to go ahead and select it now before making any other edits, as each theme will have its own unique text and image placeholders.

To edit the theme of the Slide Master, click “Themes” on the “Slide Master” tab.

A drop-down menu will appear, showing a large library of Office themes. Select the one you want to use.

Your Slide Master will now take on the selected theme.

Fine-Tune Your Slide Master

Now it’s time to customize the font, color, and background of the presentation. In the “Background” group of the “Slide Master” tab, you’ll have all of these options available to you. However, using the options provided here will affect all of the slide layouts in the presentation, as they are predefined schemes. You can hover your mouse over the available options for a live preview.

If you don't find a scheme you like, you can create your own or customize each slide the way you want by using the tools provided in the "Home" tab.

Also, note that any objects or text you place on the slide master will appear on all your slides. So, for example, it's a great way to put a company logo or disclaimer text that you might want to appear throughout your presentation.

Create Multiple Slide Masters

You can create multiple Slide Masters in a presentation. To do this, head over to the "Slide Master" tab and click "Insert Slide Master."

The additional Slide Master will now appear in the left-hand pane.

Edit the new Slide Master. Once you're finished, select "Close Master View" in the "Close" group.

In the "Slides" group of the "Home" tab, select "Layout."

A drop-down menu will appear. You'll now see both themes with your customized slide layouts!

You can save your customized Slide Master as a PowerPoint template for future use. To do so, head over to the "File" tab and select "Save As."

Next, click the "Browse" button in the "Other locations" section.

Navigate to the location of your Custom Office Templates folder, usually found here:

C:\Users\user\Documents\Custom Office Templates

Once there, select the arrow in the "Save as type" box.

In the menu that appears, select "PowerPoint Template."

Next, click "Save" at the bottom-right of the window.

Your template with your customized Slide Master is now saved!

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PowerPoint  - Slide Master View

Powerpoint  -, slide master view, powerpoint slide master view.

PowerPoint: Slide Master View

Lesson 29: slide master view.

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Introduction

You may have noticed that when you select a different theme in PowerPoint, it rearranges the text on your slides and adds shapes to the background. This is because each theme has built-in slide layouts and background graphics . You can edit these layouts with a feature called Slide Master view . Once you learn how to use Slide Master view, you'll be able to customize your entire slide show with just a few clicks.

Optional: Download our practice presentation .

Watch the video below to learn more about using Slide Master view.

What is Slide Master view?

Slide Master view is a special feature in PowerPoint that allows you to quickly modify the slides and slide layouts in your presentation. From here, you can edit the slide master , which will affect every slide in the presentation. You can also modify individual slide layouts , which will change any slides using those layouts.

For example, let's say you find a theme you like but you don't like a few of the slide layouts. You could use Slide Master view to customize the layouts to look exactly the way you want.

In Slide Master view, the Slide Master tab will appear first on the Ribbon, but you'll still be able to access commands on different tabs as you normally would.

Using Slide Master view

Whether you're making significant changes to your slides or just a few small tweaks , Slide Master view can help you create a consistent, professional presentation without a lot of effort. You could use Slide Master view to change just about anything in your presentation, but here are some of its most common uses.

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

Some overall presentation changes—like customizing the theme fonts and theme colors —can be made quickly from the Design tab. Review our lesson on Modifying Themes to learn more.

To make changes to all slides:

If you want to change something on all slides of your presentation, you can edit the Slide Master. In our example, we'll add a logo to every slide. If you'd like to work along with our example, right-click the image below and save it to your computer.

• The presentation will switch to Slide Master view , and the Slide Master tab will be selected on the Ribbon.

When you make a change to the slide master, it's a good idea to review your presentation to see how it affects each slide. You may find that some of your slides don't look exactly right. We'll show you how to fix this by customizing individual slide layouts.

Customizing slide layouts

You can use Slide Master view to modify any slide layout in your presentation. It's easy to make small tweaks like adjusting background graphics and more significant changes like rearranging or deleting placeholders. Unlike the slide master, changes to a slide layout will only be applied to slides using that layout in your presentation.

To customize an existing slide layout:

In our example, our newly added logo is hidden behind the photo in the Picture with Caption Layout . We'll customize this layout to make room for the logo.

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

Customizing text formatting

You can also customize the text formatting from Slide Master view, including the font , text size , color , and alignment . For example, if you wanted to change the font for every title placeholder in your presentation, you could modify the master title style on the slide master.

Each title placeholder is connected to the master title style on the slide master. For example, take a look at the slides before changing the title font.

Now look at the same slides after changing the title font.

Instead of customizing individual placeholders, you can change the theme fonts for a presentation. From the Slide Master tab, click the Fonts command in the Background group, then select the desired fonts.

Creating new slide layouts

One of the most powerful features of Slide Master view is the option to create new slide layouts . This is an easy way to add interesting and unique slide layouts to an existing theme. You could even use this feature to design an entirely new theme , as in the example below.

To insert a new slide layout:

To rename a custom layout:

When you're done designing your custom layout, you'll want to give it a unique name so it will be easy to find.

To use a custom layout:

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.

• If you're currently in Slide Master view, click the Close Master View command on the Slide Master tab.

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

Using custom layouts in other presentations

When you modify the slide master or slide layouts 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 .

To save a theme:

From the the Slide Master tab, click the Themes command, then select Save Current Theme from the drop-down menu.

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

• Open our practice presentation . If you already downloaded our presentation to follow along with the lesson, be sure to download a fresh copy.
• On the slide master, change the Background Style to Style 7.
• Delete the tall rectangular shape near the left of the slide master.

• Reopen Slide Master view. In the Picture with Caption layout, select the background shape on the left side of the slide behind the text,and change the color to Dark Aqua .

• Optional: Save your theme to your computer.

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How to Copy a PowerPoint Design Template to Another Presentation

It's quick and easy to copy over a design template

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What to Know

• In the source presentation, select View > Slide Master . In the Slide pane, right-click the Slide Master and select Copy .
• Go to View > Switch Windows and choose the second presentation. Go to View > Slide Master . Right-click the Slide pane and select Paste .
• Choose Use Destination Theme (keeps colors, fonts, and effects) or Keep Source Formatting (copies the source's colors, fonts, effects).

This article explains how to copy a PowerPoint design template over to another presentation. Instructions apply to PowerPoint 2019, PowerPoint 2016, PowerPoint 2013, and PowerPoint for Microsoft 365.

How to Copy a Presentation's Design Template

It's often quicker to copy a design template from a presentation than to find it in the list of PowerPoint templates. 

Go to View in the presentation that contains the design template you want to copy and select  Slide Master .

Right-click the Slide Master in the Slide pane on the left side of the screen and select Copy .

The Slide Master is the large thumbnail image at the top of the Slide pane. Some presentations contain more than one slide master.

Go to View , select  Switch Windows , and choose the presentation you want to paste the Slide Master into.

If you don't see the other PowerPoint presentation on this list, it means that the other file isn't open. Open it now and return to this step to select it from the list.

In the second presentation, go to View and select Slide Master to open the  Slide Master .

To insert the Slide Master from the other presentation, right-click on the Slide pane to the left, select Paste , and do one of the following:

• Choose Use Destination Theme to keep the theme colors, fonts, and effects of the presentation you are pasting to.
• Choose Keep Source Formatting to copy the theme colors, fonts, and effects of the template you are copying from.

Select  Close Master View .

Changes made to individual slides in the original presentation, such as font styles, do not change the design template of that presentation. Therefore, graphic objects or font changes added to individual slides do not copy over to a new presentation. 

To copy PowerPoint slides to another presentation , right-click the thumbnail of the slide you want to copy and choose Copy . Right-click a blank area of the Slides pane where you want to place it and choose one of the pasting options.

To save a copy of a PowerPoint presentation on your computer, go to the File tab and select Download As > Download a Copy . Select Download to continue.

To embed YouTube videos in PowerPoint , select Share > Embed . Select the HTML code and choose Copy . In your PowerPoint slide, select Insert > Video > Insert Video From Website . In the dialog box, right-click the blank area and choose  Paste  > Insert .

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How to Edit a PowerPoint Master Slide

Last Updated: May 5, 2021

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Travis Boylls . Travis Boylls is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. Travis has experience writing technology-related articles, providing software customer service, and in graphic design. He specializes in Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Linux platforms. He studied graphic design at Pikes Peak Community College. This article has been viewed 45,121 times. Learn more...

This wikiHow teaches you how to edit slide masters in PowerPoint. Slide masters are used to apply the same layout, fonts, styles, images, and placeholders to multiple slides in a PowerPoint presentation. A slide master can have multiple layouts. [1] X Research source

Accessing Slide Master View

• If you have PowerPoint presentations saved on your OneDrive, click OneDrive and then click a PowerPoint presentation you wish to open.

Adding and Deleting Slide Masters and Layouts

• There must be at least one slide master in the list on the left.
• You can also use the right-click menu to rename or duplicate slide masters and layouts.

Editing Backgrounds and Themes

• If you want to create layouts with different themes, color schemes, or fonts, you need to create a new slide master.

• Applying a background style to a slide master affects all the layouts below the slide master. Applying a background style to a layout only affects that layout.

• Solid fill: This applies a single color to the background. Use the "Color" drop-down menu to select a color.
• Gradient: . This applies a fade with two or more colors as a background. To change the gradient colors, click a stop below "Color stops" and then use the "Color" drop-down menu to select a color. Select the gradient type using the "Type" drop-down menu.
• Picture or texture fill: This option allows you to use an image as your background. Click File to select an image file from your computer or use the "Texture" drop-down menu to select one of the texture images.
• Pattern fill: This option allows you to use a pattern as your background. Select a pattern in the menu below "Pattern" and then use the "Foreground" and "Background" drop-down menus to select colors for the pattern.

• If you do not click Apply to all , it will only apply your background settings to a single layout.

Editing Placeholders

• Content: Content placeholders can be filled with any type of content, such as text, images, tables, charts, videos.
• Text: Text placeholders are used to indicate where text will go. You can use a text placeholder to format your text before you even know what the text will say.
• Image: Image placeholders will eventually be filled with an image files, such as a JPEG.
• Chart: Chart placeholders are used to indicate where a chart or graph will be placed.
• Table: Table placeholders are used to indicate where a table, such as those created in Excel will be placed.
• SmartArt: SmartArt is Microsoft's editable graphics. A smartArt placeholder indicates where smartArt will eventually be placed. [3] X Research source
• Media: Media placeholders indicate where media, such as a video file will eventually be placed.
• Online Image: An online image placeholder indicates where you can choose an image from online

• To edit the position of a placeholder, click and hold a blank spot inside the placeholder bounding box. Then drag the placeholder to where you want to go.
• To rotate a placeholder, click the circular arrow icon above the placeholder bounding box and drag left or right to rotate the bounding box.
• To adjust the size of the placeholder, click and drag the small circles in the corners and sides of the placeholder bounding box.
• To Delete a placeholder, click the place holder and press Delete .

• You can also use the options in the menu to add other text effects such as bullets or a numbered list, or text effects such as shadow, glow, or 3D.

Applying a Slide Master or Layout to PowerPoint Slides

• You can also insert a new slide by click Insert in the menu bar at the top and clicking New Slide

• Text: Click the placeholder text to edit it. Highlight the text and press Delete to remove the placeholder text. Then type your own text.
• Image: Click the image icon to open a file browser. Select an image on your computer and click Open .
• Chart: Click the chart icon in the placeholder. Then select a chart type in the menu to the left of the window and click a chart style at the top and click Ok . Use the table to edit the labels and numbers for the chart.
• Table: Click the table icon in the placeholder and then type the number of columns and rows for the table and click Ok . Then click each cell and add your own text to the cell.
• SmartArt: Click the SmartArt icon in the middle of the placeholder. Then select the type or art in the menu on the left. Then select a style in the center and click Ok . Use the pop-up window to add text to the graphic or click the text boxes in the graphic and type your own text.
• Media: Click the media icon in the center of the placeholder and then use the file browser to navigate to an audio or video file on your computer. Click the audio or video file and click Insert .
• Online Image: Click the online image icon in the center of the placeholder. Then use the search bar to search for an image. Click an image you like to select it.

Expert Q&A

Wikihow video: how to edit a powerpoint master slide, you might also like.

• ↑ https://support.office.com/en-us/article/what-is-a-slide-master-b9abb2a0-7aef-4257-a14e-4329c904da54
• ↑ https://support.office.com/en-us/article/customize-a-slide-master-036d317b-3251-4237-8ddc-22f4668e2b56
• ↑ https://support.office.com/en-us/article/video-create-and-change-smartart-393bd987-c33a-4821-aaea-fd9ea71916cd

About This Article

If you want to change the layout or style of all slides in your PowerPoint presentation, you can edit your Slide Master. First, open your PowerPoint presentation and click the "View" tab. Next, click "Slide Master" on the toolbar to open the Slide Master tab. You'll see the Slide Master for your theme at the top of the left panel. The Slide Master contains formatting for elements like headers, footers, and title placeholders. The smaller slides under the Slide Master are Slide Layouts, which inherit the basics of the Slide Master but feature alternative layouts for different types of presentations. You can edit these separately in addition to making changes to your Slide Master. To resize an element, such as the body or title area on a Slide Master or Layout, click it once and then drag its sizing handle. To move an element, click its border and then drag it to the desired location. You can also customize fonts by selecting the text in an element, such as the title, and then making changes using the font options on the Home tab. To add a placeholder for a certain type of object, such as a picture or a chart, click the "Insert Placeholder" button in the toolbar and select your desired option. You can also use the "Background" panel on the toolbar to change the theme's colors and style elements. Just make sure the Slide Master is selected in the left panel and not just one of the Layouts first. Click "Colors" on the toolbar to choose a new color scheme, and then "Background Styles" to choose a new background color from the palette. Click "Fonts" to change the font throughout, and "Effects" to add effects to objects, such as drop-shadows. To add a new layout to a Slide Master, click "Insert Layout" in the toolbar. To delete any part of your Slide Master or Layout, click it once and press the "Delete" key on your keyboard. When you're finished editing your Slide Master, click "Close Master View" in the toolbar to return to regular editing mode—your changes will be applied to all slides in your presentation automatically. Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Add Columns in PowerPoint Slides Fast

Learn to organize your PowerPoint slides with ease. Gain tips on text alignment, custom column layouts, and... read more

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Creating an engaging presentation isn’t just about the content; it’s also about how that content is displayed. Clear, well-organized layouts can make your slides more comprehensible and keep your audience focused. When viewers can quickly grasp your main points thanks to a structured format, they are more likely to stay engaged throughout your presentation.

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Key Takeaways

• To add columns in PowerPoint slides, select an existing text box or insert a new one, then click on the Home tab and choose “Add or Remove Columns” to set the desired number of columns up to three directly, or select “More Columns” for additional customization options.
• For layouts requiring more than three columns, navigate to “More Columns” under the Home tab where a dialog box will allow you to specify the exact number of columns and adjust the spacing between them.
• Begin with selecting a predefined layout that includes columns from the “Layout” tab, then insert content like text, images, or other objects into the columns by utilizing the “Insert” tab to enhance the structure and visual appeal of your PowerPoint presentation.

Streamlining Text for Better Understanding

Effective presentations often hinge on the audience’s ability to quickly understand and absorb information. Streamlining text into columns is a strategic way to break down dense paragraphs and enhance comprehension. Columns create a cleaner look and direct the audience’s eyes through the text in manageable chunks. This approach not only makes your slides more visually appealing but also bolsters the audience’s reading experience, leading to better retention of the information presented.

Table of Contents

Laying the Foundation with Columns

What is a column in powerpoint.

In the context of PowerPoint , a column is a format that organizes text or graphical content into vertical or horizontal blocks within a slide. Using columns, you can distribute your content in a way that’s neat and tidy, which helps prevent the audience from feeling overwhelmed. Columns are incredibly versatile and can be used for arranging lists, comparing information side by side, or simply breaking up long stretches of text to improve readability. They’re a go-to tool for meticulous presenters aiming to deliver clear and captivating messages.

Method #1: Tweaking Slide Master for Consistent Layouts

Method #2: Customizing Text Boxes for Columns

Enhancing Readability and Aesthetics

Perfecting alignment and spacing.

Choosing the Right Fonts and Sizes

When it comes to readability, the fonts and sizes you choose play pivotal roles. Start by selecting a clear, legible font that fits the tone of your presentation. Sans-serif fonts like Arial or Calibri are often favorites for their neatness and simplicity. For font sizes, aim for a minimum size of 24 points for body text and a larger size for headers to ensure visibility, even at a distance.

Balance is vital—different elements should have varied but complementary sizes to denote importance and maintain hierarchy. Keep in mind that your column’s width might dictate a different font size to ensure that the text does not appear too squished or too sparse. Testing your slide on a larger screen can also help you gauge if the text sizing is adequate.

Best Practices for Using Columns in Presentations

Balancing text and visuals.

To hold your audience’s attention, striking the right balance between text and visuals is crucial. Your columns should facilitate a seamless blend of words and images, with neither overshadowing the other. If you have a text-heavy column, complement it with a visual-heavy column alongside. This visual variety helps illustrate your points and keeps viewers engaged.

Balancing doesn’t just mean equal parts; it’s about creating harmony. Sometimes, you might lean heavier on visuals to explain a complex idea, while at other times, bullet points may suffice. Always consider the purpose behind each slide—your visuals and text should work together to tell a cohesive story.

When to Use Columns in Your Slides

Columns can be a versatile tool in your presentation arsenal, but knowing when to use them is key. Utilize columns on your slides when you aim to compare and contrast different items, like product features, or when delineating a list into more digestible parts, such as steps in a process. They’re great for displaying pros and cons clearly or when you wish to organize related concepts side by side without confusing your audience.

Additionally, columns come in handy when you’re aiming to mimic a traditional newspaper or editorial layout for storytelling or narrative-based presentations. However, refrain from overusing columns, as they may confuse rather than clarify if the content doesn’t warrant such organization. Always use them purposefully to enhance understanding and to visually segment information for impact.

Overcoming Common Challenges

Adding more than three columns.

Transitioning Between Different Column Layouts

Transitioning smoothly between different column layouts within your presentation helps maintain a dynamic and engaging flow. To accomplish this seamlessly, strategically place transitional slides that prep your audience for the layout change. You can use subtle animations that shift the focus gently from one column structure to another or employ clear headings and transition statements in your speech.

If you’re moving from fewer to more columns, or vice versa, consider using PowerPoint’s built-in transition effects like ‘Fade’ or ‘Push’ to help visually cue the change. The key is to make sure that each transition makes sense in the narrative of your presentation and that you’re not changing layouts too frequently, which can be jarring to the audience.

FAQs on Columns in PowerPoint

How do i convert a list into columns in powerpoint.

To convert a list into columns in PowerPoint, first select the text box containing your list. Then, on the ‘Home’ tab, click the ‘Add or Remove Columns’ button to select the number of columns you’d like to split your text into. If you need to make adjustments, click ‘More Columns’ for further customization. This simple process can help organize your list more effectively across the slide.

Can You Save a Custom Column Layout as a Default in PowerPoint?

Yes, you can save a custom column layout as a default in PowerPoint. Once you’ve created a column layout that suits your needs, go to the ‘Slide Master’ view and apply it to a new layout. Save this layout within the master slides, and it will be available as a default option for any new slides you add to your presentation.

How do I make one column into two in PowerPoint?

To make one column into two in PowerPoint, click inside the text box you want to split and then go to the “Home” tab. Look for the ‘Columns’ button, usually located in the Paragraph group, and choose “Two,” or select “More Columns” to customize further. This will instantly divide your text box content into two equal columns.

John Michaloudis

John Michaloudis is a former accountant and finance analyst at General Electric, a Microsoft MVP since 2020, an Amazon #1 bestselling author of 4 Microsoft Excel books and teacher of Microsoft Excel & Office over at his flagship Academy Online Course .

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How to Insert a Picture as a Background in PowerPoint: A Step-by-Step Guide

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Have you ever wanted to spice up your PowerPoint presentations with a unique and visually appealing background? Adding a picture as a background in PowerPoint can help you create a more engaging and memorable presentation. In this article, I will guide you through the process of inserting a picture as a background in PowerPoint.

To begin, open your PowerPoint presentation and navigate to the slide where you want to add a background image. From there, select the “Design” tab in the ribbon at the top of the screen. In the “Customize” section of the Design tab, you will find the “Format Background” button. Clicking this button will open the “Format Background” pane on the right-hand side of the window.

In the “Format Background” pane, you will see several options for customizing your slide background. To add a picture as the background, select the “Picture or texture fill” option. From there, you can choose to insert a picture from your computer or online sources. You can also adjust the transparency and other settings to further customize your background. With these simple steps, you can easily add a picture as a background in PowerPoint and take your presentations to the next level.

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Using the Design Tab

Inserting a picture as a background, applying a solid or texture fill, adjusting transparency, adding artistic effects, working with slide master, organizing content, creating a custom background.

As a presenter, it’s essential to have a visually appealing background for your PowerPoint slides. Fortunately, PowerPoint allows you to customize your background with a picture or texture fill. In this section, I will guide you through the steps to create a custom background in PowerPoint.

To create a custom background, you need to use the Design tab in the PowerPoint ribbon. Click on the Design tab, and you will see various customization options for your slide background. Here, you can choose from pre-designed Themes, Colors, and Fonts, or you can create a custom background.

If you want to insert a picture as your background, follow these steps:

• Click on the Design tab.
• Select the “Format Background” option.
• In the “Format Background” pane, choose “Picture or texture fill.”
• Click on the “File” button to upload your image.
• Select your image and click “Insert.”
• Adjust the picture’s relative lightness by sliding the Transparency bar to the right.

You can also apply a solid or texture fill to your slide background. Here’s how:

• In the “Format Background” pane, choose “Solid fill” or “Texture fill.”
• If you choose “Solid fill,” select a color from the color palette.
• If you choose “Texture fill,” select a texture from the available options.

It’s important to note that you can apply your custom background to all slides or just a single slide. To apply your custom background to all slides, click on the “Apply to All Slides” button in the “Format Background” pane.

In conclusion, creating a custom background in PowerPoint is a simple process that can enhance your presentation’s visual appeal. Whether you choose to use a picture, solid fill, or texture fill, PowerPoint offers a variety of customization options to suit your needs.

Enhancing Visual Appeal

As we all know, a visually appealing presentation is key to keeping your audience engaged. Adding a picture as a background can significantly enhance the design of your presentation. In this section, I will discuss two ways to enhance the visual appeal of your presentation: adjusting transparency and adding artistic effects.

One way to improve the design of your presentation is by adjusting the transparency of the picture you use as a background. This will help the text on your slides stand out and improve readability. In PowerPoint, you can adjust the transparency of your picture using the transparency slider. Simply select the picture you want to modify, go to the “Picture Color” tab, and select “Picture Transparency.” From there, you can use the slider to adjust the transparency of the picture until it blends into the background perfectly.

Another way to enhance the visual appeal of your presentation is by adding artistic effects to your background picture. This can help create a unique and professional look for your presentation. PowerPoint offers various artistic effects that you can use to modify your background picture. To do this, select the “Picture Effects” tab, and choose from options such as “Artistic Effects,” “Soft Edges,” and “Reflections.” Experiment with different effects to find the one that best suits your presentation.

In conclusion, enhancing the visual appeal of your presentation is crucial to keeping your audience engaged. By adjusting the transparency of your picture and adding artistic effects, you can create a unique and professional look for your presentation. Remember to keep your presentation visually appealing and easy to read by using these tips.

Managing Slide Elements

As someone who has created many PowerPoint presentations, I have found that working with the Slide Master can save a lot of time and effort. The Slide Master is essentially a template for all the slides in your presentation. By making changes to the Slide Master, you can apply those changes to all slides in your presentation at once.

To access the Slide Master, go to the View tab and select Slide Master. Once you’re in the Slide Master view, you can make changes to the background, font, and other elements that will apply to all slides in your presentation.

When it comes to adding a background picture to your presentation, the Slide Master is a great place to start. By adding a background picture to the Slide Master, you can ensure that the picture is applied to all slides in your presentation. To do this, simply select the Slide Master and then choose the Format Background option. From there, you can choose to add a picture or texture fill and select the picture you want to use as your background.

Organizing content is an important aspect of creating a professional-looking PowerPoint presentation. When it comes to adding a background picture, you want to make sure that it doesn’t interfere with the content on your slides. One way to do this is to adjust the size and position of your picture.

To adjust the size of your picture, select the picture and then drag the corner handles to resize it. You can also use the Size options in the Format Picture pane to specify the exact size you want.

To adjust the position of your picture, select the picture and then drag it to the desired location. You can also use the Position options in the Format Picture pane to specify the exact position you want.

Another way to organize your content is to use the Bring Forward and Send Backward options. These options allow you to change the order of your slide elements so that they appear in front of or behind other elements. To use these options, select the element you want to move and then go to the Home tab and select the Bring Forward or Send Backward option.

Overall, managing slide elements is an important part of creating a professional-looking PowerPoint presentation. By working with the Slide Master and organizing your content, you can ensure that your background picture doesn’t interfere with the content on your slides.

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• What is a slide master? Article
• Add, rearrange, duplicate, and delete slides in PowerPoint Article
• Apply a slide layout Article
• Add color and design to your slides with Themes Article
• Start with a template Article
• Get design ideas for slides Article
• Customize a slide master Article
• Change the page orientation in PowerPoint between landscape and portrait Article
• Organize your PowerPoint slides into sections Article
• Add a DRAFT watermark to the background of slides Article
• Create, merge, and group objects on a slide Article
• Guides for arranging things on a slide in PowerPoint Article
• Change the order in which stacked objects, placeholders, or shapes appear on a slide Article
• Rotate or flip an object Article

Customize a slide master

Use a slide master to add consistency to your colors, fonts, headings, logos, and other styles, and to help unify the form of your presentation.

You can change a slide master's colors, fonts, or effects. You can move, hide, or show placeholders. You can also change the orientation of the page from portrait to landscape, or vice versa.

Create and customize one or more slide masters

On the View tab, select Slide Master .

When you open Slide Master view, a slide master is shown in the thumbnail pane with the default, associated layouts below it. If you want to add another slide master, do the following:

Click a location in the slide thumbnail pane where you want the new slide master to appear.

On the Slide Master tab, select  Insert Slide Master .

Note:  In the slide thumbnail pane, the slide master is the larger slide image at the top, and the associated layouts are positioned below the slide master.

Do any of the following:

To create one or more custom layouts or to modify existing layouts, see Apply or change a slide layout .

To remove any of the built-in slide layouts that accompany the default slide master, in the slide thumbnail pane, click each slide layout that you want to delete, and then on the Slide Master tab, click Delete .

To apply a design or theme-based colors, fonts, effects and backgrounds, see Create your own theme in PowerPoint .

To set the page orientation for all of the slides in your presentation, on the Slide Master tab, select Slide Size > Custom Slide Size . Under Orientation, select the orientation you want.

To control whether footers (the slide number, date, and footer-text placeholders) are visible on a particular type of slide: In the thumbnail pane, select a slide layout, then on the Slide Master tab, select or clear Footers . To assign specific text to any of the footers, on the ribbon, select Insert > Headers, then select the options you want. See Insert or change the slide numbers, date, or footer for on-screen slides for more details. 

After you make your changes, on the Slide Master tab, select  Close Master View .

If you want to save this as a template to reuse again, select  File > Save as (or Save a Copy ), change the file type to template, enter a file name, and select  Save .

What is a slide master?

Learn more about themes

Add a placeholder to a layout

Change text alignment, indentation, and spacing

Use multiple slide masters in one presentation

On the View tab, click Slide Master .

When you open Slide Master view, a blank slide-master with the default, associated layouts appears. If you want to add another slide master, do the following:

On the Slide Master tab, click Insert Slide Master .

Note:  In the slide thumbnail pane, the slide master is the larger slide image, and the associated layouts are positioned beneath the slide master.

To set the page orientation for all of the slides in your presentation, on the Slide Master tab, click Slide Size > Page Setup . Under Orientation, click the orientation you want.

To add text that will appear as a footer at the bottom of all of the pages in your presentation, on the Slide Master tab, click Slide Size > Page Setup > Header/Footer .

After you make your changes, on the Slide Master tab, click Close Master .

If you want to save this as a template to reuse again, click File > Save as Template , type a file name, and click Save .

Background information

Learn more about slide masters

Create or change slide layouts in PowerPoint for Mac

Add a transparent picture (watermark) to your slides in PowerPoint for Mac

Add a logo, company name, or header or footer text to handouts

Add page numbers, the date and time, or footer text to all slides in PowerPoint for Mac

Change footer formatting on all slides in PowerPoint for Mac

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