If you use PowerPoint - you're probably not using it in the best way possible. Check out these super fast, super easy and super powerful tips to make you're next presentation deck that much more awesome. Get more tips and templates at http://crispypresentations.com

1. STOP!
YOU’RE DOING
POWERPOINT
WRONG.
SEVEN THINGS YOU SHOULD BE DOING, CrispyPresentations.com BUT PROBABLY AREN’T.

2. ODDS ARE,
YOU’VE USED
POWERPOINT

3. AND ODDS ARE,
YOU’RE PROBABLY
USING IT WRONG.

4. BUT, IT’S
COOL THOUGH!
HERE’S SEVEN PROTIPS YOU CAN USENOW.

5. 1S)TO P TRYING TO STYLE
EVERYTHING MANUALLY
START USING MASTER
SLIDE LAYOUTS
Here’s a text box I just added by double
clicking the slide
• Here, I decided to click the bullet point
button
• And am hoping that it looks ok – but it
needs some serious formatting help…
The one to the left doesn’t look so hot
– It was created by hand, which makes it hard to
style
On the other hand…
– These bullets were created using elements from a
Master Slide layout, ensuring consistency of
formatting on every bullet
styling elements you add
yourself takes time & skill
These buttons are
your best friends!

6. 2)ST OP EMAILING RAW
POWERPOINT FILES
START SENDING
COMPRESSED PDF FILES
PPT
20.5 MB
.PPT FILE
EDITABLE BY ANYONE
FORMATTING IS THROWN OFF
DEPENDING ON DEVICE
BAD FOR SENDING AS THE
FINAL DOCUMENT
PDF
3 MB
.PDF FILE
NOT EDITABLE
FORMATTING PRESERVED
ACROSS DEVICES
EXCELLENT FOR SENDING AS
YOUR FINAL DOCUMENT
Small, secure,
consistent

7. 3) STOP USING
ANIMATIONS
START NOT USING
ANIMATIONS
Resist the urge
to touch these…
SERIOUSLY,
STOP USING
ANIMATIONS.
– THEY’RE CHEESY
– THEY DON’T PRINT
– THEY’RE DISTRACTING
– ANIMATIONS ALONE WON’T
MAKE YOUR PRESENTATION
AWESOME

8. 4) STOP USING
AUTOFITTED TEXT BOXES
START KEEPING TEXT
BOXES THE SAME SIZE
Here’s an auto-fitted, fixed-height text box
– The font automatically resizes based on the
amount of text in the box.
Here’s an auto-fitted, fixed-height text box
– The font automatically resizes based on the amount of
text in the box.
– So the more stuff I try and cram into it…
Here’s an auto-fitted, fixed-height text box
– The font automatically resizes based on the amount of text in the box.
– So the more stuff I try and cram into it…
– The smaller the text gets…
– See?
Disable auto fit for consistent font size
– These bullets were made AFTER auto-fit was
disabled
– Keeping font sizes similar throughout a
presentation is important for uniform design
If you don’t disable it:
– You can end up with very different font sizes
throughout (which looks sloppy)
– You might be tempted to put too much text on a
slide in teensy, tiny font due to the resizing
This keeps your font sizes
consistent!
Enabling auto-fit causes
size inconsistencies

9. 5) STOP USING
STANDARD SMART ART
START STYLING IT TO
MATCH YOUR TEMPLATE
Smart
Art
Can
Be
Really
Useful
BUT IT
LOOKS
BEST
WHEN
YOU STYLE
IT TO
MATCH
YOUR
TEMPLATE
Cool, but doesn’t
look right…
Now we’re talkin’!

10. 6ST)OP PUTTING SHADOWS
ON EVERYTHING
START USING SHADOWS
VERY SELECTIVELY
WHEN
everything HAS
a
SHADOW
your
brain
GETS
CONFUSED
WHEN IS IT OK?
WHEN YOU WANT TO MAKE SOMETHING LOOK SEPARATED
FROM THE REST OF THE PRESENTATION , LIKE THIS:

11. 7S)T OP TRYING TO LINE
THINGS UP BY HAND
START USING THE ALIGN
& DISTRIBUTE BUTTONS
1 2 3 4
Are these all lined up?
1 2 3 4
Nope!
1 2 3 4
Boom!
my favorite
Powerpoint menu!

12. GO FORTH & DECK! (deck means presentation)
Click for more
tips & templates!
CRISPYPRESENTATIONS.COM
Presentation tips & templates.
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