Microsoft PowerPoint, an essential tool for presentations, comes packed with a strong set of features. This includes built-in themes, premade templates, multimedia insertion options, animations, transitions, slide management tools, and even real-time collaboration.
If you’ve ever given a presentation, chances are you’ve used Microsoft PowerPoint. It’s one of the most popular presentation software programs available, and it’s pretty easy to use. Although MS PowerPoint is packed with many features, we typically use just a handful of them when giving presentations.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the main features of Microsoft PowerPoint and explain what they are used for.
Contents
- 1. Built-in Themes
- 2. Pre-made Templates
- 3. Insert Vector, Image, and Shapes
- 4. Insert Video/Audio
- 5. Insert Smart Art
- 6. Insert 3D Models
- 7. Add Transitions
- 8. Morph Transition
- 9. Animations
- 10. Slide Review
- 11. Slide Rearranger
- 12. Align Objects
- 13. Pick Slide Sizes
- 14. Resize Objects Together
- 15. Distribute Rows and Columns
- 16. Collaborate Real-time
- 17. Record Slide
- 18. Slide Master
- 19. Digital Pen Compatibility
- 20. Export Slide in Multiple Formats
- Conclusion
1. Built-in Themes
PowerPoint comes with a good number of built-in themes or layouts that you can use to quickly and easily create a presentation. A theme is a set of formatting options that includes fonts, colors, and effects. When you apply a theme to your presentation, it will instantly change the look of all the slides in your presentation.
To use a theme in an existing deck, open the Design tab and choose a theme from the gallery. Point to a thumbnail to preview it, then click to apply it. For a new presentation, you can also start from File > New and choose a theme or template.
2. Pre-made Templates
Another way to quickly create a presentation is by using a premade template. Pre-made templates give you a framework to start with and come with slide designs, fonts, and color schemes that are already chosen for you. They make the design process a lot easier, and can save you a lot of time.
A template combines a theme with sample slides and content for a particular purpose. Open PowerPoint and select New from the File menu, then choose a template and replace its sample content with your own. To change the colors and fonts of an existing deck, use a theme from the Design tab.
3. Insert Vector, Image, and Shapes
PowerPoint allows you to insert vectors, images, and shapes into your slides. You can choose from a variety of shapes including rectangles, circles, and arrows. In addition, you can also insert images from your computer or from the web. Simply open the Insert tab and select the type of object you want to insert.
If you find the images are becoming fuzzy while presenting, you can consider using the vectors in SVG formats. They are clean and dont break when you present them on a big screen. You can insert them into the slides just like any other image.
4. Insert Video/Audio
Another great feature of PowerPoint is that you can insert videos and audio files into your slides. This can be a great way to add more excitement and interest to your presentation. You can also use it to supplement your message by adding interviews, sound bites, or music.
To embed audio or video files into your PowerPoint presentation, first, open the Insert tab and select the Video/Audio option from the top right corner.
5. Insert Smart Art
You can also insert Smart Art into your slides. Smart Art is a great way to add more visual interest to your presentation. You can add graphs, diagrams, and other illustrations to your slides using Smart Art. They are a great way to present data and information in an interesting and visually appealing way.
To insert a Smart Art, open the preferred slide and press on the icon of the type of Smart Art you want to insert.
6. Insert 3D Models
PowerPoint 2019 and the latest versions allow you to insert 3D models into your slides. This can be a great way to add more visual interest and excitement to your presentation. You can find a variety of 3D models on the web that you can insert into your slides.
To insert a 3D model, open the Insert tab and select the 3D Models option from the illustration tab.
7. Add Transitions
PowerPoint offers the ability to seamlessly transition between slides using a range of dynamic effects. Transitions such as “fade”, “dissolve”, and “wipe” are available to enhance slide flow and maintain audience interest. Adjusting the speed of these transitions lets you shape the pace to suit your presentation.
To add a transition, select the slide that should appear after the effect, open the Transitions tab, and choose the desired transition from the list. Use Preview to check it before presenting.
8. Morph Transition
The Morph transition animates changes between two slides with objects in common. It can make a picture move or grow between slides without adding a separate motion path. Morph is available in Microsoft 365 and newer standalone versions such as PowerPoint 2019, 2021, and 2024.
To use the Morph transition, duplicate a slide and move or resize an object on the copy. Select that second slide, open the Transitions tab, and choose Morph. Click Preview to check the movement. Charts do not morph.
9. Animations
Microsoft PowerPoint provides a wide range of animations that you can use to make your slides more engaging. You can add animations to text, shapes, and images to create a more interesting and dynamic presentation.
There are a variety of different animations that you can choose from, including fades, zooms, and spins. You can also control the timing and sequence of the animations. This allows you to create a more professional and polished presentation.
To create an animation, select the text, shape, or image that you want to animate and then click on the Animations tab. From here, you can choose the animation that you want to use. You can also customize the animation by adjusting its speed, direction, and other settings.
10. Slide Review
Microsoft PowerPoint lets you preview your slides before presenting them. Slide Show view shows the deck full screen as your audience will see it. Use the separate proofing tools to check spelling before you start.
To preview your presentation, click the Slide Show tab and choose From Beginning or From Current Slide. For spelling, use Review > Spelling in desktop PowerPoint. The Review tab does not contain the Slide Show command. Use Set Up Slide Show on the Slide Show tab to adjust how the presentation runs.
11. Slide Rearranger
PowerPoint’s Slide Sorter view lets you quickly and easily rearrange the order of your slides. You can select multiple slides and then drag and drop them to where you want them to be. This is a great way to reorganize your presentation if you need to make last-minute changes.
To use the slide rearranger, click on the View tab and then select the Slide Sorter option. From here, you can select the slides that you want to rearrange and then drag and drop them to where you want them to be.
12. Align Objects
In the earlier versions of PowerPoint, it could be difficult to align objects on a slide. However, the latest versions of PowerPoint make it easy to align text, shapes, and images.
You will find guides when you drag and drop an object, and it snaps to the guidelines. You can also use the Gridlines and rulers to help you align objects perfectly.
13. Pick Slide Sizes
Microsoft PowerPoint also lets you choose different slide sizes for your presentation. This can be a great way to make sure that your slides fit well on screen.
To customize the dimensions of your slide, head to the “Design” tab and opt for the “Slide Size” feature. Here, you have the flexibility to select from standard or widescreen formats. For more specific requirements, open the “Custom Slide Size” option, which lets you fine-tune the slide dimensions to perfectly fit your presentation’s intent.
14. Resize Objects Together
It’s important to keep the object sizes consistent when creating a presentation. This can be difficult to do if you have to resize objects by hand. However, PowerPoint makes it easy to resize multiple objects at the same time.
To resize multiple objects in desktop PowerPoint for Windows, hold Ctrl and select the objects first. Open Picture Format or Shape Format, then enter the required Height and Width in the Size controls. To give selected objects matching dimensions, you may need to clear Lock aspect ratio in the Size settings first. Leave it locked when preserving each picture’s proportions matters more than matching both dimensions. If you want a whole arrangement to grow or shrink together, group its objects first and resize the group.
15. Distribute Rows and Columns
For a cleaner and more comprehensible presentation of data, PowerPoint offers a feature to uniformly distribute contents within rows and columns. This ensures consistent spacing and improved legibility.
To apply this, choose the table you aim to adjust. Next, navigate to the “Layout” section and select either “Distribute Rows” or “Distribute Columns” as needed.
16. Collaborate Real-time
PowerPoint supports real-time collaboration, allowing multiple users to work on the same presentation simultaneously. Save the deck in a co-authoring format such as .pptx on OneDrive or SharePoint, and give collaborators permission to edit it.
To engage in this collaborative mode, open your PowerPoint file, click the “Share” button, and send out invitations to team members or collaborators. Check that the sharing permission allows editing. If the file is saved only on your computer, PowerPoint can prompt you to upload it before sharing.
17. Record Slide
PowerPoint lets you record your presentation or a single slide, including narration and slide timings. Supported recording tools can also capture ink and your camera. This can be a great way to create video tutorials or training materials.
In current PowerPoint for Windows, click the Record button near Share or open the Record tab. Older versions use Slide Show > Record Slide Show. Choose the microphone and camera options you need, record, then play the result back. You can keep the recording in the presentation or export it as a video. Pause your narration while changing slides, because audio and video are not recorded during transitions.
For a recording of an app or another part of your computer screen, use the separate Insert > Screen Recording tool in PowerPoint for Windows desktop. Select the area to capture, then start and stop the recording. PowerPoint adds the captured video to the slide, where you can use it as a software demonstration.
18. Slide Master
PowerPoint’s Slide Master is a central feature that lets you uniformly apply changes across your entire presentation. With this tool, you can ensure consistency in layout, background, fonts, and more.
To make use of Slide Master in desktop PowerPoint, navigate to the “View” tab and choose the “Slide Master” option. This grants you access to design controls for consistent slide layouts. PowerPoint for the web cannot edit the Slide Master, so open the presentation in the desktop app for these changes.
19. Digital Pen Compatibility
The new version of Microsoft PowerPoint also includes support for digital pens. This means that you can use a digital pen to draw or write on your slides.
To use a digital pen, you will need to have a device that supports the Windows Ink feature. Once you have installed the necessary drivers, open PowerPoint and go to Draw from the ribbon. You can now start drawing on your slides.
20. Export Slide in Multiple Formats
PowerPoint also allows you to export your slides in different formats. This can be a great way to share your slides with other people or to use them in other programs.
Some of the export options include PDF, JPG, and PNG. In desktop PowerPoint for Windows, File > Export > Create a Video also offers video quality options including Ultra HD (4K). Choose whether to use recorded timings and narrations, then create the video. PowerPoint for Mac uses File > Export with MP4 or MOV options in supported versions; its quality choices differ from Windows. In the web app, use File > Download As for the available download formats, or open the desktop app for video export.
Conclusion
Microsoft PowerPoint is a versatile program that allows you to create professional presentations. As you see above, it includes a number of features that can help you to create better slides. You can make use of the different features to create slides that are interesting and engaging. We hope that you will find this article helpful and that it will help you to create better presentations.
When you start putting these features together, the real benefit becomes clear. Themes and the Slide Master give your deck a consistent visual identity in minutes, while SmartArt, 3D models, and shape tools let you turn dense information into something an audience can actually follow. Transitions and animations add polish when they serve the story, and the slide rearranger and alignment guides handle the small layout fixes that used to eat up time before a big talk. Picking just three or four of these features and getting comfortable with them will lift the quality of your slides far more than trying to use every option at once.
The collaboration and recording tools are worth a special mention, because they change how a presentation gets built and shared. Real-time co-authoring through OneDrive or SharePoint lets a team draft, comment, and review the same deck from different locations, which removes the old habit of emailing versions back and forth. Slide recording, paired with the export to MP4 or 4K video, turns a deck into something you can hand to colleagues who missed the live session, post on an internal portal, or repurpose for training. Used together, these two features make PowerPoint useful well after the live presentation is over.
