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PowerPoint Presentation Design Themes

Chapter 1: Creating a Presentation in PowerPoint

Overview of Design Themes

  • Definition of a Design Theme
    A design theme is a predefined, coordinated set of colors, fonts, graphical effects, and other formats that work together to provide a consistent and professional appearance for presentations, documents, and spreadsheets.

Components of a Design Theme

  1. Theme Colors
    A set of 12 coordinated colors for text, fill, line, and shadow, known as theme colors. These help maintain visual consistency across slides.

  2. Theme Fonts
    A combination of fonts designated for titles and body text. Changing the theme automatically updates the fonts used in headings and paragraphs.

  3. Theme Effects
    A collection of effects associated with lines and fills, which can enhance the visual appeal of designs.

Applying a Design Theme

  1. Select the Slide
    Click on the Slide 1 thumbnail in the Slides tab to start.

  2. Access the Design Tab
    Click the Design tab on the Ribbon, allowing you to view different themes within the Themes group.

  3. Utilize Live Preview
    Hovering over a theme thumbnail generates a Live Preview on the selected slide, giving a glimpse of potential changes.

Changing the Theme

  1. Choose a Theme
    Move your pointer over the various design themes and click on one (e.g., Slice theme).

  2. Apply to All Slides (if desired)
    Once you are satisfied with a theme, right-click it and select "Apply to All Slides" to ensure uniformity across the presentation.

  3. Customize Individual Elements
    Although it’s usually best to use one consistent theme throughout, individual elements of a theme can be modified as needed.

Modifying Theme Colors

  • Changing Colors: Click the More button in the Variants group under the Design tab. Point to Colors and select a color theme or customize a new one.

  • Creating Custom Colors: Navigate to Customize Colors in the More options menu. Choose your desired colors and save them for future use with a distinct name.

The Importance of Design Themes

  • A well-selected theme enhances your presentation's aesthetic appeal and readability, making your content more engaging and professional.

  • PowerPoint provides numerous standard themes, making it quicker to achieve a polished look without starting from scratch.

Troubleshooting Theme Application

  • If the Design Ideas pane doesn’t open: Click the Design Ideas button on the Ribbon.

  • Confirming Theme Application: If applying themes doesn’t yield the expected alterations, verify by checking the current theme applied and ensure proper navigation within the theme options.

Notes printed by: Kristin Eubanks | © 2020 Cengage Learning