Open the template in powerpoint. How to create your own presentation template

Greetings, friends! I continue the series of articles on creating presentations. In this post we will look at how to create a presentation template for Powerpoint. Why do you need your own when there are ready-made ones, already in the program itself, and on the Microsoft website? Yes, there is, but look at several presentations and you will probably come across the same design. I almost never use it for my presentations. ready-made templates, I always try to do something of my own.

Working on a template

So, let's move from words to action. In the previous article I described without using templates and themes. So there shouldn't be any difficulties. In the open presentation editor, go to the tab View.

Here in the group Sample Modes you need to click the button Sample slides, in order to switch to the mode for editing slide layouts. The corresponding tab with all the necessary tools is activated. On the left side of the screen you will see various layout options for the new template, which you can delete and add new ones at your discretion.


The largest sketch at the top is the main layout. That is, by selecting it, all formatting changes will be reflected on the lower (child level) layouts. If you select a thumbnail of a child level, then the changes made can be committed only to it, without affecting the formatting of others. Of course, if you don't press the button Apply to all.

At this step, you need to specify the design of headings and text: size, color, style, font. We do all this on the main slide. Try. Here we set the background of the slides. You can make it a solid fill or a gradient fill, or a pattern, or. Your imagination is not limited, the main thing is not to overdo it. On the same slide, repeating elements are added: logos, vignettes, drawings, etc. Look at the picture below for an example of the main sketch of my template.


It has a gray background, and in the header of the layout (highlighted with a red frame) I placed graphic elements that will be present on all other layouts as a background. The white rectangle is the text area of ​​the slide with examples of writing text in list mode at various levels. Each level of text can be customized to suit your needs (size, color, font).

Adjusting the sizes of layout blocks

Among the layout options (small sketches in the figure above), look at the location of the blocks and remove the unnecessary ones. If necessary, correct the fonts.

If there is no suitable marking among the markings, then make it yourself. Click Insert Layout and we get a new slide with a title and the design of the main sketch. Edit the title placeholder right away. Place it in in the right place slide and format. in my template the title placeholder has White color symbols and is located above the blue rectangle.

Now click the button Insert placeholder and select the required block. I adjusted the text to the required size. Thus, we place the required number of elements in the layout. This is the additional markup I received for my template.


We save the result of the work

Let's save it as a theme for use on your computer. In the tools group Change theme click the button Themes and in the drop-down list at the very bottom there will be a line Save current theme. Select this command, give a name in the window that opens, and click Save. Now in your editor it will be available on the tab Design.

To exit and template editing mode, on the right side of the slide master tab, click the button Close sample mode. And so that this design can be used on other computers to create presentations based on the template, we save it as a PowerPoint template. This is indicated in the file type when saving.


On this topic I have prepared a video tutorial. Look it up.

I hope that I clearly explained how to make presentation templates. And now, you can easily create a unique design for presenting your report or abstract. And your performance will leave a vivid impression in the memory of your listeners. Good luck, friends!

A PowerPoint presentation is one of many tools for visually complementing an oral presentation in front of a group of people. Sometimes it requires a unique design that is not originally included in the program. There are many ways to create your own background and add new templates in such a presentation. This article will tell you how to do this.

Add a presentation template from the Microsoft Office website

The main tool for change appearance document created using PowerPoint - built-in themes. They are quite universal, but sometimes their design does not suit the topic of the report. In this case, you can add other templates by downloading them from the official Microsoft website. To do this in PowerPoint 2007 or 2010, you need:

  • Go to the “Design” tab and fully expand the list of all available themes.
  • At the bottom of the new menu, select the “Other topics...” sub-item.
  • In the browser window that opens, select one of the categories necessary design and go to its download page.

  • Click the "Load\Save" button and select a location to save the template.

To permanently add a new template to PowerPoint 2007, you need to:

  • Execute the first step from the previous algorithm.
  • Select “Search for topics” and open the previously downloaded template in the Explorer window.

  • In the drop-down menu, select the “Save current theme” sub-item.

  • In the new window, without changing the settings, click the “Save” button.

These two algorithms are the first way to create your own background in a presentation.

Using an image

Sometimes it is required that background The slide contained a company logo or state flag. You can achieve this result by using a picture. The way to create your own background in a presentation using it is as follows:

  • You need to open the “Background Format” window. This can be done in two ways. First: right-click on the sheet and select the menu sub-item of the same name. Second: in the “Background” block of the “Design” tab, click on the “Styles” button and go to the “Background Format” subsection.
  • In the window that opens, in the “Fill” section, check the box next to the line: “Pattern or texture.”
  • Click on the “File” button to use your own image or “Clip” to use the built-in one.

  • In the second subblock you can adjust the position, size and transparency of the background image on the slide.

Note. If the dialog is invoked using RMB, the new background will only be used on that slide. When using the tool ribbon, the image will be added to all existing and added sheets.

Third method: filling the shape

It allows you to place a background image in any part of the sheet with the required dimensions. The algorithm for how to make your own background using a figure in a presentation is as follows:

  • Insert any shape using the button of the same name in the “Insert” tab.

  • Edit its parameters using the “Format” button.
  • Right-click on the shape and select “Format Shape\Drawing” in the context menu.

  • In the dialog box, go to the “Fill” subsection and perform step No. 3 of the second method.

Additionally, you can change the image parameters by switching to the “Drawing” section. It contains tools for adjusting the brightness, contrast and color scheme (the “Recolor” button) of the picture.

All 3 ways to make your background in PowerPoint presentations 2007, can also be used in newer versions of this application.

To create a custom theme, change the built-in Office theme by choosing different colors, fonts, or effects:

    Change color, font, and theme effects options.

    Save your customized settings as a new theme in the gallery.

These steps are described below.

Customizing Theme Elements

Change theme colors, fonts and effects.

Changing Theme Colors

Theme colors include four colors for text and background, six colors for highlighting, and two colors for hyperlinks. In chapter Sample

Changing theme fonts

Changing the theme fonts will affect the text of all headings and lists in the presentation.

Selecting a set of theme effects

Theme effects include shadows, reflections, lines, fills, etc. Although you can't create your own set of theme effects, you can choose the right set of effects for your presentation.

Saving a theme

Save your changes to colors, fonts, and effects as a new theme (THMX file). This will allow you to apply this theme to other presentations.

    On the tab View click the button Sample slides. On the tab Sample slides select Themes.

    In field File name indicate the name new topic and press the button Save.

    Note: Modified themes are saved in the folder with document themes on the local disk in the form of THMX files and are automatically added to the list of user themes (tab Design, group Themes).

Click the section title below for detailed instructions.

Changing Theme Colors

If you press the button Colors in Group Themes, contrasting and hyperlink colors will appear next to the theme name. Changing any of these colors to create your own set of theme colors will change the colors on the button accordingly Colors and next to the name Topics.

The Theme Colors gallery displays all color sets from built-in themes. As shown below, theme colors include four colors for text and background, six contrast colors, and two colors for hyperlinks. In chapter Sample You can preview what text font styles and colors will look like before choosing a color combination.

Changing theme fonts

Each Office theme includes two sets of fonts: for headings and body text. It can be the same font or two different fonts. Using these fonts, PowerPoint creates automatic text styles. Changing the theme fonts will affect the text of all headings and lists in the presentation.

When the button is pressed Fonts in Group Themes Below the theme name, the names of the title and body text fonts used for each theme are displayed.

As shown below, you can change the fonts of the body text and headings to suit your own requirements.

In chapter Sample Examples of the selected heading and body text styles will be shown.

Selecting a set of theme effects

Theme effects are sets of line and fill effects. As shown below, you can select effects from different groups.

Although you can't create your own set of theme effects, you can select the effects you want to use in your document or presentation theme.

Topics overview

A theme is a design scheme for colors, fonts, and backgrounds applied to your slides.

Readability and font size

Avoid centering large paragraphs of text; use left alignment. For example, like here

Spell check

More than once I have found myself in situations where I gave a presentation with an error on a slide. People notice this, and the bravest ones immediately shout from the audience. But it doesn’t happen to anyone.

This is a screenshot of an ad from Facebook. Please note what the error resulted in. I was funny, scared (this is an advertisement, which means they invested money in it) and offended at the same time. Instead of the phrase “creator of brands,” it was written “creator of nonsense.”

Click on the image to enlarge it

Check the text so it doesn't turn out to be nonsense.

2. Choose a font

Here's a basic rule for fonts in presentations:

Make it big and readable.

Font is the tone in which you speak to your audience.

He can scream, speak calmly, be playful or strict.

Heading. You can use a decorative font.

Main text. There should be a visible difference between the title font and the main font.

Comments, notes. Used to clarify details.

Still not entirely clear?

Look at this infographic and everything will become clear.

Click on the image to enlarge it

One way to integrate Powerpoint colors is to use an eyedropper.

Click on the image to enlarge it

The principle of the tool is very simple - it copies a color and applies it to the selected object or shape. With just one click, my rectangle became the same turquoise color as in the image.

Click on the image to enlarge it

4. Selecting icons

If you heard some information, after three days you will remember only 10%. But if you illustrate the data with a picture or icon, the percentage will increase to 65. This is unlikely to be a discovery for you, but do not forget about this effect.

There are many sites with icons, you don’t need to be a designer and draw them. The main thing is to use icons of the same style, in the same color palette, complementing the text in meaning.

Here is an example of a Christmas presentation using icons

5. Using shapes

The first question you may have is where to get these figures. There are a lot of them in PowerPoint, they are in a prominent place.

Click on the image to enlarge it

Let's look at how they can complement and shape your presentation design.

Separator shapes

These shapes help to organize objects on a slide into meaningful blocks. For example, here a line clearly separates the title and subtitle from the main text part.

And here is an image from the text part

In this case, the icons are divided into different sectors for easier perception.

Focus figures

Focus can be created not only through color or size, but also through graphic elements. They can control the attention on your slide. Like here

Are you really looking at rectangles first?

To make rectangle-shaped shapes without fill, you need to draw a rectangle and select “Format” - “Shape Fill” - “No Fill” on the tab.

And in the “Shape Outline” section you can change the line width

Click on the image to enlarge it

The lines do not have to be solid; you can set the length of the stroke, put arrows at the ends, and choose other settings.

Click on the image to enlarge it

Remember there are three main criteria successful presentation: what you tell, how you do it and what you show (design). Bad design won't make your presentation fail if you're an interesting storyteller. But a beautiful and functional design will definitely enhance understanding of the material.

It's no secret that the available programs Microsoft PowerPoint templates for creating presentations do not always correspond to the request. In this regard, it is worth figuring out how to make your own background in a PowerPoint presentation from a drawing yourself, spending a minimum of time on it. In this case, by drawings we mean a variety of pictures created with the help of editors, online, as well as photographs.

Inserting a picture into the background by adjusting the presentation template.

First of all, let's look at the not-fastest way to change the background when preparing a presentation template. However, it is more correct if you need to reuse the result as a template, rather than just make a one-time presentation.

With this redesign, you will be able to see how the new background is displayed on all variants of the template layout. The main advantage of this approach is the ability to timely change the arrangement of parts of each slide if they do not fit well with the picture.

We use PowerPoint 2010 to demonstrate. The whole process is generally similar in other versions of the Power Point program - from 2007 to 2016.

1. Sample slides

Select the VIEW tab, then in the SAMPLE MODES group click on the SLIDE SAMPLE button.

2. Background format

Right-click on the first slide of the presentation and select a background format.

3. Filling

In the BACKGROUND FORMAT tab that opens, in FILL mode, select PATTERN OR TEXTURE. You will notice that the slide background in the template will automatically change to the default texture.

4. Textures

If we want to insert a background from an existing PowerPoint texture, then use the TEXTURE button to select a background pattern from those offered.

5. Inserting a picture

There are several options for inserting a picture - from a file, from the clipboard, from the organizer (picture)

    • From file. Click on FILE and select the desired picture on your own computer.
    • From the clipboard. This option is most convenient if you are looking for backgrounds for presentations on the Internet. Let's look at how you can do this. Launch images.yandex.ru and enter “background for presentation” into the search bar. The number of backgrounds offered is simply enormous. You can immediately copy the image to paste the background, but it is too compressed and the quality of such a background will not be very high.

For more High Quality background you need to go to the image and then just copy it using the right click menu. You can also download the image to your computer and then insert it via FILE.

Return to the PowerPoint presentation you are creating and click CLIPBOARD. The copied image is pasted and the background for your presentation is created.

  • A good resource for creating a background from a drawing is PowerPoint's own organizer. So, click the PICTURE button and look for a suitable one, including the Microsoft website.

You can save a template with a new presentation background by selecting "PowerPoint Template" as the FILE TYPE when saving.

Have you noticed that when working with the first slide, the background of the entire presentation changes. If you need to change the background of a separate slide, then all these actions must be performed with it. Then all other slides in the PowerPoint presentation will remain unchanged. So you can, if you wish, make your own background for each.

A quick way to add your own background picture

The second option to make a background from an image is simpler, faster and in most cases sufficient. For completeness, we will work with Microsoft PowerPoint 2013.

How to Change the Transparency of a Background, Picture, or Drawing in PowerPoint

It happens that the pattern you choose is too bright. This can negatively affect the perception of information on the slides and the presentation itself as a whole. This means it is necessary to reduce the saturation of the pictures.

Right-click on the object, then through the same BACKGROUND FORMAT, if the picture has previously filled the entire space. Or FIGURE FORMAT, if to create a background it is enough to simply insert a picture in some part of the presentation slide without changing the background.

Then FILL - DRAWING AND TEXTURE. Find the TRANSPARENCY slider and move it to the right. This will make a picture, drawing, or slide background more transparent in PowerPoint.

Changes are visible as you move the slider or change the opacity percentage numbers on the right.

To find out where you can download backgrounds for presentations for free, read the article about free sources.