Edit PowerPoint Master Slide

Editing the Master Slide in PowerPoint can significantly enhance the overall look and feel of your presentation.

The Master Slide serves as a template that dictates the design and layout of every slide in your presentation. This guide will walk you through the steps of accessing, editing, and applying Master Slides in PowerPoint.

Accessing Slide Master View

1. Open PowerPoint. PowerPoint has a red circular icon with a “P”. You can find it in the Windows Start menu or the Applications folder in Finder on Mac.
2. Open or create a new PowerPoint presentation. Click New to start a new presentation or Open to access an existing one.
3. Click View. This option is located in the menu bar at the top of the page.
4. Click Slide Master. This action switches you to Master View mode, allowing you to edit the slide masters and layouts.
5. Click a slide master or layout. Select a slide master to display its contents, which you can then edit.
6. Click Close Master View. After editing, click this button to return to the normal slide editing mode.

Adding and Deleting Slide Masters and Layouts

1. Open the slide master view mode. Begin by clicking View and then selecting Slide Master.
2. Click Insert Slide Master. This adds a new Slide Master to your PowerPoint layout.
3. Select a slide master and click Insert Layout. This action will insert a new layout slide under the selected slide master.
4. Right-click a slide master or layout. This displays a menu for additional options.
5. Click Delete Slide Master or Delete Layout. This option removes the selected slide master or layout. Please note that at least one slide master must remain in your list.

Editing Backgrounds and Themes

1. Open the slide master view mode. Click View and then Slide Master.
2. Click Themes. This will open a menu of available themes.
3. Click a theme. Select a theme to apply it to your slide master and layouts.
4. Click Colors. Choose a color scheme that fits your presentation.
5. Click a background color. This applies the selected color scheme to your slides.
6. Click Format Background (optional). This option allows for more detailed background editing.
7. Click a background type. Choose from solid fill, gradient, picture, texture, or pattern fills.
8. Click Apply to all (optional). This applies your background settings to all slides under the selected master.
9. Click Font. This option allows you to choose fonts for your slides.
10. Select a font. Click the desired font to apply it to the slide master and its layouts.

Editing Placeholders

1. Open the slide master view mode. Click View and then Slide Master.
2. Click a slide master or layout you want to edit. This will display the selected slide in the main view.
3. Click Insert Placeholder. Choose the type of placeholder from the drop-down menu.
4. Select a placeholder type. Choose from content, text, image, chart, table, SmartArt, media, or online image.
5. Click and drag within the slide. This will position the placeholder as needed.
6. Right-click placeholder text. This lets you access formatting options.
7. Format the placeholder text. Adjust font properties, alignment, and other text effects.

Applying a Slide Master or Layout to PowerPoint Slides

1. Exit Master View mode. Click Close Master View to return to normal mode.
2. Right-click a slide. This displays a menu with options for the selected slide.
3. Hover over Layout. A list of your slide masters and layouts will appear.
4. Click a slide layout. This applies the selected layout to the current slide.
5. Click the icon inside a placeholder. Follow the prompts to add content according to the placeholder type.