Create Google Slides Presentations with Customizable Themes

Learn how to use a Google Slides theme to create your presentation from.

In this tutorial, discover the basics of how to work in Google Slides to customize slide designs to your needs. This presentation tool is a great alternative to work with, and starting with a quality theme design delivers quick, professional results.

Creating a presentation from scratch can be time-consuming. You have to design layout variations, choose appropriate fonts and design elements, and ensure that all the slides work together cohesively and appealingly.

However, by using a quality pre-designed presentation theme, you’ll save all that initial design time. You can focus on customizing the content, imagery, and colors of your presentation instead of designing slide layouts from scratch.

Themes (also known as templates) are available for commonly used presentation software like PowerPoint, Keynote, and Google Slides. You can use Google Slides themes to build beautiful presentations quickly.

In this tutorial, we will cover how to build an effective presentation visually and content-wise with Google Slides. We’ll start with an existing Google Slides presentation theme and walk through each step of the customization process.

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We also have a helpful complement to this tutorial. Download our FREE eBook: The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations. It covers how to write, design, and deliver the perfect presentation.

Now, let’s get started!

Getting Started: Google Slides vs PowerPoint

You might wonder what Google Slides offers in comparison to PowerPoint or Keynote.

Google Slides excels in collaboration, enabling multiple users to work on the same presentation simultaneously.

It’s a web-based tool with a simpler interface, helping you design a cleaner, more focused presentation. While design options are more limited compared to other tools, this simplicity can be beneficial, preventing distractions from your content.

Why Should You Use Google Slides?

Google Slides is an ideal tool if you want to create a clean presentation quickly and efficiently. Here are a few reasons to consider Google Slides for your next project:

• Collaboration: The real-time collaboration features allow multiple users to work on the same presentation simultaneously, enabling feedback and comments.
• Less is More: Google Slides focuses on essential tools and options, ensuring that you stay focused on your work without unnecessary distractions.
• Backward Compatibility: You can upload PowerPoint format presentations and continue working seamlessly.
• Cost-Effective: Google Slides is free to use with a Google account, offering a great alternative if you don’t have access to PowerPoint or Keynote.
• Custom Themes: Despite being web-based, Google Slides offers a vast library of custom themes and templates to simplify your design process.

Learn more about what Google Slides is and how it compares to PowerPoint and Keynote in these Envato Tuts+ articles:

• What Is Google Slides? Great (Free) Online Presentation Software
• PowerPoint vs. Keynote vs. Google Slides: Best Presentation Software?

Create a Cool Google Slides Presentation With a Pro Theme

The best Google Slides presentations are already built—you just need to add your content to make the most of them. Using pre-built Google Slides templates can save you hours of design work, allowing you to prepare for your next big presentation.

That’s why I always recommend using custom Google Slides themes. If you’re wondering how to make Google Slides stand out, start with a great template.

The best source for custom Google Slides themes is Envato Elements, an all-you-can-download service for creatives. Your subscription unlocks thousands of great templates, making it easy to create stunning Google Slides presentations.

How to Create Google Slides Designs from Templates

If you’ve never used a custom Google Slides theme, you might be wondering how to create Google Slides using a professional template. Templates give you pre-built elements that you can customize to include your content.

In this section, we’ll sample a custom Google Slides theme from Envato Elements and completely customize it for your next presentation. Let’s explore the Vexana theme, one of my favorite custom Google Slides themes available for download.

1. Get Started

Before we dive into creating Google Slides custom presentations, let’s look at how to start with custom Google Slides themes.

After downloading a custom theme like Vexana, head to your Google Drive account. Open the template on your computer, and you’ll see several color schemes included. Google Slides templates often come as PPTX (PowerPoint) files.

In Drive, drag-and-drop one of the PPTX templates into the window. Then, go to the File > Save as Google Slides menu option. Google Slides supports working directly with PPTX files, but converting it to the Slides format allows for full customization.

Now that we’ve loaded our template, let’s customize a few slides to make it truly yours.

2. Image Panels Slide

Custom Google Slides themes already feature the important layout elements required to design your presentation. For instance, this “four-up” slide with four image placeholders is perfect for creating a visually impactful Google Slides presentation.

To learn how to make Google Slides customizations, understanding Slide Masters is crucial. A slide master controls the design of multiple slides. For this example, go to the View > Master menu option.

You typically edit the master to add shared elements like logos or taglines. Adjusting the master is more efficient than tweaking each slide individually.

In the case of Vexana, adjust the master to add your custom imagery. Right-click on the image placeholders and select Replace Image > Upload from Computer to add your images.

Once you’ve filled in the images in your Google Slides presentation, you can make other customizations. Click in the text boxes to enter your company-specific copy. I also adjusted the theme to use a single color.

That’s it! Customizing Google Slides is simply about swapping in your content to create an eye-catching and personalized opening slide.

3. Welcome Slide

Every presentation needs a strong start. This Google Slides template features a picture-perfect introduction slide that’s easy to customize.

Following the same steps, enter the Slide Master to add a background image. Right-click on the image placeholder and choose Replace Image to browse for a suitable horizontal image.

Customize the introduction slide’s copy to match your presentation’s purpose. Introductory slides should get straight to the point, embodying a “less is more” philosophy. You can easily adjust your Google Slides theme by typing in the text boxes.

Additionally, customize the shape at the bottom to fit your brand colors. Click on the horizontal line and choose a new color from the dropdown menu above it.

With this slide, you can see how to make Google Slides with minimal effort. Beautiful presentations come together quickly when you start with professionally designed layouts. Let’s customize one more slide.

4. The Offer Slide

As we round out our customizations, let’s easily customize what I call “the offer slide” to showcase your proposals.

In the template, there’s another image placeholder that you can modify in the Slide Master view. Simply fill in the text, and after customizing a few slides, you’ll find this process familiar and straightforward.

By adding an image and your text details, you can quickly create a fully customized slide. Creating Google Slides is about repeating these simple steps with new content for each slide.

Now that you’ve seen this section, you know how to create Google Slides using pre-built templates. Open them up, insert your content, and you’ll have an excellent presentation!

How to Customize a Google Slides Presentation Theme

If you’re still uncertain about Google Slides, follow this presentation theme customization tutorial. It offers a straightforward workflow and an easy way to learn more about this presentation tool. Let’s get started!

1. Set Up the Theme

For this presentation design, I’ll be using the Hipster Google Slides theme, which has a strong focus on imagery:

If you’re looking for additional Google Slides themes, you can find more on GraphicRiver—each with different designs and purposes.

You can also explore curated collections of our favorite Google Slide themes here:

• 20 Best Google Slides Presentation Themes (Premium Templates to Download in 2024)

Depending on the type of presentation you want to create, you can find various theme designs to suit your needs. Even if you can’t find the perfect theme, you can easily customize it.

Step 1. Import the Theme

Once you’ve downloaded the theme, you’ll notice it comes as a PowerPoint file. Even if you don’t have PowerPoint, there’s no need to worry.

Open Google Slides and start with an Empty presentation. In the File menu, select Import slides. Here, select the main PowerPoint file (Hipster presentation file), and upload it. This will convert the PowerPoint file into a Google Slides presentation.

Once the upload is complete, you can choose which slides to import. I recommend selecting all to get an overview of the available slide layouts you can use. Now, it’s time to start customizing your slide designs!

2. Customize the Theme

Initially, you’ll notice that there are many slides to choose from. I suggest dragging the slides you plan to use to the top of your slide list for easier access.

This way, you can keep a handy overview of the different slide designs, aiding you as you build your presentation. After finishing your design, you can delete the slides you won’t use.

Step 1. Design a Cover Slide

The first slide in the theme is an ideal cover slide, which displays the title of the presentation and serves as the introduction.

On the cover slide, we want to change the following elements:

• Change the title
• Add a background image

Working with Text in Google Slides

Updating text in a Google Slides presentation is straightforward. Click on the text on the slide and start typing your new title. The title is embedded in a text box, which you can resize by dragging the corners.

You can manipulate the text box size and use alignment options in the toolbar for optimal presentation.

Tip: Typography helps create a better visual hierarchy. Make titles larger and bolder, while body text should be smaller.

In the top menu, select Arrange and then Center on page to arrange elements for improved design. I’ll be centering my title horizontally on this slide.

Tip: Hold the Shift key while dragging elements to maintain their alignment.

Working with Images in Google Slides

To add an image, click on any placeholder image on the slide. In the toolbar, you’ll see the Replace image option. Clicking this allows you to upload your desired image. Free services like Unsplash or premium sites like PhotoDune offer excellent images.

Once uploaded, you’ll use image options and the cropping tool to perfect the image’s appearance. You can adjust transparency, colors, and brightness to enhance legibility.

With the title updated and a background image added, our title slide is complete! Here’s an example of a finished slide.

Step 2. Design a Services Slide

Next, let’s design a traditional services slide, typically found in sales presentations. These slides usually contain:

• An overview of services
• A brief description of each service
• Pricing information

Looking at the theme, we’ll find suitable slides for this design. Personally, I like the design of slide 8 for a services slide.

We need to change the following elements:

• Image on the left half of the slide
• Slide title
• Features and icons on the right side of the slide

Let’s first change the image. Click on the placeholder image and use the Replace image tool, along with masking and cropping techniques, to modify the image as desired.

Next, update the text and icons on the right portion of the slide. You’ll find a collection of icons at the end of the theme slides that you can use. Simply copy an icon and paste it into your service slide. Utilize the toolbar to change the icon’s color or stroke size.

Tip: Group elements by selecting them all and right-clicking to choose ‘group.’ This simplifies color changes or other adjustments.

If the provided icons don’t meet your needs, you can search for icons on Envato Elements or The Noun Project.

Now it’s your turn! Use what you’ve learned to modify the text and add icons to your slide. Aim for a similar result as the finished slide below.

Step 3. Design a Portfolio Slide

A portfolio slide is ideal for showcasing past work, typically including logos or project images. The theme provides several suitable portfolio slides. You might choose one that features project descriptions or simply contains images.

I personally recommend slide 23. To customize, replace the images, using cropping and masking techniques as needed.

This slide is a great opportunity to practice image composition. Consider how you can combine images for a pleasing design. You might also use Image options to adjust the colors for consistency.

Tip: Double-click on an image to access the cropping and masking interface.

I’ve replaced the images, as shown in the completed portfolio slide design below.

Step 4. Design a Team Slide

Another common slide in presentations is the team slide, featuring individuals. Most themes include designs for team slides, whether showcasing multiple people or highlighting a single individual. I’ve chosen slide 18 for customization.

We’ll change the following elements:

• Text (name, title, bio)
• Social media links
• Image

By now, you should be comfortable changing the image using Replace image. Changing the text is straightforward as well.

To modify the social media links, select the text you want to make clickable. Go to Insert in the menu bar and select Link to paste the desired URL. You can also link to different slides within the presentation.

Tip: Use the shortcut CMD+K for Mac or CTRL+K for Windows to insert links more efficiently.

Now, finish designing the slide using the example below as a guide.

Conclusion

With these steps, you now have the knowledge to create visually appealing and customized presentations using Google Slides. By leveraging templates and themes, you can efficiently produce high-quality slides that effectively communicate your ideas.

Learn More About Using Google Slides

Although Google Slides is beginner-friendly, there are more resources available for you to explore:

• How to Convert PowerPoint (PPT) to Google Slides Presentations on Import (+Video)
• What Is Google Slides? Great (Free) Online Presentation Software
• 12+ Google Slides Presentation Tools: To Learn How to Use (Now)

Choose & Customize Your Own Google Slides Themes

Google offers an excellent software alternative for quickly crafting presentations using custom Google Slides themes. Here’s a final look at our slide designs for reference:

Explore more great Google Slides themes on Envato Market, featuring new trending designs weekly. Don’t forget that Envato Elements is a great resource for acquiring the best custom Google Slides themes.

For additional advice on creating effective presentations, consider checking out the following article, which helps you understand how to design an efficient slide deck.

• 22 Tips: Designing an Effective Slide Deck Presentation

**Editorial Note: This tutorial was originally published in September of 2016. It’s been updated to include new information—with special assistance from Andrew Childress.