When creating a new Microsoft PowerPoint presentation, you can choose between creating a blank presentation and creating a presentation from an existing template. A template is a predesigned PowerPoint presentation that you can change to suit your needs. We've outlined the steps for each process below.
This feature works the same in all modern versions of Microsoft PowerPoint: 2010, 2013, and 2016.
To start a new blank PowerPoint presentation:
- From the File menu, select New. [In Microsoft 2007, select the Microsoft Office button and click New.]
- Click Blank Presentation.
To create a new PowerPoint presentation from a template:
- From the File menu, select New. [In Microsoft 2007, select the Microsoft Office button and click New.]
- Click one of the templates or search for a template in the Search text box.
- Click on a template to preview it.
- Click Create to download and open the template [in Word 2007/2010, click Download].
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You can view your PowerPoint file in a variety of ways, depending on the task at hand. Some views are helpful when you're creating your presentation, and some are most helpful for delivering your presentation.
You can find the different PowerPoint view options on the View tab, as shown below.
You can also find the most frequently used views on the task bar at the bottom right of the slide window, as shown below.
Note: To change the default view in PowerPoint, see Change the default view.
Views for creating your presentation
Normal view
You can get to Normal view from the task bar
Normal view is the editing mode where you’ll work most frequently to create your slides. Below, Normal view displays slide thumbnails on the left, a large window showing the current slide, and a section below the current slide where you can type your speaker notes for that slide.
Slide Sorter view
You can get to Slide Sorter view from the task bar
Slide Sorter view [below] displays all the slides in your presentation in horizontally sequenced, thumbnails. Slide show view is helpful if you need to reorganize your slides—you can just click and drag your slides to a new location, or add sections to organize your slides into meaningful groups.
For more information about sections, see Organize your PowerPoint slides into sections.
Notes Page view
You can show or hide your speakers notes with the Notes button
The Notes pane is located beneath the slide window. You can print your notes or include the notes in a presentation that you send to the audience, or just use them as cues for yourself while you're presenting.
For more information about notes, see Add speaker notes to your slides.
Outline view
You can get to Outline view from the View tab on the ribbon. [In PowerPoint 2013 and later, you can no longer get to Outline view from Normal view. You have to get to it from the View tab.]
Use Outline view to create an outline or story board for your presentation. It displays only the text on your slides, not pictures or other graphical items.
Master views
To get to a master view, on the View tab, in the Master Views group, choose the master view that you want.
Master views include, Slide, Handout, and Notes. The key benefit to working in a master view is that you can make universal style changes to every slide, notes page, or handout associated with your presentation.
For more information about working with masters, see:
What is a slide master?
Use multiple slide masters in one presentation
Change, delete, or hide headers and footers on slides, notes, and handouts
Views for delivering and viewing a presentation
Slide Show view
You can get to SlideShow view from the task bar
Use Slide Show view to deliver your presentation to your audience. Slide Show view occupies the full computer screen, exactly the way your presentation will look on a big screen when your audience sees it.
Presenter view
To get to Presenter view, in Slide Show view, in the lower left corner of the screen, click
Use Presenter view to view your notes while delivering your presentation. In Presenter view, your audience cannot see your notes.
For more information about using Presenter view, see View your speaker notes as you deliver your slide show.
Reading view
You can get to Reading view from the task bar
Most people reviewing a PowerPoint presentation without a presenter will want to use Reading view. It displays the presentation in a full screen like Slide Show view, and it includes a few simple controls to make it easy to flip through the slides. You can also view speaker notes in Reading View.