Definitions and resources for terms and techniques used in the world of presentations
See Also:
PowerPoint and Presenting Notes
PowerPoint and Presenting Glossary
Presentations Glossary in alphabetical order:
A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
F |
G |
H |
I |
J |
K |
L |
M |
N |
O |
P |
Q |
R |
S |
T |
U |
V |
W |
X |
Y |
Z
PowerPoint provides plenty of options to format Shape Lines, and this tutorial explores an attribute that’s rarely associated with shape lines but can provide a surprisingly different look, especially when applied to lines that are thicker in weight. This attribute, Gradient Lines is not accessible from the Shape Line gallery in the Ribbon but directly from the Format Shape Task Pane.
Filed Under:
S
Tagged as: 08-02, Fills Lines and Effects, PowerPoint Tutorials, Shape Lines
Comments Off on Shape Lines: Gradient Lines for Shapes in PowerPoint
By default, all text that you add within PowerPoint may be filled up with a solid color. And while that’s predictable and good, there are some other options that you may want to explore, especially for title text or anything that uses text in a larger point size. One alternative is text filled with a gradient—this can look contemporary and classic, or even ghastly and gaudy!
To learn more, choose your version of PowerPoint. If we do not have a tutorial for your version of PowerPoint, explore the version closest to the one you use.
Gradient Fill for Text in PowerPoint 2013
Gradient Fill for Text in PowerPoint 2010
Gradient Fill for Text in PowerPoint 2011

Tutorial Code: 05 07 05
Previous: 05 07 04 Text Characters with Picture Fills in PowerPoint
Next: 05 07 06 Texture Fills for Text in PowerPoint
Filed Under:
W
Tagged as: 05-07, PowerPoint Tutorials, Text and Fonts, WordArt (incl Text Fills; Lines; and Effects)
Comments Off on WordArt (incl. Text Fills, Lines, and Effects): Gradient Fills for Text in PowerPoint
There are so many shapes in PowerPoint, from the basic Rectangle and Oval to the fancy Pie and Smiley Face! You can use these shapes as they are, or you can use the Merge Shape commands to create your own unique shapes. However, even if you do not create new shapes, there are some existing shapes that can be used in myriad ways. One of these is the Arc shape, that we will explore today. The Arc shape is quite easy to use, and in fact, you’ll find so much similarity between how the Arc and the Pie shapes appear and work—and some difference too.
Filed Under:
A
Tagged as: Advanced Shape Techniques, PowerPoint Tutorials, Shapes
Comments Off on Advanced Shape Techniques: Drawing Arcs in PowerPoint
Font size does make a difference for the aesthetics of your slide, but what do you do if the text itself uses more or less space than you may want? Sometimes, you may want the text to take just a wee bit lesser space so that all content can fit within two lines rather than three. If you would like to alter the spacing between text characters, you can do so by using PowerPoint’s Character Spacing option, which affects the appearance and readability of both title and body text. Essentially Character Spacing is the amount of space in-between individual letters. You can easily adjust this spacing for a cleaner look or to make more or less text fit within any text container.
Filed Under:
T
Tagged as: 05-06, PowerPoint Tutorials, Text and Fonts, Text Formatting
Comments Off on Text Formatting: Character Spacing for Text in PowerPoint
PowerPoint provides so many basic shapes within the Shapes gallery. All of these shapes can be used in many ways, and that in itself works most of the time. Yet there are plenty of other shapes that are not provided within the Shapes gallery but you can easily modify an existing shape a wee bit to end up with something you need. A semi-circle is a perfect example of such a shape.
To learn more, choose your version of PowerPoint. If we do not have a tutorial for your version of PowerPoint, explore the version closest to the one you use.
Creating Semi-Circles in PowerPoint 2013
Creating Semi-Circles in PowerPoint 2010
Creating Semi-Circles in PowerPoint 2007
Creating Semi-Circles in PowerPoint 2003
Creating Semi-Circles in PowerPoint 2011

Tutorial Code: 06 07 03
Previous: 06 07 02 Drawing a Perfect Square in PowerPoint
Next: 06 07 04 Semi-Circles Again in PowerPoint
Filed Under:
C
Tagged as: 06-07, Circles and Squares, PowerPoint Tutorials, Shapes
Comments Off on Circles and Squares: Creating Semi-Circle Shapes in PowerPoint
Microsoft and the Office logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.