How to Create a PowerPoint Template

Open PowerPoint. Double-click the PowerPoint application icon, which features a white 'P' on an orange background. The PowerPoint homepage will appear.

Click on Blank Presentation (Blank Presentation). This white slide will appear to the right of the homepage. A new presentation will open.

• On Mac, simply opening PowerPoint will automatically launch a new presentation based on your settings. In that case, skip this step.

Click on the View tab located in the orange ribbon at the top of the PowerPoint window. A toolbar will appear just below the orange ribbon.

• On Mac, this option is found in the top menu bar.

Click on the Slide Master tab. This option is found on the left side of the toolbar under the “Master Views” section. The Slide Master tab will open on the left side of the orange ribbon.

• On Mac, click Master first, then click Slide Master.

Select a slide layout to edit. Click on one of the slide templates in the options column on the left. Each type of slide available for use will display a sample slide (for example, title slide, content slide, and so on).

Click on the Insert Placeholder button. This option is located to the left of the Slide Master tab. A dropdown menu will appear with the following options:

• Content – Insert a content box. On Mac, there is also a “Vertical” option for Content.
• Text – Insert a text box. On Mac, there is also a “Vertical” option for Text.
• Picture – Insert a placeholder for an image.
• Chart – Insert a placeholder for a chart.
• Table – Insert a placeholder for a table.
• Smart Art – Insert a placeholder for Smart Art graphics.
• Media – Insert a placeholder for a video.
• Online Image – Insert a placeholder to add an online image.

Select a placeholder. Click on one of the items from the dropdown menu to add it to your template.

Select a location. Click on a spot on the slide to drop the placeholder item into place.

• You may need to complete additional steps before adding an item to your template. For example, click on Online Image to search for an image, then click Insert to add it.

Reposition the items on the slide. Click and drag the blank space inside any element you've added to move it around the slide.

Change the slide background. Click on Background Styles, then select a color from the dropdown menu.

• You can also click on Format Background... in the dropdown to customize color options such as background color, gradient, and brightness.

Choose a font style. Click on Fonts under the "Background" section, then select a font from the dropdown menu.

Save the template. The process varies between the Windows and Mac versions of PowerPoint:

• On Windows: Click on File, then Save As, choose a location, and enter a name for the template. From the Save as type dropdown, select PowerPoint Template and click Save.
• On Mac: Click on File, then Save as Template, enter a file name, and click Save.