How to Edit a PowerPoint Template

BunnyTinker

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posted on 5 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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Templates can speed up the creation of projects, but they can also slow productivity down when they are slightly incorrect, out-of-date, or disorganized. This wikiHow article will show you how to control the look and feel of all of your slides by editing a template in PowerPoint on a computer.

Steps

Open your PowerPoint template. Since the features are similar between the computer program, the web app, and the mobile app, this method works for them all. If you don’t have a PowerPoint template, you can search the web for one or create your own.

Click the View tab. You’ll find this in the ribbon above the project.

Click Slide Master. The program window will resize to fit both the single-slide preview and the blueprint of your entire slideshow. They are organized by groups, but there is usually only one group and one slide master. Any edits you make here (not contextual) will change on all the slides.

Edit the template. The slides on the left are your master slides, or blueprints, for all similar slides. Changing one thing on a slide will change it throughout the slideshow. For example, if you change the font on a text-based slide, the entire group’s font will change. In Slide Master view, you will see a menu of formatting options, like adding or removing the slide title and footers, changing the background styles, hiding or showing the background graphics, and changing the theme. You can add elements such as an image placeholder throughout your slideshow, like a logo. Use Insert Placeholder from the Slide Master menu to add an image or a text box that will appear in the same spot, with the same dimensions, throughout the slideshow. Using the Themes drop-down, you can apply a pre-made consistent color scheme and font. Since not all themes will work with your customized template, you can use the colors and font styles as inspiration. Use the Colors and Fonts drop-downs to further customize your template.

Click Close Master. This looks like a red X in a box. You’ll find this at the end of the Slide Master toolbar.

Save your template. You’ll need to save it so you can use it again in PowerPoint. From the File tab, select Save As. In the "Save as File Type" menu, choose PowerPoint template. It will save in your Custom Office Templates folder with a .potx extension. Click Save after you’ve given the template a name.