Step Up Your PowerPoint Game

Add images to shape backgrounds

Use the Format Shape controls to change the fill of any shape into an image. If you have the image copied on your clipboard, there is no need to download or save the file, just use the Picture Source > Clipboard feature.
If you have multiple shapes, Group all the images you want to share a background (CTRL + G on Windows)
To maintain the integrity of the image so it doesn't stretch across your shapes, click on the Tile picture as texture option
To move the image around, change the Offset X or Offset Y controls

Fancy Title Slide #1

Follow these steps:

Find a picture of a famous person and save it
Insert the picture to cover the entire first slide in a PowerPoint presentation - don’t make it the background
Select the square shape tool and make a large square to cover half of the person’s image
Remove the shape outline from the square and change the fill color to white
Insert a text box over the white square and change the font to Impact, size 138 and change the font fill to black
Right align the text box and type in the famous persons name
Change the line spacing in the text box to Multiple at 0.8
Move the text box to where you think it looks best
Select the white square and the text box by holding down the CTRL key when you click on the two items
With both items selected, click on the Shape Format tab, then go to Merge Shapes, and select Subtract
Add subtitle information as a smaller text box below the person’s name
Select the subtitle text box and the white square by holding the CTRL key when you click on the two items, then use your keyboard to do CTRL + G to group them together
With that entire half of your slide selected, go to the Animations tab and choose Fly In as the option
Click on Effect Options to change the controls to Timing Duration to 1 second, Effect Smooth Ending to 1 second

Fancy Title Slide #2

Follow these steps:

Insert an Icon - try a “state, country, or continent”
Make the icon larger, to take up the middle of the slide
Select the icon and on the Graphics Format tab, click Convert to Shape
Draw a square shape to cover the entire slide, remove the outline and pick a fill color you prefer
Use your keyboard to CTRL + A to select everything
Go to the Shape Format tab and then Merge Shapes, select Combine
Find another image that represents the icon you chose and insert it on your slide to cover the entire slide
Click on the Animations tab and choose Grow/Shrink
Click on Effect options and change Timing to Start With Previous and Very Slow Duration, Effect Smooth Ending to 1 second
Right click on the image and Send to Back
Add content in Text boxes or use Word Art around the slide

Fancy Title Slide #3

Follow these steps:

Insert a stock video
Go to playback tab
Adjust the Start to Automatically and check Loop until Stopped
Insert a Rectangle shape to cover the slide and a little more - make this black
Insert another shape, a rounded rectangle to the middle of the slide - keep this a color other than black
Further round off the edges of the shape and center align it
Select the rectangle and the rounded edge rectangle and go to Shape Format > Merge Shapes > Subtract
Select the rounded edge shape again, change the outline color to white and 2pt thickness
Select the rectangle shape and format the fill transparency to 50%
Insert an icon, like a magnifying glass and change it’s color to something that will stand out against your video, position it to the left of your rounded rectangle
Then add a text box for the title after the icon. Increase the font size, add a shadow and make it the same color as the icon.
Add subtitle info

Zoom Animation - Scrapbook/Collection

Follow these steps:

Change background color
Add an image of a folder, opened to review its contents, and add a shadow to the image so it looks more 3D
Add 5 more slides and add the following content
- Title and subtitle (1 slide)
- Images that support your topic (4 slides - one image per slide)
Each image should be formatted the same, choose the beveled matte white frame for example
Go back to the 1st slide and go to the Insert Tab
Click Zoom, then Slide Zoom
Select all the other slides, not the 1st slide
Go to the Zoom tab, then Zoom border and choose no outline
For each individual slide, click on Zoom background and the background will disappear. Do this for each slide
Position each slide across the 1st slide, tilt them, arrange them differently, be creative
Add additional images or icons (with no backgrounds) to add design elements commonly associated with your topic

Zoom animation - Timeline

Follow these steps:

Change background to black
Add an image to the middle of the screen and format the picture to have soft edges to size 40, picture transparency to 40%
Make the image larger and move it lower on your slide
Add a large title and smaller subtitle
Create new slides for your timeline. Each Date will have it’s own slide with the Date and a brief description below. Keep the formatting consistent for all slides.
When you have completed all your slides, return to the 1st slide and go to Insert tab
Click Zoom, then Slide Zoom
Select all the other slides, not the 1st slide
Go to the Zoom tab, then Zoom border and choose no outline
For each individual slide, click on Zoom background and the background will disappear. Do this for each slide
Position each slide across the 1st slide in a timeline format - fun fact, you can use the alignment tool to “distribute horizontally”
Add a white line to go between the year and the description - .75pt and white is suggested, and being arrow type to a round edge (starting point)
Click on the last date in the timeline, then go to the Zoom tab and check the box for “Return to Zoom” - this will make the slide zoom back out when you are done with the last day in your presentation

Morphing Transition

Create your starting slide. Add the text, picture, shape, or other object you want to animate.
Duplicate the slide. In the slide thumbnails on the left, right-click your slide and select Duplicate Slide. Duplicating is an easy way to make sure PowerPoint recognizes the same objects on both slides.
Change the second slide. On the duplicated slide, try:
- Moving an object somewhere else
- Making a picture larger or smaller
- Repositioning text
- Changing the color of a shape
- Rearranging several objects
- Don't add an animation. Just change where or how the object appears.
Apply Morph. Select the second slide, then click on Transitions and select Morph. Morph is applied to the second slide and creates the movement from the first slide into the second.
Preview it. Click on the Preview button to watch PowerPoint smoothly animate between your two slides.