10 Great PowerPoint Slide Show Tips and Tricks Every Presenter You Know
by Avantix Learning Team | Updated April 15, 2021
Applies to: Microsoft PowerPoint 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019 and 365 (/Windows)
In this article, we've put together a list of great PowerPoint tips and tricks you can use when you are running a slide show. For example, you can show all slides, zoom in during a show, switch to Presenter View or even highlight an area on a slide.
Recommended Article: PowerPoint Slide Show Shortcuts (50+ Keyboard Shortcuts)
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1. Running or exiting a slide show
In Normal View or Slide Sorter View, click Slide Show on the bottom right of your screen. Alternatively, press Shift + F5 to run a slide show. You can also display or select the slide you wish to use as the starting slide and press Shift + F5. To exit a slide show, press ESC.
2. Displaying the context menu in different ways
Most users will right-click to display the context menu in Slide Show mode. You can also press Shift + F10 (on some keyboards press Shift + Fn + F10) or press the Context key, if you have one, on the bottom of your keyboard.
The Context key appears as a box with lines on some Windows keyboards:
3. Zooming in during a show
In PowerPoint 2013 and later versions, you can zoom in on a slide during a show. In Slide Show mode, right-click and select Zoom In from the drop-down menu. Hover over the area you want to zoom in on and click. Press ESC to exit Zoom. If you are in Presenter View, the mouse pointer becomes a hand and you can click and drag to move the zoom to a different area.
4. Showing all slides
In Slide Show mode, right-click and select See All Slides from the drop-down menu. Double-click a slide to jump to it.
5. Making your screen black or white during a slide show
In Slide Show mode, right-click and choose Screen and then Black Screen or White Screen from the drop-down menu. Press any key to return to the slide show.
6. Hiding or unhiding a slide
You have the option of hiding slides so they will not appear during a show. In Normal View or Slide Sorter View, right-click the slide and choose Hide Slide from the drop-down menu. If your prefer to use the keyboard, in Slide Sorter View, use the right or left arrow to select the slide you want to hide, press Alt + S to display the Slide Show tab on the Ribbon and then press H to hide the slide.
To unhide a slide in Normal View or Slide Sorter View, right-click the slide and choose Hide Slide from the drop-down menu. For keyboard users, in Slide Sorter View, use the right or left arrow to select the slide you wish to unhide, press Alt + S to display the Slide Show tab on the Ribbon and then press H to unhide the slide.
7. Moving to a specific slide during a slide show by title
To go to a specific slide by title during a slide show in 2010:
- In Slide Show mode, right-click and select to Go to Slide by Title from the drop-down menu.
- Click the desired slide title (one of the reasons to always use unique slide titles). You can also press the right arrow and then the down arrow to select the desired slide and then press Enter.
If you are using 2013 or later versions, this option has been removed but you can right-click and select See All Slides from the drop-down menu.
8. Highlighting text or an area on a slide
In Slide Show mode, to display the highlighter, right-click and select Pointer Options and then Highlighter from the drop-down menu. Drag over your screen to highlight. When you exit Slide Show mode, you will be asked if you want to keep or discard your ink annotations. If you keep the annotations, they will be retained as drawing objects.
9. Switching to Presenter View
If you are connected to a projector or second screen, you can switch to Presenter View where you can view speaker notes and thumbnails of your slides (these will be hidden from the audience). To switch to Presenter View in Slide Show mode, right-click and select Presenter View from the drop-down menu. You can also turn Presenter View off and on using the Slide Show tab in the Ribbon in Normal View or Slide Sorter View.
10. Turning off animations for a slide show
You may want to remove all animations from a presentation for a specific audience or because the presentation was overanimated. If you don't want to go through the long process of removing animations one by one on each slide, use the following technique.
To turn off all animations for a slide show using a mouse:
- In Normal View or Slide Sorter View, click the Slide Show tab in the Ribbon.
- Click Set up Show. A dialog box appears.
- Check the Show without animation check box.
- Click OK.
To turn off all animations for a slide show using a keyboard:
- In Normal View or Slide Sorter View, press Alt and then S to access the Slide Show tab in the Ribbon.
- Type S to display the Set up Show dialog box.
- Keep pressing tab until Show without animation is selected.
- Type S.
- Press Enter.
You can save a lot of time and aggravation by mastering a few of these techniques.
This article was originally published on October 2, 2014 and has been updated for clarity and content.
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More resources
3 Ways to Change the Font on All Slides in PowerPoint
How to Highlight Text with Emphasis Animation in PowerPoint
How to Hide and Unhide Slides in PowerPoint (with Shortcuts)
How to Crop an Image into a Circle in PowerPoint (Crop to Shape Method)
Where to Find Free Pictures for PowerPoint Presentations (10 Great Stock Image Sites)
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Microsoft PowerPoint: Intermediate / Advanced
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