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title: PowerPoint Animations Guide date: 2024-01-01 cover: 10.png author: presentationload.com tags:

• PowerPoint Tips
• Presentation Skills
• Animation Techniques

Want to bring your next presentation to life? Then PowerPoint animations are for you. This tutorial will show you how to create and play PowerPoint animations yourself.

Available Animations in PowerPoint

Get creative: PowerPoint offers endless animation options. You can play with various effect elements such as size, shape, movement, or timing until you are completely satisfied with your slide design. You can make objects rotate, grow, turn, fade, and so much more. PowerPoint itself divides its animation effects into four categories: entrance, exit, emphasis, and motion paths.

As their names suggest, entrance effects are animations that make objects appear on your slide, while exit effects make them disappear. Emphasis effects draw attention to a specific object on the slide, allowing you to make objects pulsate, fluctuate, or play with their color intensity. Additionally, PowerPoint enables the application of several effects to one object at the same time or in sequence, enhancing the overall dynamism of your presentation.

Move Objects

The best PowerPoint animation effects to illustrate both linear and more complex movements of graphics or objects are:

• Fly In: Makes an object appear on your slide. You can set the flight direction of the object using Effect Options. The movement can also be created with motion paths. Our favorite animation paths are Arcs, Shapes, and Turns.

Enlarge/Reduce Objects

These are our three favorite effects to make graphics and objects grow or shrink:

• Grow/Shrink: Provides the ability to enlarge and reduce an object or text to a specified size.
• Zoom In/Zoom Out: Moves toward or away from an object.
• Grow & Turn: Spins an object into view from a distance. Shrink & Turn does the opposite.

Adjust Saturation (Transparency)

These effects control the intensity of an object’s appearance. In combination with motion paths or growth animations, they can quickly create dynamic sequences.

• Fade: Reduces the intensity of your objects until they disappear.
• Darken: Evenly darkens the colors of an object to draw attention away from it.

Comprehensive List of PowerPoint Animation Effects

| Entrance Effects: | Appear, Fade, Fly In, Float In, | | | Split, Wipe, Shape, Wheel, Random | | | Bars, Grow & Turn, Zoom, Swivel, | | | Bounce |

| Exit Effects: | Disappear, Fade, Fly Out, Float | | | Out, Split, Wipe, Shape, Wheel, | | | Random Bars, Shrink & Turn, Zoom, | | | Swivel, Bounce |

| Emphasis Effects: | Pulse, Color Pulse, Teeter, Spin, | | | Grow/Shrink, Desaturate, Darken, | | | Lighten, Transparency, Object | | | Color, Complementary Color, Line | | | Color, Fill Color, Brush Color, | | | Font Color, Underline, Bold | | | Flash, Bold Reveal, Wave |

| Motion Paths: | Lines, Arcs, Turns, Shapes, | | | Loops, Custom Path |

General Information for Using PowerPoint Animations

• Program Requirements: You need PowerPoint 2013, PowerPoint 2016, PowerPoint 2019, or Microsoft PowerPoint 365. You can find the version of your software by going to File > Account > Product Information.
• Animated Objects: You can animate images, shapes, SmartArt graphics, and diagrams. You can also add animation effects to titles and text boxes.
• The Animation Pane: The animation pane helps you keep track of multiple effects. Go to the Advanced Animation group in the Animations tab. Here you’ll find the Animation Pane. Click it to see a list of all your animations and play them.

Animations are a key feature in PowerPoint and can enrich a presentation enormously. They are a fantastic way to support and enhance storytelling, too. Nevertheless, make sure to use them selectively and in moderation.

What is the Goal of Your Animation?

Animations should always serve a purpose. They should effectively illustrate or emphasize content or contexts. Avoid any animation that doesn’t support content or lacks meaning. One of the most popular uses for animations is to gradually fade in slide content, which helps ensure that written content doesn’t outpace the spoken presentation.

What Function Does Each Animation Effect Have?

PowerPoint offers three different types of effects: entrance animations for fading in content (e.g., making text or graphics appear), emphasis animations (for highlighting content), and exit animations for fading out content. Used correctly, these animations can add structure and clarity to your content and overall presentation.

Which Type of Animation is Right for Your Presentation?

When selecting animations for a PowerPoint presentation, it is important to proceed consciously and strategically. Random or thoughtless animations can appear unprofessional. The goal is to use animations purposefully to enhance content and engage the audience. Here are some best practices for choosing the right animation effects:

1. Restraint: Less is often more when it comes to animations. Avoid excessive or unnecessary animations that could overload the content or distract from the core message.
2. Consistency: Choose a limited number of animation effects and use them consistently throughout the presentation to maintain a coherent visual aesthetic.
3. Appropriate Animations: Select animation effects that are suitable for the nature of your content. Use smooth transitions for a fluid effect, while employing unfolding or fading-in animations for important points.
4. Timing: Properly time the animations to match the flow of speech and the significance of the content, ensuring a smooth and well-coordinated presentation.

Animations for Different Types of Presentations

The use of animations can vary depending on the type of presentation. Here are some application areas and examples:

1. Marketing Presentations: Use animations to visually highlight products or services, demonstrate features, or showcase customer feedback.
2. Training Presentations: Convey complex information through animations that visualize step-by-step instructions or processes.
3. Sales Presentations: Capture interest with animations that showcase products or illustrate comparison tables and charts.
4. Conference Presentations: Incorporate animations to display quotes, schedules, or animated backgrounds to create a lively atmosphere.
5. Pitch Presentations: Visualize innovative ideas or highlight key success factors through animations to generate investor interest.

Create a PowerPoint Animation: Here’s How!

1. Go to the PowerPoint slide with the object you want to animate (e.g., chart, graphic, SmartArt graphic, shape). Left-click the object.
2. Switch to the Animations tab.

3. You’ll now see a selection of effects in the Animation group.

4. Click on More (lower arrow on the right) to see a wider range of available PowerPoint animations.

5. Click Effect Options to apply different effects to your animation.

6. You can also change the speed of an animated object in the Timing group.

7. Set when the animation effects should start on a slide: On Click, With Previous, or After Previous.

8. Test your animations any time by clicking Preview.

How to Edit Your PowerPoint Animations: Multiple Options

The PowerPoint Animation Pane

Open the animation pane to see an ordered list of your effects. To access it, go to the Advanced Animation group and select Animation Pane.

Start/Begin a PowerPoint Animation

You control when an animation starts with one of three choices: Start on Click, With Previous, or After Previous.

PowerPoint Animation Effect Options

Make further changes to your animations using Effect Options by right-clicking on an animation in the animation pane.

Set the Duration of Your PowerPoint Animations

Timing helps specify the order in which animations will be played. Set an animation’s duration in the Duration section in the Timing group.

Use the Advanced Timeline for Multiple PowerPoint Animations

The advanced timeline ensures that multiple animations run in the correct order. Right-click each animation and select Show Advanced Timeline to access this feature.

Combine PowerPoint Animations

Create unique animated objects by combining different PowerPoint animation effects. Use Animations > Add Animation to apply additional effects.

Copy/Reuse Animated Objects and Effects in PowerPoint

PowerPoint allows you to reuse animated objects on other slides. To copy the animation effect alone, use Animation Painter.

Applying PowerPoint Animation Effects to Multiple Objects

Group multiple objects by Ctrl-clicking them. Right-click and select Group to apply animations collectively.

Pay Attention to Animation Speed and Timing

Animation speed and timing are crucial for ensuring a smooth presentation. Here are tips for effective adjustment:

1. Adaptation to Speech Flow: Adjust the animation speed to match your speech flow.
2. Emphasizing Important Content: Use longer animation durations to underscore essential elements.
3. Variation in Animation Speed: Utilize different animation speeds for visual interest.
4. Alignment with the Content: Ensure animation speed aligns with the content’s tone.

Tip: Bring Images to Life with a PowerPoint Animation

Visualize progression using two versions of the same image: one in black and white and the other in color. This can effectively illustrate a transition from old to new.

Here’s How:

1. Insert an image and duplicate it (Ctrl + D).
2. Recolor the original image to black and white.
3. Name your pictures in the Selection Pane.

4. Move the colored picture on top of the black-and-white picture.
5. Choose an animation from the animation menu, like Wheel.

Other recommended animations for this transition include Wipe, Fade, and Split.

More PowerPoint Animation Options

Explore various effects and consider implementing current trends such as 3D animations, Morph transitions, and augmented reality elements in your presentations.

PowerPoint Animations in Your Presentation? Go for It!

Get creative and spice up your PowerPoint presentation. Animations can enhance your content, attract attention, and make your slides more exciting. They highlight important information and strengthen storytelling.

Remember not to overdo it with animations. Choose effects that suit your content and enhance your message.