Try the Complete PowerPoint Course for Free!

Slide Masters in PowerPoint – Instructions

/ / Latest, Microsoft, Office 2013, Office 2016, Office 365, PowerPoint 2013, PowerPoint 2016

Slide Masters in PowerPoint: Video Lesson

            This video lesson, titled “Using Slide Masters and Slide Layouts,” shows you how to use slide masters in PowerPoint. This video lesson is from our complete PowerPoint tutorial, titled “Mastering PowerPoint Made Easy v.2016-2013.”

Slide Masters in PowerPoint: Overview

            You use slide masters In PowerPoint to set the default layout and appearance of presentation slides. When you add presentation slides and apply a slide layout, the slide is formatted according to the slide master’s specifications. Each slide master has several associated slide layouts. It is possible to also use more than one slide master in a presentation, if desired. You can create and customize your own slide layouts and slide masters in PowerPoint. You can then save these into a custom template for future use.

            To create and modify slide masters in PowerPoint and also slide layouts, click “View” tab in the Ribbon. Then click the “Slide Master” button in the “Master Views” button group. Doing this then opens the presentation’s slide masters and associated layouts.

            Each slide master in the presentation appears at the top of a hierarchy of connected slide layouts in this pane. Each layout appears as a branch of the slide master. The current slide master and layout appear selected in the slide pane at the left side of the window. It is displayed for editing in the main window. You will also see a new “Slide Master” tab appear in the Ribbon. You use the commands and buttons in the button groups on this tab to change the slide masters in PowerPoint.

            To insert a new slide master into the presentation, click the “Insert Slide Master” button. To insert a new layout for a slide master, select a slide master and click the “Insert Layout” button.

Slide Masters in PowerPoint - Instructions: A picture of a user adding a new slide master in PowerPoint.

Slide Masters in PowerPoint – Instructions: A picture of a user adding a new slide master in PowerPoint.

            To customize a slide master, select it in the slides panel. Then select which default placeholders to apply by clicking the “Slide Master” tab in the Ribbon. Then click the “Master Layout” button in the “Master Layout” button group. Check the default placeholders to add and then click the “OK” button.

            To rename a selected slide master, click the “Rename” button in the “Edit Master” button group to open the “Rename Master” dialog box. Enter a new name into the “Master name:” text box. Then click the “Rename” button to rename it. To save the selected slide master with the presentation, even if it is not actively used by any slides in the presentation, click the “Preserve” button in this same button group. To delete a custom slide master, click the “Delete” button in this button group.

            You can select a slide layout associated with a slide master and then add placeholders to it. To do this, select the slide layout in the slide pane. Then click the “Insert Placeholder” drop-down in the “Master Layout” button group. Then select the type of placeholder to add from the drop-down menu. You then click and drag over the area in the slide layout where you want the placeholder to appear. Repeat this, as needed, until you have added the placeholders you want. Check the “Title” and “Footers” checkboxes in the same button group to remove the display of these elements from the slide layout, if desired.

            To delete a custom slide layout, select it and then click the “Delete” button in the “Edit Master” button group. You can also click the “Rename” button to rename it.

            To close the slide master view, click the “Slide Master” tab in the Ribbon. Then click the “Close Master View” button in the “Close” button group.

Slide Masters in PowerPoint: Instructions

  1. To create and modify slide masters in PowerPoint, click the “View” tab of the Ribbon.
  2. Then click the “Slide Master” button in the “Master Views” button group.
  3. Each slide master appears at the top of a hierarchy of connected slide layouts in this pane. Each layout appears as a branch of the slide master.
  4. The current slide master and layout appear selected in the slide pane at the left side of the window and appear for editing in the main window.
  5. A new “Slide Master” tab also appear in the Ribbon.
  6. To insert a new slide master, click the “Insert Slide Master” button to insert a new slide master and its slide layouts into the “Slides” pane.
  7. To customize a slide master, select it in the slides pane.
  8. Then select which default placeholders to apply by clicking the “Master Layout” button in the “Master Layout” button group on the “Slide Master” tab in the Ribbon.
  9. Check the default placeholders to appear in the slide master and then click the “OK” button.
  10. To rename a selected slide master, click the “Rename” button in the “Edit Master” button group to open the “Rename Master” dialog box.
  11. Enter a new name for the master into the “Master name:” text box.
  12. Then click the “Rename” button to rename it.
  13. If you want to save the selected slide master with the presentation, even if it is not actively used by any presentation slides, click the “Preserve” button in the “Edit Master” button group.
  14. To delete a custom slide master, click the “Delete” button in the “Edit Master” button group.
  15. To add a placeholder to a slide layout, first select the slide layout in the slide pane.
  16. Then click the “Insert Placeholder” drop-down in the “Master Layout” button group and select the type of placeholder to add from the drop-down menu.
  17. Then click and drag over the area in the slide layout where you want the placeholder to appear.
  18. Repeat this, as needed, until you have added the placeholders you want.
  19. If you want to remove the “Title” or “Footer” from the slide layout, check the “Title” and “Footers” checkboxes.
  20. To delete a custom slide layout, select the layout and click the “Delete” button in the “Edit Master” button group.
  21. If you want to rename a custom slide layout, click the “Rename” button and enter a new name.
  22. To close the slide master view, click the “Close Master View” button in the “Close” button group on the “Slide Master” tab in the Ribbon.
TOP