PowerPoint Tips Newsletter

Congratulations to the winners of the Cool Contour Shadows contest!

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:27:16 -0600

Congratulations to Alper Rozanes and April Kerlew who submitted the first two slides showing cool contour shadows. At the end of the Cool Contour Shadows tip, I offered the first 2 people to submit an example of this technique a copy of 101 Tips Every PowerPoint User Should Know or 7 Steps to Great Images. Alper Rozanes' submission was of a beautiful Japanese bell. April Kerlew's submission was called The Excellence Zone and she created a contour shadow around a photo of dollar bills.

July 2008 background of the month - Minimalist

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:57:22 -0600

For those of you who aren't quite ready to jump to a no-template presentation, here is Minimalist: just two gradient teal-colored lines. For those slides that don't need even that, you can use the default, plain-white template.

June, 2008 Resource of the Month - Zoho Show

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:14:56 -0600

Zoho Show is part of the Zoho suite of online applications.The new version, 2.0, is still in beta, and offers a number of improvements over the original. You can import PowerPoint files, create new presentations, share them online (where they are stored) with others either privately or publicly, and host presentations as you would with a Web conferencing service. It integrates with Zoho Meeting, allowing you to share your desktop. All for free.

Review of Presentationzen by Garr Reynolds

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 15:06:52 -0600

Garr Reynolds is a well-known presentation designer and communicatons expert. His blog, Presentation Zen, has been a beacon of good design and practice for a long time. His new book, presentationzen, puts his ideas about presentation design together in a coherent way that is accessible to non-designers. He espouses a simple "zen" look, with no backgrounds, prominent images, and little text. presentationzen, which is flying off the shelves, systematically covers the topics of preparation, design, and delivery. Lots of figures will give you ideas for slides that have a big impact.

Do the research!

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 14:11:31 -0600

When preparing for a presentation, you often need to research facts and figures, as well as find quotes and opinions, before you draw your own conclusions (or to back up your own opinions). It's important to get the facts right. A friend recently told me about...

Announcing $50 off PowerPoint Live - the great PowerPoint conference!

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 21:00:16 -0600

This year's PowerPoint Live conference will be in San Diego, Sept. 21-24. I highly recommend it You'll attend great sessions by PowerPoint experts, get a chance to meet Microsoft employees responsible for PowerPoint, meet great people, eat excellent food, and learn a lot. EllenFinkelstein.com visitors can get $50 off the conference fee! Read more about it!

Create text reflections

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 20:05:34 -0600

One of PowerPoint 2007's new features is reflections. You can create reflected text in earlier versions, too, using WordArt. Click the WordArt button on the Formatting toolbar. In the WordArt gallery...

3D and reflection technique

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 20:24:47 -0600

Mark James Normand has started a new blog, Presentation Design, which includes a very nice technique using a gradient background, 3D placement of objects, and reflections. Here's the sample...

June web seminars

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Tue, 27 May 2008 21:14:20 -0600

I'll be giving two web seminars in June: * PowerPoint 101: Create Your 1st Presentation, Step-by-Step. This is probably too basic for most of you reading this blog, but please tell your friends. I'll go through the process of creating a basic presentation in tutorial style, and there's a valuable download with full instructions for both PowerPoint 2003 and 2003. Wednesday, June 4th at 3 PM EDT. * Create Great Looking PowerPoint Charts Effortlessly! A valuable course on creating effective charts that look good, are clear, and are meaningful. Charts (also known as graphs) are important for visually communicating numeric and financial data. Wednesday, June 18th, at 3 PM EDT.

Two new articles published

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Tue, 27 May 2008 21:10:52 -0600

Two of my articles have been published recently. "5 Steps to Slide Design for Non-Designers" was published in the slideshare.net blog. This article provides guidelines for creating good-looking, effective slides to people who are not graphic artists -- which is most of us! In this article, I talk about the tell 'n' show system of slide design, which I first introduced in my tip, "Tell 'n' show slide design." Please tell your friends about this article. I'm trying to spread good design around the world! Another article, "Use a Menu to Create an Audience-Centered Presentation," appeared in the PresentationXpert newsletter. I have a tip, Designing a web-style presentation, that briefly covers this topic, but in less detail. The article was based on a Web seminar that I gave. I think that you'll find the PresentationXpert article interesting and useful.

June, 2008 Resource of the Month - Authorstream

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Tue, 27 May 2008 20:57:42 -0600

Authorstream is a new site for uploading PowerPoint presentations. PowerPoint is hot stuff! See what you can find or upload your own.

Make an object disappear behind another object

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Tue, 27 May 2008 20:21:44 -0600

You can make an object seem to disappear behind another object, or appear from behind that object. This effect creates a 3D impression and seems quite magical.

Create section markers

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Mon, 19 May 2008 20:36:16 -0600

A complex presentation may be divided into several sections. In order to help your audience understand where the current slide sits in the whole structure, you can create section markers that appear throughout the presentation. Each slide displays all of the section names, but the current section is bold, or a different color, so that the audience always knows which section you're currently discussing.

Cool contour shadows

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Sat, 10 May 2008 14:31:06 -0600

PowerPoint can create shadows that follow the contour of objects in an image. Here is an example (you can download this background at my Portfolio/Backgrounds page)...

Amazing! Grand opening of Virtualis conference center in Second Life

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 16:37:37 -0600

On April 23 and 24, 2008, I attended the grand opening of Virtualis, an amazing new conference center in Second Life. I was new to Second Life until about 3 weeks ago, so there was that amazement to get past. If you don't know, Second Life is a 3D virtual world that lets you build practically anything, script objects (using Second Life Script, or SLS), interact with others using an avatar (your persona in Second Life), by text or speech, and even conduct business! You can purchase virtual land and create your own world...

Over the last couple of years, the team has designed, built, and programmed the most incredible conference center, one that can hold many types of events. They've created both traditional (as traditional as something can be in Second Life) and outrageously creative meeting places. The facility can be used for conferences, meetings, parties...

April 2008 Background of the Month

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 14:52:44 -0600

Charismatic is a template (.pot file, zipped) with a sunburst on the title slide and a sky-blue gradient for the slide master. You can use it in PowerPoint 2002/2003 as well as PowerPoint 2007. Excellent for inspirational topics.

April 2008 Resource of the Month - Echo's Voice

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 14:44:42 -0600

Echo is a PowerPoint MVP and her Web site contains a series of in-depth articles and tutorials that everyone will find useful. Look for her excellent PowerPoint 2007 tutorials.

Best practices for PowerPoint presentations in Second Life

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 14:37:19 -0600

Based on my experience with the grand opening of Virtualis (see my review), the conference center in Second Life, I�ve put together what I believe to be the first set of guidelines for creating and delivering PowerPoint presentations in Second Life.

Review of PowerPoint 2007 Complete Makeover Kit

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:04:53 -0600

A new book by Geetesh Bajaj and Echo Swinford, PowerPoint 2007 Complete Makeover Kit, is both unique and uniquely useful. PowerPoint 2007's interface, the ribbon, is so different from what we're used to, that running through a tutorial like this one will make the difference between tearing your hair out while staying up until midnight and ...

Turn off pop-ups when presenting

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 20:14:09 -0600

In a given day, or week, or month, how many messages pop up on your computer to: Update Java, RealPlayer, or Windows? Connect to a wireless network? Keep you up to date on your subscribed RSS feeds?

Some of these pop-ups may appear while you're presenting in slide show view! Not a pretty picture! One possible solution may be...

Tell 'n' show slide design

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 14:16:35 -0600

A number of communication experts have recommended slide design that has a slide title that makes a complete statement (often suggested to be a complete grammatical sentence), and then an image that provides evidence of the statement.

I call this tell 'n' show. It's the opposite of the show 'n' tell that you may remember from 6th grade, because first you tell (in the slide title and by speaking out the statement), and then you show (by using a visual, and explaining it). Find out more...

Create a drop-down menu

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 15:11:32 -0600

In the PowerPoint discussion group, in response to a request, Shyam Pillai shared a presentation that has a drop-down menu that he programmed. However, you can create a drop-down menu using animation. Find out how...

Top 3 tips of February, 2008

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:48:51 -0600

My site has so many tips on it now, that I'm aware of the fact that they can be hard to find. Don't forget that the Tips menu has a Search box where you can search for tips that meet your needs.�Another way to discover new tips is to find out what other people are looking at. Here are the top 3 tips from February, 2008: Putting Flash animation in PowerPoint (http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/powerpoint_tip_putting_flash_in_powerpoint.html)- This tip shows you how to add Flash movies (SWF files) to a PowerPoint presentation. I recently gave a webinar on this topic. Watch for an update to this tip! Create a timer (http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/powerpoint_tip_create_timer.html)- This tip shows you how to create a timer for breaks from 1 minute to 1 hour and anything inbetween. There are a lot of steps, but the whole process will take about 5 minutes. Easily create a quiz in PowerPoint using Visual Basic for Applications (http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/powerpoint_tip_create_quiz_with_vba.html)- There are many ways to create quizzes in PowerPoint (and I gave a webinar on this topic a few months ago), but this tip shows how non-programmers can use some easy VBA to create quizzes.

New e-booklet: 7 Steps to Great Images

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:53:15 -0600

My newest work is a 22-page e-booklet that describes 7 steps or techniques that you can use to banish unprofessional images in your presentations and replace them with images that really pack a punch! The e-booklet is based on content from my webinars and on principles I've developed over the years. At only $6.95, you can buy one for yourself and another for that colleague who really, really needs it. E-books make great take-homes for conferences and meetings. Recently, a conference organizer bought 40 copies of my 101 Tips Every PowerPoint User Should Know, to give each attendee one on a flash drive. What a great idea! And more useful than the tee shirt you usually get. Read more about it at http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/estore/7steps.html.

March 2008 Resource of the Month - Presentation Zen

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:25:21 -0600

Presentation Zen is Garr Reynold's blog on on presentation design from the Zen perspective. His articles and ideas are always interesting and right on. His designs are inspiring.

March 2008 Free Background of the Month

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 21:15:52 -0600

This sophisticated tiling reminds you of a mosaic. Of course, you should change the photos to suit your situation. The photos are AutoShape fills. The download file contains both PowerPoint 2003 and 2007 versions.

Importing a PowerPoint presentation into Flash

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 20:09:18 -0600

In my Putting Flash animation in PowerPoint tip, I explain how to bring a Flash movie into PowerPoint, but how about bringing a PowerPoint presentation into Adobe Flash? You can't do it directly, but you can save the files in WMF format and import them into Flash. This method does not preserve any animation or transitions. However, you can, of course, add animation in Flash. Here's how...

Use materials and lighting for interesting fills

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 20:07:48 -0600

You can fine tune the fills of your AutoShapes (Shapes, in 2007) by applying a variety of surface materials and lighting treatments. The differences are subtle but can impart a more professional result and create a realistic 3D look.

How many bullets should I put on a slide?

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 14:44:44 -0600

People often ask, "How many bullets should I put on a slide?" First I'll tell you what others are saying. Then I'll give you my answer.

Put a presentation on a CD that runs automatically

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 14:38:25 -0600

You can send potential clients or friends a CD that contains a presentation that runs automatically when they put the CD in their CD-ROM drive. If you add narration, the presentation will start automatically and run from beginning to end by itself. This technique works well for sales brochures that you create in PowerPoint, for a narrated slide show of your vacation pictures, or any other use you can imagine. The beauty of it is that the receiver doesn't even have to have PowerPoint.

Interview with Wataru Sugawara, CEO of SoftAdvance

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 14:44:24 -0600

Prezvision (actually, prezvision, with a lower-case p) is an exciting new 3D animation program that starts with PowerPoint content and creates an amazing transformation. Because you start with PowerPoint, you can easily create 3D animation that would otherwise involve very expensive software and a huge learning curve. Wataru Sugawara, CEO of SoftAdvance, the company that created Prezvision, and Ron Radcliff, VP of Business Development, showed off the software's capabilities at PowerPoint Live in New Orleans, in October, 2007. Wataru Sugawara agreed to be interviewed by e-mail.

Result of poll on which PowerPoint versions you use

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 14:41:19 -0600

The results of the poll are in. With 97 people responding, here are the results:

Use an audience-centered structure

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 14:11:11 -0600

In my webinar, "Create audience-centered presentations," I covered many ways to organize, design, and deliver a presentation around the needs of the audience, and in turn, get better results. If you missed it, I can share one of the concepts in the area of organization. First...

Recolor graphics in PowerPoint 2007

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 14:09:40 -0600

PowerPoint 2007 introduced the ability to recolor and adjust bitmap graphics. Bitmap files types include GIF, JPG, and PNG. You can recolor both inserted images and background images. These are exciting, new capabilities. Previously, you had to use third-party software to accomplish this task. To insert a picture from a file, choose Insert>Picture and choose the pciture file. To insert a picture from the clip art collection, choose Insert>Clip Art In the Clip Art task pane, enter keywords. Be sure to specify the type of clip art that you want from the Results Should Be drop-down list; you can specify photos only, for example. You can make minor adjustments to brightness and contrast, or completely recolor an image. Read on...

Use advanced animation to show growth and motion

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 13:53:29 -0600

You can create the illusion of growth and motion using the technique of frame animation. Frame animation duplicates the same object in slightly different positions or sizes and then quickly displays one after the other. This is how old-fashioned movie animation was done. Remember, though, that this process was very labor-intensive. Good animation is usually 15-30 frames per second, meaning that you need to create at least 15 images for each second of animation! You can create a simpler version in PowerPoint fairly easily. You can use this process for anything that moves or grows and that you can draw in PowerPoint using AutoShapes. Here's the basic process that I use:

February 2008 Resource of the Month - TED

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 13:52:39 -0600

TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and it's a conference that brings together thinkers and doers from those fields, and more to "give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes). The site presents the best talks and performances, all for free. It's a great resource for viewing top-notch talks and presentations.

3 great webinars coming up - 10% discount!

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 19:54:12 -0600

I have 3 great webinars coming up. Look at the January 31st entry of my blog for the URLs for each one. Wed., February 13th: Use PowerPoint to Bring the Audience into Your World with an Audience-Centered Presentation. Learn how to design an audience-centered presentation from the ground up and discover a simple formula to determine what content comes first, second, and so on. Find out how to incorporate audience input and convey ideas visually. And much more! Your 10% discount code is 10%offppt. Wed., March 19th: Add Pizzazz to your PowerPoint Presentations with Flash Animation. Learn why Flash animation is so powerful and how to add it to your presentations. Discover where to find Flash animations and how to control them in PowerPoint. Find out how to convert an entire presentation to Flash animation format. Your 10% discount code is 10%offppt. Wed., April 9th: Stop Force-Feeding Your Audience: Create Interactive and Flexible PowerPoint Presentations. This webinar will show you how to create a non-linear presentation that meets the unique needs of your audience. You'll learn how to create a menu as the front end for a presentation or to jump-start questions at the end. Your 10% discount code is 10%offppt.

2 polls

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 19:51:15 -0600

I've created 2 polls that will help me serve you better. If you haven't already done so, please complete both. One takes a few seconds, the other less than 5 minutes. Click the links below to enter. Thank you! You can find the links in the January 31st blog entry or go to: What version of PowerPoint are you using? http://www.polldaddy.com/p/177663/ What do you want to know about PowerPoint and presenting? http://www.polldaddy.com/s/6CDB355DE88430AC/

January 2008 Free Background of the Month

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 19:43:01 -0600

Fireworks! Great for any celebration or to generate excitement about a project.

January 2008 Resource - Six Minutes: A Public Speaking and Presentation Blog

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 06:34:01 -0600

Six Minutes is a Andrew Dlugan's blog on public speaking and presenting. He writes often and is truly informed about all that is going on in the field.

Add flexibility with custom shows

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 14:58:52 -0600

You may need the flexibility to vary your presentation, depending on the audience, last minute decisions, or the amount of time you have available. Building this flexibility into your presentation can avoid embarrassing time overruns, last minute corrections, or not having the information an audience member asks for. There are several ways to create options that allow your presentation to change at the last minute. For example...

Try design variations

ellen@ellenfinkelstein.com — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 21:03:42 -0600

Designers have an excellent sense of color, but even they try out variations to see which looks best. Those of us who are not designers absolutely need to create variations of colors before making a final decision. Color has a major impact on the effect of a presentation, but on a subtle level. By changing a presentation's colors, you can make it more upbeat or more low key.