The Ribbon

As in other Office 2007 applications, in PowerPoint 2007, the Ribbon replaces the menu bar used in previous versions. The Ribbon’s purpose is to keep similar commands grouped under each tabbed heading. Every time you click a tab, such as Insert or Design, the commands and buttons logically related to that topic appear. Even though this is an efficient setup, it may take some getting used to if you’re accustomed to using PowerPoint 2003. It may help to look at the features and commands under each categorized tab like the submenus in the older versions of PowerPoint, only somewhat more intuitive.

If the interface is too cluttered for your taste, or if you simply want more room to work on-screen, you can minimize the Ribbon when not in use. To do this, right-click any Ribbon tab and choose Minimize The Ribbon in the context menu. To restore tab options, right-click any Ribbon tab again and deselect Minimize The Ribbon. Alternately, you can double-click any active tab to minimize the Ribbon. When you want temporary access to Ribbon options, click the tab that has the commands and features you need. To restore the Ribbon again, you can double-click any tab. And if you prefer to use your keyboard to toggle between the Ribbon’s minimized and restored states, press CTRL+F1.

Quick Access Toolbar

PowerPoint 2007 also has a Quick Access Toolbar, which includes tools that are independent from the Ribbon. You can move or customize this toolbar to better fit your work style.

By default, the Quick Access Toolbar is located in the upper-left corner of PowerPoint, to the right of the round Microsoft Office button. If you’d prefer to move this toolbar closer to your work area, click the down arrow at the right of the toolbar to access the Customize Quick Access Toolbar menu, and then choose Show Below The Ribbon. If you later decide the new location encroaches too much into your work area, open the menu again and choose Show Above The Ribbon.

You can also add commands to the Quick Access Toolbar by opening the drop-down menu and choosing a command, such as Spelling. Because many of the commands on this menu are toggles, you can remove a command from the toolbar simply by deselecting any option you don’t want.

If the command you want doesn’t appear on the list, choose the More Commands option to open the PowerPoint Options dialog box. Select the command you want from the list at the left, click the Add button, and then click OK.

Set Slide Transitions

You can preview slide transitions even while you’re working with a slide in Normal view. This lets you see a transition style before deciding whether to apply it to your slide.

To do this, display the slide in Normal view, and then click the Animations tab. Rest your mouse pointer over the animation styles shown in the Transition To This Slide section. When you find a transition you like, click it, and PowerPoint applies the transition to your slide.

If you don’t care for the initial styles on the Ribbon, you can use the up or down scroll arrows at the right of the last transition effect to view additional options. Each time you click the scroll arrow, for example, PowerPoint displays another row of slide animations.

In addition to setting an animation for the slide, you can choose a sound to play during the slide transition. With the Animations tab still selected, click the Transition Sound drop-down menu to display a list of animation sounds. Rest your mouse pointer on any of the sound effects on the list, and PowerPoint will play the sound.

You can also set the speed at which the animation displays by clicking the Transition Speed drop-down menu and then choosing Slow, Medium, or Fast.

Change Your View

Just as in previous PowerPoint versions, PowerPoint 2007 includes a variety of views, each designed to help you work with your presentation in a specific manner. To quickly change the view, you can click the Normal, Slide Sorter, or Slide Show buttons located in the lower-right corner of the work area.

PowerPoint also includes other built-in methods for changing slide view. You can double-click a slide in Slide Sorter view to quickly display it in Normal view, and you can press F5 to launch a slideshow. To access more view options—maybe you want to use the Notes Page view, turn on the ruler, or see your slide in grayscale—just click the View tab on the Ribbon.

By default, PowerPoint presentations open in Normal view. However, you can choose another view, such as the Slide Sorter or Slide Show, as the default view. Click the Microsoft Office button and choose PowerPoint Options. Click Advanced in the PowerPoint Options dialog box. Next, click the Open All Documents Using This View button in the Display section and then choose a view from the Open All menu under Display. Click OK to close the dialog box.

Use Zoom Effectively

You can magnify or shrink the display of your slide in Normal view by clicking the Zoom Out or Zoom In buttons (indicated by the minus and plus signs, respectively, at the lower-right corner of the work area). Each click of your mouse decreases or increases the slide’s display by 10%, depending on the zoom button you select, of course. For more control over the zoom level, you can drag the Zoom slider to achieve the desired view. To redisplay the entire slide, click the Fit Slide To Current Window button next to the Zoom In button.

Display Options

If you’re itching to jazz up your PowerPoint’s interface, you can ”control and customize its look on your display. For example, to change the blue color scheme, simply click the Microsoft Office button, click PowerPoint Options, and select Popular in the PowerPoint Options dialog box. Next, click the Color Scheme drop-down menu and choose Silver or Black for the interface. Click OK to accept the change.

For more display settings, click Advanced in the PowerPoint Options dialog box and select from the options in the Display area. You can choose to show all Windows in the Taskbar, display shortcut keys in the ScreenTips, or turn the vertical ruler on or off. Click OK when you finish.

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