Style Hyperlinks for Presentations

Hyperlinks are great for sourcing online material and videos during a presentation.

The downside is, they can be a bit of an eyesore. The blue underlined font tends to stand out and can ruin the overall aesthetic of your slides. Fortunately, there are a couple of ways to create subtle hyperlinks that don’t interfere with your presentation’s design.

Method #1: Hyperlink a Text Box

To create a hyperlink that seamlessly integrates into your slide design, you can hyperlink an entire text box instead of the text itself. Follow these steps:

• Enter the text you want to use as a link into a text box.
• Click on the border of the text box to select the entire box, ensuring you don’t click on the text inside.
• Press Ctrl + K to open the hyperlink menu.
• The text formatting will remain unchanged since the entire text box is linked, not just the text within it.
• A text box is also convenient, making it easy to click during your presentation.

Method #2: Use Invisible Surfaces

If your linked text is part of a longer passage, consider using invisible surfaces to maintain a clean look. Here’s how to do it:

• Draw a rectangle over the text you want to hyperlink.
• Make the rectangle invisible by selecting white for both the fill and outline colors, and set the transparency to 100%.
• After that, add your hyperlink to the rectangle.

To ensure you remember where the link is located while also giving it some subtle visual impact, you can opt for either a bold or italic font. This choice makes the link visible enough to be recognized but not distracting to your audience.

Customize the Hyperlink Address Display

You can enhance the user experience by customizing the text that appears when you hover over the hyperlink. To achieve this:

• Click ScreenTip in the hyperlink menu.

In the Set Hyperlink ScreenTip box, input your desired text. This text will now display whenever the mouse cursor hovers over the hyperlink, offering additional context without disrupting your presentation’s visual flow.