How to Create a PowerPoint Template

This wikiHow teaches you how to create a custom template in Microsoft PowerPoint. You can do it on both Windows and Mac versions of PowerPoint.

Table of Contents

Steps

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Open PowerPoint. Double-click on the white “P” shaped PowerPoint application icon on an orange background. The PowerPoint home page opens.

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Click Blank Presentation . This white slide is to the right of the home page. A new slideshow will open.

On Mac, just open PowerPoint and a new presentation will open depending on your settings. Then skip this step.

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Click the View tab located in the orange ribbon at the top of the PowerPoint window. A toolbar will appear below the orange ribbon.

On Mac computers, this option is in the top menu bar.

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Click Slide Master . The option is near the left side of the toolbar in the “Master Views” section. The Slide Master tab will open to the left of the orange ribbon.

On a Mac, click Master first, then Slide Master .

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Select a slide format for editing. Click one of the slide templates in the left options column. Each type of slide you can use will have a slide (such as a title slide, basic body slide, and so on).

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Click Insert Placehpder . The option is to the left of the Slide Master tab. A drop-down menu will appear with the following options:

Content – Insert a border to write content. On Macs there is also a “Vertical” option for Content .
Text – Inserts a text frame. On Macs there is also a “Vertical” option for Text .
Picture – Insert the position for the picture.
Chart – Insert the position for the chart.
Table – Inserts the position for the table.
Smart Art – Insert location for art images.
Media – Insert the location for the video.
Online Image – Insert location to add photos online.

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Select a placeholder. Click one of the items in the drop-down menu to add it to the template.

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Select location. Click a position on the slide to drop the placeholder item in.

You may need to take some extra steps before adding items to the template. For example, click Online Image to search for an image and then click Insert .

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Reposition the items on the slide. Click and drag the space inside any of the sections you just added to move items around the slide.

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Change the background of the slide. Click Background Styles , then choose a color from the drop-down menu.

You can also click Format Background… in the drop-down menu to customize color options such as background color, gradient, and brightness.

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Select a sample font. Click Fonts in the “Background” section, then select a font from the drop-down menu.

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Save the template. The process differs between the Windows and Mac versions of PowerPoint:

On Windows: Click File , click Save As , choose a location, and then enter a name for the template. Click the Save as type drop-down box, select PowerPoint Template , and then click Save .
On Mac: Click File , click Save as Template , enter a filename and click Save .

Advice

You can upload templates to Microsoft OneDrive if you want to store files in the cloud. You will be able to access the template from the PowerPoint template menu.

Warning

The template will show up on your computer or in OneDrive for you to choose from.

Steps

Advice

Warning

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