Custom Tools and Shortcuts

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shift Select

When animating several objects, hold down the shift key while selecting objects in the order you wish them to animate. Then select an animation from the Custom Animation menu, PowerPoint picks up the sequence you have selected them in and animates them in this order. (This works for all versions of PowerPoint for PC, but in 2003 the default timing is With Previous so you will have to select After Previous to actually see the sequence. In older versions of PowerPoint the default is already After Previous). You will find this saves you a massive amount of messing about getting your animation sequence’s just right!

Skip to any Slide

Imagine you’re presenting to a panel and the chairman walks in asking what your presentation is all about. Ever wished you could skip forward or back to your value proposition slide, or return to a slide to answer clarification questions, without escaping from the show and looking unprofessional? You can! Simply remember or write down the slide numbers of the slides you might need and during the show just type the number on the keyboard and hit Enter to skip straight to that slide. Magic!

Duplicate

Use the CTRL+SHIFT drag shortcut to make sure the duplicates are perfectly aligned with the original. Whilst holding down CTRL and SHIFT, click on the object you want to duplicate. Now when you drag the cursor, it will duplicate the shape you have selected and will only allow you to move it in a horizontal or vertical line, perfectly aligned with the original shape. Easy!

Text changes

If you need to change your text from upper to lower case (or vice versa) just select the text, depress the ‘Shift’ key and keep pressing F3 to scroll through different cases. For a quick way to change the point size of your text just select the text, depress the ‘Ctrl’ key and keep pressing ] to increase and [ to decrease text size.

Resizing shapes and pictures

Positioned all your objects and photos just where you want them? What happens if you need to make one bigger or smaller? Instead of dragging the resize handle and then fiddling around to centre the object again, just hold down CTRL as you resize: this will set the ‘anchor point’ in the middle of the object and enlarge/shrink it evenly on all sides at once!

Reducing file size

We love putting images in our presentations, but chances are you will end up with a huge file that is difficult to store and email. If you are using PowerPoint 2003, just double click on any photo, click the ‘Picture’ tab in the box that appears, and click the ‘Compress…’ button. Check the ‘All pictures in document’ box, and the ‘Web/Screen’ box, and keep the bottom two boxes checked too. OK all the boxes and then resave your presentation, it should be a much smaller file!