How to Highlight Text in PowerPoint (5 Ways)

5 Different Strategies to Highlight Text in PowerPoint

by Avantix Learning Team | Updated January 17, 2026

Applies to: Microsoft^® PowerPoint^® 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024 and 365 (Windows)

You can highlight text in PowerPoint in many different ways. If you have PowerPoint 2019 or a later version, Text Highlight Color is available on the Home tab in the Ribbon. For those with older versions without a Highlight command in the Ribbon, you'll need to use other strategies to highlight text. In this article, we'll review five ways to highlight text in PowerPoint. Most of these strategies will work in all versions.

Contents

• Apply and remove highlighting using Text Highlight Color (option 1)
• Copy Microsoft Word highlighting to PowerPoint (option 2)
• Draw a shape around the text you want to highlight (option 3)
• Apply a glow effect to text (option 4)
• Draw on slides during a slide show using the Highlighter tool (option 5)

A word of caution – highlighting uses color as a way to focus attention. However, some members of your audience may not be able to see color so you may want to combine highlighting with another effect such as bold. Also keep in mind that highlighting is only one way to focus attention. You can use many strategies in PowerPoint to focus attention including creating hierarchy, drawing lines, creating spotlight effects, inserting images and adding animations.

Note: Buttons and Ribbon tabs may display in a different way (with or without text) depending on the size of your screen, your PowerPoint version and your Control Panel settings. In newer versions of PowerPoint, Ribbon tabs may appear with different names. For example, the Shape Format tab may appear as Drawing Tools Format. Screenshots in this article are from 365 but are similar in other versions of PowerPoint.

Recommended article: 15 Shortcuts to Select Text in PowerPoint

Do you want to learn more about PowerPoint? Check out our virtual classroom or in-person classroom PowerPoint courses >

Apply and remove highlighting using Text Highlight Color (option 1)

If you have PowerPoint 2019 or a later version, the Text Highlight Color command is available on the Home tab in the Ribbon. You would typically apply highlighting in Normal View.

To highlight text in PowerPoint 2019 and later versions:

1. Select the text you want to highlight.
2. Click the Home tab in the Ribbon.
3. Click the arrow next to Text Highlight Color in the Font group. A color gallery appears.
4. Click the color you want.

Below is the Text Highlight Color command in PowerPoint 2019 and later versions:

To remove highlighting:

1. Select the text with the highlighting you want to remove.
2. Click the Home tab in the Ribbon.
3. Click the arrow next to Text Highlight Color in the Font group. A color gallery appears.
4. Click No Color.

Copy Microsoft Word highlighting to PowerPoint (option 2)

If you have PowerPoint 2016 or an earlier version, the Text Highlight Color command is not available in the Ribbon. However, you can copy text with highlighting from Microsoft Word and paste it into a PowerPoint slide. You would typically apply highlighting in Normal View if you are copying highlighting from Word to PowerPoint.

To copy highlighting from Word to PowerPoint:

1. In Microsoft Word, select the text that you want to highlight and copy to PowerPoint. Ensure it is the same font and size as the destination text box or placeholder in PowerPoint.
2. Click the Home tab in the Ribbon.
3. Click the arrow next to Text Highlight Color. A color gallery appears.
4. Click the color you want.
5. Copy the text by pressing Ctrl + C or right-click and select copy.
6. Switch to PowerPoint.
7. Click in a text box or placeholder on a PowerPoint slide where you want to place the highlighted text.
8. Right-click and select Keep source formatting in the Paste options in the drop-down menu. This will copy the highlighted text into PowerPoint with the highlighting.
9. If you want to copy the highlighting to other text on the PowerPoint slide, select the highlighted text and then click the Home tab in the Ribbon.
10. Click the Format Painter and then drag over the other text you want to highlight.

Below is a sample of highlighted text copied from Microsoft Word:

To remove highlighting from text you have copied from Microsoft Word:

1. Select the text on the PowerPoint slide without highlighting.
2. Click the Home tab in the Ribbon.
3. Click the Format Painter.
4. Drag over the text with the highlighting you want to remove. The Format Painter will copy any other formatting from the original text.

Draw a shape around the text you want to highlight (option 3)

Another way to highlight text is to draw a shape (such as a rectangle) around the text you want to highlight and then send it behind the text. You can also fill a text box or placeholder with a color to highlight text by drawing a rectangle or basic shape around it.

To highlight text by drawing a basic shape around it:

1. Display the slide with the text you want to highlight.
2. Click the Insert tab in the Ribbon.
3. Click shapes and then select a shape such as a rectangle from the gallery.
4. Drag to draw the shape around the text.
5. Drag the shape sizing handles to fit the text.
6. Drag the edge of the shape to move it. You can also use your arrow keys on your keyboard to move it.
7. With the shape selected, click the Shape Format or Drawing Tools Format tab in the Ribbon.
8. Click the arrow beside Shape Fill and select a color from the gallery as the highlight color.
9. Click the arrow beside Shape Outline and select No outline.
10. With the shape selected, click the Shape Format or Drawing Tools Format tab again.
11. Select Send to Back or Send Backward from the Send Backward drop down menu in the Arrange group (to send the shape behind the text).

Below is a sample of a rectangle shape used to highlight text:

To highlight text by drawing a custom shape around it:

1. Display the slide with click text you want to highlight.
2. Click Shapes and select the Scribble tool from the gallery (the last option in the Lines group).
3. Press the left mouse button and drag around the text to draw a custom shape. Ensure you release the mouse button on the starting point of the path to create a closed path (which you can fill with a color).
4. Drag the edge of the shape to move it. You can also use your arrow keys on your keyboard to move it.
5. Right-click the shape and select Edit Points to edit the points. Drag a point to move it. Ctrl-click a point to remove it. Ctrl-click the path to add a point.
6. Click outside the shape to exit Edit Points mode.
7. With the shape selected, click the Shape Format or Drawing Tools Format tab in the Ribbon.
8. Click the arrow beside Shape Fill and select a color from the gallery as the highlight color.
9. Click the arrow beside Shape Outline and select No outline.
10. With the shape selected, click the Shape Format or Drawing Tools Format tab again.
11. Select Send to Back or Send Backward from the Send Backward drop down menu in the Arrange group (to send the shape behind the text).

Below is a sample of a custom shape used to highlight text:

Apply a glow effect to text (option 4)

You can also apply the Glow text effect as an alternative to highlighting.

To highlight text by applying the Glow text effect:

1. Select the text you want to highlight.
2. Click the Shape Format or Drawing Tools Format tab in the Ribbon.
3. Click the arrow next to Text Effects in the WordArt Styles group and select Glow from the drop down menu.
4. Click the glow variation you want from the gallery. If you want, select a different glow color or glow options.

Below is the gallery with glow variations:

Draw on slides during a slide show using the highlighter tool (option 5)

Another way you can apply highlighting is to use the Highlighter tool when you are running a slideshow. This is called ink annotation. The Highlighter tool creates lines that start out in yellow, are semi-transparent and are thicker than lines created with the Pen tool. You can access the Highlighter tool using the context menu during a slide show.

To use the highlighter tool and draw on a slide during a slide show:

1. Open a PowerPoint presentation.
2. Click the Slide Show button on the bottom right to run a slide show.
3. Right click or press Shift + F10.
4. A drop down menu appears.
5. Drag to draw or highlight on the slide. Hold down Shift as you draw to draw straight lines.
6. Pess ESC when you're finished using the highlighter.
7. When you exit the slide show, a dialog box will appear asking if you want to keep the ink annotations. You can opt to keep or discard the annotations.

Below is a sample of highlighting applied during a slide show.

To change the color of the highlighter:

1. In slide show mode, right click or press Shift + F10. A drop-down menu appears.
2. Click Point Options then then Ink Color. A gallery appears.
3. Click your preferred ink color.
4. Display the highlighter and draw as usual.

This article was first published on March 31, 2018 and has been updated for clarity and content.

Subscribe to get more articles like this one.

Did you find this article helpful? If you would like to receive new articles, JOIN our email list.

More Resources

How to Add Speaker Notes in PowerPoint

PowerPoint Slide Show Shortcuts (50+ Shortcuts)

How to Use Emphasis Animation to Highlight Text in PowerPoint

How to Group and Ungroup Objects in PowerPoint (with Shortcuts)

How to Highlight or Draw on PowerPoint Slides During a Slide Show

Related courses

Microsoft PowerPoint: Intermediate / Advanced

Microsoft PowerPoint: Design for Non-Designers

Microsoft PowerPoint: Animations Bootcamp

Microsoft Excel: Intermediate / Advanced

VIEW MORE COURSES >

Our instructor-led courses are delivered in virtual classroom format or at our downtown Toronto location at 18 King Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (some in-person classroom courses may also be delivered at an alternate downtown Toronto location). Contact us at info@avantixlearning.ca if you'd like to arrange custom instructor-led virtual classroom or onsite training on a date that's convenient for you.

Copyright 2025 Avantix^® Learning

You may also like

Image credit(s) / application screenshot(s): Microsoft

Microsoft, the Microsoft logo, Microsoft Office and related Microsoft applications and logos are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in Canada, US and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of the registered owners.

Avantix Learning |18 King Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5C 1C4 | Contact us at info@avantixlearning.ca