PowerPoint.Advanced.Presentation.Techniques [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Chapter 2, but there it related to a file with a POT extension. Here we're using the word template in a different sense. However, the two meanings are related.

When you apply a different design template to the presentation (that is, apply a different design through the Slide Design task pane), the new formatting settings apply to all the slides in the presentation by default. However, PowerPoint does not select each individual slide and apply that design to it; instead PowerPoint applies the settings to the Slide Master and Title Master, and then the settings apply automatically to each of the individual slides.

There are actually four different masters in PowerPoint:

Slide: This master controls slides using all layouts except Title Slide.

Title: This master controls slides using the Title Slide layout.

Notes: This master controls the layout of Notes Page view and printouts of notes pages.

Handouts: This master controls the layout of handouts printed through PowerPoint. There are separate layouts for each style of handouts (one, two, three, four, six, and nine slides, plus outline).

The Slide and Title Masters are edited within a single view called Slide Master, but the Notes Master and Handouts Master each have their own separate views. Chapter 17 explores the Notes Master and Handouts Master in detail, so in this chapter we'll stick with the Slide Master view as our focus.

Exploring Slide Master View

The best way to understand masters is to take a look at them. Choose View⇨Master⇨Slide Master to enter Slide Master view, as shown in Figure 3-5.

Figure 3-5: Viewing the Slide Master.

Notice in Figure 3-5 that there are two thumbnail slides at the left. The top one is for the Slide Master, which is what you're seeing in Figure 3-5. Click the one immediately beneath it; that's the Title Master, as shown in Figure 3-6.

Figure 3-6: Viewing the Title Master.

Slide Master view has a floating Slide Master View toolbar, which you can see in Figures 3-5 and 3-6. To leave Slide Master view, click the Close Master View button on that toolbar. I'll explain the other buttons on this toolbar later in the chapter.

Slide Master view also shows placeholder boxes for each of the layout elements that carries over to each slide. Some of these are common to both the Slide Master and the Title Master. For example, when comparing Figures 3-5 and 3-6, you'll notice that both have a "Click to edit Master title style" placeholder, as well as Date Area, Footer Area, and Number Area placeholders. The main difference between the two is that the Slide Master has a "Click to edit master text styles" area where you set up the formatting for slide text, whereas the Title Master has a "Click to edit Master subtitle style" area, where you set up the formatting for the title slide's subtitle.

Slide and Title Master Interaction

Notice the gray line that ties the Slide Master and Title Master together. It indicates that these two are related. This becomes important when you start working with multiple sets of masters in a single presentation (which is covered later in the chapter).

Most types of changes you make to the Slide Master, such as color and font choices, will trickle down to the Title Master. (Other changes, such as placeholder repositioning, do not.) This enables you to make changes at the master level only once, rather than having to duplicate your changes for both the Slide and Title Masters.

There are some exceptions-not all kinds of formatting transfer automatically between the Slide Master and the Title Master. Table 3-1 lists some effects and whether or not they transfer automatically.

Note that it does not work the same going the other direction-that is, from Title Master to Slide Master. Changes you make to the Title Master do not apply automatically to the Slide Master. This is by design; it allows you to have different formatting for your title slides than for your other slides. Therefore, if you want to make changes that apply to both, you can make them to the Slide Master to save time.

Master Settings versus Individual Slide Settings

Any formatting you do to an individual slide overrides the formatting on the Slide Master or Title Master. For example, suppose you set the background color on the Slide Master to green, and then on an individual slide you set the background color to blue. That particular slide will have a blue background, but any slides for which you have not explicitly chosen a background color will still be green. The same goes for fonts, positioning, and all other formatting attributes.

Other Ways to Modify the Slide/Title Masters

The most straightforward and obvious way to modify a master is to do it from Slide Master View, as shown in Chapter 2 with the slide designs and color schemes, for example. Table 3-2 lists some of the features that you can apply to the Slide Master and Title Master without opening up the Master view.