Learning objectives

When you have completed this session, you should be able to

• create text in PowerPoint
• edit and format text.

Editing Texts

Textbox

Textboxes have a special role among object since texts are perhaps one of the most important parts of a presentation and texts can only be edited in the PowerPoint within textboxes. It can either be selected in the Paint toolbar or chose the Textbox command directly from the Insert menu than click or right after drawing a rectangular textbox the text can be typed in. Of course, if nothing is typed in the textbox that will disappear as if never has been there. Only click out of it. Nice attraction!

Drawing rectangular textboxes means no matter what the size is only the width can be determined this way. The height remains the same but when the text does not fit in one line or if enter is pressed certainly the size expands downward. In case only clicking was executed the width of the textbox follows the length of the text. Except when pressing enter.

Later the size of the textbox can be adjusted as needed by grabbing the measurement points or choosing the lowest, Textbox command in Format menu.

Reservations

Reserving spaces behave just like textboxes. The text needed can be written here and it can be edited. Only these text reservations do not need to be created. They are prepared waiting for typing. Only the organization of the slide must be adjusted in the right work window. Reservations in the slide samples are different. Nothing should be typed here only the formation must be done.

Formatting Fonts

Probably only things that differ from the text editor program Microsoft Word should be mentioned since everything else is the same or have little difference.

Characters which need to be formatted first must be selected but if the whole content of the textbox should be formatted the textbox can also be selected by clicking on the stripped edge when the cursor turns into a four direction arrow or cross.

Choosing Format/ Font type the entire format options appear in the dialogue window. Shaded style can also be found among the formatting tools (if double line display of Normal and Format toolbar is activated on Tools / Customize flap) indicated with a letter S.

Longer texts already typed can be easily turned into all CAPITAL letters by selecting Format/ small letters – capital letters command but this kind of switching can be executed by pressing the SHIFT+F3 function key combination too. Finally let us try the Format/ Change fonts command. Be careful because this will change the character type not only in the actual slide but in all slides.

Forming Paragraphs

Listing and numbering works in a similar way as in Word. The color of listings can be adjusted in the lower left corner and small images can be chosen instead of the symbols provided. Use these with special and save them care because many of these images are downloaded from the internet and if they are not handled with patience the computer might freeze.

Tabulator size can be modified with the icons for Increase Tabulator or Decrease Tabulator.

There is no Paragraph command in the Format menu. Instead there is an Adjust sub menu where four types of adjustments can be chosen (left, center, right, justified). They can be easily accessed in the Format toolbar, excluding lines justified! However the most interesting command is Format/ Space. Among the three scrolling fields the upper one can adjust the distance between lines measured in lines or points. The default parameter is one line which is simple. In the lower two field space between paragraphs can be adjusted individually before and after paragraphs as relevant. First, always the measurement unit should be chosen then enter the value needed. It will be an easy rule for those who start reading newspapers from backward.

When using Tabs or Paragraphs turn on the ruler with the View/ Ruler command. The text box should not be selected in this case. Only click in the chosen paragraph. For tabs first adjust the buffer type in the left corner of the ruler then place it on the ruler and press TAB only after clicking in front of the word which needs to be adjusted. There is no option here for filling tab space.

Checking Grammar

When the text is typed choose the Tools/ Spelling command in order to check spelling. Some options provided might look funny.