1 Setting the Stage....................................................................................................................1
What This Book Is About.....................................................................................................2
How Templates Have Changed.......................................................................................................2
Problems with PowerPoint Templates.................................................................................6
Who Should Use This Book?.............................................................................................7
How to Use This Book.........................................................................................................7
2 Introducing Templates and Themes.......................................................................9
Themes Versus Templates.............................................................................................10
Parts of a Theme.....................................................................................................12
Theme Colors..........................................................................................................12
Theme Fonts...............................................................................................................17
Theme Effects.............................................................................................................18
Parts of a PowerPoint Template............................................................................................18
Slide Master................................................................................................19
Slide Layouts............................................................................................................20
Placeholders..................................................................................................................20
Handout Master........................................................................................22
Notes Master................................................................................................................22
3 Getting Started: Set Up a Theme......................................................................23
Understanding Theme Colors.....................................................................................24
Text/Background Colors.........................................................................................24
Accent Colors...............................................................................................................27
Hyperlink and Followed Hyperlink Colors.............................................................31
Applying Built-In Theme Colors................................................................................33
Defining Custom Theme Colors.................................................................................34
Defining Theme Fonts.................................................................................................38
Selecting from Built-In Theme Fonts.................................................................................38
Creating Custom Theme Fonts..................................................................................40
Choosing the Right Fonts................................................................................................42
Purchased Fonts and Embedding...........................................................................................46
Understanding Theme Effects..............................................................................................48
4 Formatting the Slide Master.....................................................................................55
Begin with a New, Blank Presentation........................................................................................56
Define the Page Setup...........................................................................................................57
Select Theme Colors, Fonts, and Effects...........................................................................59
Apply a Background Style................................................................................................61
Create a Custom, Gradient Fill Background..............................................................63
Format a Picture Fill Background.................................................................................64
Use Different Background Styles in a Template.........................................................66
Format the Background in the Tutorial Template..................................................................66
Set Up Guides..........................................................................................................................67
Add Shapes, Logos, or Pictures............................................................................................69
Format the Title Placeholder..........................................................................................................72
Format the Body Placeholder..................................................................................................76
Format the Footer Placeholders................................................................................................85
Rename and Preserve the Slide Master.............................................................................86
Working with Multiple Slide Masters..............................................................................87
5 Formatting the Default Slide Layouts........................................................................89 Overview of Slide Layouts........................................................................................................91
Title Slide Layout......................................................................................................92
Title and Content Layout....................................................................................................95
Section Header Layout...............................................................................................................96
Two Content Layout...................................................................................................................97
Comparison Layout...................................................................................................................99
Title Only Layout....................................................................................................................100
Blank Layout.....................................................................................................................................101
Content with Caption Layout................................................................................................101
Picture with Caption Layout........................................................................................................103
Title and Vertical Text Layout.....................................................................................................108
Vertical Title and Text Layout.....................................................................................................109
6 Creating Custom Slide Layouts............................................................................................113
When to Include Custom Layouts....................................................................................................114
Custom Slide Layout Examples.............................................................................................116
Creating a Custom Slide Layout..........................................................................................................120
Renaming Slide Layouts.....................................................................................................................121
Reordering Slide Layouts.......................................................................................................................121
When to Use Multiple Slide Masters..................................................................................122
Creating Multiple Slide Masters.......................................................................................................123
7 Formatting Notes and Handout Masters......................................................................125 Applying Theme Colors, Fonts, and Effects.......................................................................126
Adjusting the Notes Master.........................................................................................................126
Formatting the Placeholders......................................................................................................127
Adding More Graphics....................................................................................................................128
Adjusting the Handout Master............................................................................................................129
Formatting the Background............................................................................................................130
Changing Orientation....................................................................................................................130
Templates Versus Themes................................................................................................................132
8 Creating Example Slides and Setting Defaults..........................................................133
Including Instructional Text on Sample Slides..................................................................134
Implementing Off-Slide Instructional Text..........................................................................135
Creating Example Chart Slides....................................................................................................137
Creating Example Table Slides..........................................................................................137
Other Sample Slides to Consider.......................................................................................139
Setting Default Shapes.................................................................................................................140
A Final Word.........................................................................................................................142
9 Finalizing Your Template........................................................................................143 Review Slides and Slide Masters.................................................................................................144
Create Test Slides..................................................................................................................144
Slide Masters and Layouts .........................................................................................................144
Theme Colors, Fonts, and Effects...................................................................................144
Check Shape Defaults...............................................................................................................145
View in Slide Show Mode..................................................................................................................146
Transitions.......................................................................................................................146
Animations......................................................................................................................................147
Legibility and Visibility................................................................................................................147
Hidden Slides.................................................................................................................................147
Optimize File Size...............................................................................................................................147
Fix Oversized Images..............................................................................................................148
Get Rid of Extra Fonts.................................................................................................................148
Test Print.........................................................................................................................................149
Create PDFs...........................................................................................................................................149
Specify Black and White Settings....................................................................................................149
Setting Up to Save...........................................................................................................................151
Verify Administrivia...............................................................................................................................152
Spell-Check and Proofread..........................................................................................................152
Inspect Document...................................................................................................................152
Check Accessibility...............................................................................................................152
Save as Template (.POTX)...........................................................................................154
10 Designing a Template......................................................................................................................155
Evaluate the User Base.............................................................................................................................156
Review Common Slide Types...................................................................................................................156
Determine Presentation Delivery Methods................................................................................157
Review Brand Guidelines and Collateral Materials.......................................................................158
Corporate Fonts..................................................................................................................................158
Corporate Colors.................................................................................................................................158
Corporate Logos................................................................................................................................159
Designing Without Formal Guidelines...................................................................................160
Sketch Basic Design Concepts................................................................................................................161
Assemble Digital Assets..............................................................................................................162
Logo(s)..................................................................................................................................................162
Backgrounds, Pictures, and Graphics....................................................................................162
RGB Values..............................................................................................................................................163
Develop Designs in PowerPoint..............................................................................................................165
Project to Test......................................................................................................................................165
Present Template Designs for Final Approval........................................................................165
11Understanding Charts and Chart Templates.......................................................167 About Default Chart Settings..............................................................................................................168
Theme Matrix for Default Charts............................................................................................169
Don't Forget Line Charts.....................................................................................................175
Chart Templates to the Rescue...................................................................................................177
Creating a Chart Template...........................................................................................................178
Avoiding Chart Template Gotchas......................................................................................178
Using Chart Templates...............................................................................................183
Distributing Chart Templates...................................................................................184
12 Using the Theme Builder Utility to Customize Your Theme.................................185
Downloading and Installing the Theme Builder Utility................................................186
.NET Framework 3.0......................................................................................................................186
Primary Interop Assemblies...................................................................................................186
Theme Builder Utility.........................................................................................................186
Getting Started with the Theme Builder.............................................................................187
Creating an Office Theme to Use as a Study Guide...................................................189
The Process to Build a New Theme..........................................................................................190
The Process to Customize a Theme.......................................................................................190
Using the Theme Builder Utility to Customize a Theme..................................................191
Using the Colors and Fonts Tab of the Theme Builder..............................................192
Parts of the Theme Effects Styles...................................................................................................195
Modifying Line Styles in the Theme Builder........................................................................198
Defining Colors in the Theme Builder...........................................................................200
Modifying Fill Styles in the Theme Builder.......................................................................201
Adding Effect Styles in the Theme Builder..........................................................................208
Editing Background Styles in the Theme Builder...........................................................211
Finishing the Theme........................................................................................................................213
Testing in PowerPoint.............................................................................................................213
Creating the Theme and Template Files..........................................................................214
A Final Note........................................................................................................................215
13 Editing PowerPoint and Theme File XML.................................................................217 What Is XML?..........................................................................................................................................218
Before You Begin Editing.....................................................................................................219
Install Visual Studio LightSwitch........................................................................................219
Install the Open XML Package Editor Add-in...........................................................220
Download the XML Editing Tutorial Template..................................................................220
Examining the Guts of an XML Package.................................................................220
Removing the Most Recently Used Colors.............................................................................222
Adding Custom Colors to Color Galleries...........................................................................224
Poking Around in the XML.................................................................................................................229
Changing a Background Fill Style.....................................................................................229
Identifying Effects Styles............................................................................................................230
XML Editing Software.........................................................................................................................233
Windows, Notepad, and Internet Explorer............................................................................233
7-Zip.......................................................................................................................................234
XML Notepad..........................................................................................................234
Notepad++.......................................................................................................................234
Altova XML Spy............................................................................................................................235
Visual Studio......................................................................................................................235
Visual Studio LightSwitch.......................................................................................................235
Open XML Package Editor..........................................................................................................235
Hooked on XML?......................................................................................................................................235
14 Deploying Your Template or Theme.......................................................................237
Theme Versus Template..........................................................................................................................238
The Themes Galleries...................................................................................................................238
Putting Templates into the Document Themes Folder......................................................239
Built-In Themes...................................................................................................................................239
Colors, Fonts, and Effects XML Files................................................................................................240
Where to Place PowerPoint Template (.POTX) Files..........................................................242
Workgroup Templates............................................................................................................................244
Other Types of Templates...........................................................................................................................245
Templates and Themes on the Mac................................................................................................245
Colors, Fonts, and Effects..................................................................................................................245
Creating a Default Theme for Macintosh Users...................................................................246
15 Creating Themes and Templates on a Mac...................................................................247 Which Version of PowerPoint Should I Use?.................................................................................248
Fonts...............................................................................................................................................248
Theme Effects on the Mac............................................................................................................251
Where Is the Blank Template?.........................................................................................................251
Test, Test, Test..............................................................................................................................253
A Key Steps to Building a Template....................................................................................255
Apply Settings to a New, Blank File.................................................................................256
Format the Slide Master......................................................................................................................256
Format the Default Slide Layouts............................................................................................257
Format the Title Slide Layout.......................................................................................257
Format the Title and Content Layout............................................................................257
Format the Section Header Layout...................................................................................257
Format the Two Content Layout.........................................................................................258
Format the Comparison Layout............................................................................................258
Format the Title Only Layout...............................................................................................258
Format the Blank Layout......................................................................................................258
Format the Content with Caption Layout...........................................................................259
Format the Picture with Caption Layout........................................................................259
Format the Title and Vertical Text Layout.......................................................................259
Format the Vertical Title and Text Layout.........................................................................259
Create and Format Custom Slide Layouts*.......................................................................260
Format Notes and Handout Masters............................................................................................260
Test Every Slide Layout....................................................................................................................260
Create Example Slides.........................................................................................................260
Finalize the Template.......................................................................................................261
Save Final Template............................................................................................................262
