(Windows Only)
Shortcuts are a quick and easy way to elevate your design skills and improve your overall presentation. Take the time to memorize them I promise it’s worth it.
Free download presentation templates
by Avantix Learning Team | October 16, 2021
Applies to: Microsoft ® PowerPoint ® 2013, 2016, 2019 and 365 (Windows)
You can start a slide show in PowerPoint using several keyboard shortcuts. In this article, we'll review shortcuts to start a show using function keys or by using key tips.
Recommended article: How to Strikethrough or Cross Out Text in PowerPoint (4 Ways with Shortcuts)
If the function key shortcuts don't work, you may need to press the Fn key on your keyboard at the same time.
Typically, you would start a slide show from Normal View or Slide Sorter View. To exit a slide show, press ESC.
If Presenter View is selected on the Slide Show tab in the Ribbon, the show will start in Presenter View. If you have two monitors and Automatic is selected as the Monitor setting on the Slide Show tab, the show will display as a standard slide show on the second monitor and will display Presenter View on the presenter's screen by default.
2. start a presentation from the current slide using a function key.
Press Shift+F5.
Press Alt + F5.
Press Alt > S > B (press Alt, then S, then B).
Press Alt > S > C (Alt, then S, then C).
There are many shortcuts you can use during a PowerPoint slide show as well. Check out the article PowerPoint Slide Show Shortcuts (50+ Keyboard Shortcuts).
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You can insert or type e with an accent mark in PowerPoint using built-in tools or keyboard shortcuts (including Alt code shortcuts). The letter e can be inserted with an accent in both upper or lower case in text boxes or placeholders on slides, the slide master or layouts. The following are common accents in upper or lower case – È, É, Ê, Ë, è, é, ê, or ë.
You can fade a picture in PowerPoint by drawing a rectangle shape on top of the picture and then filling the rectangle with a gradient from opaque to transparent. This technique is often used to fade an image into the background of a slide. Since the rectangle is placed on top of the image and then text may be placed on top of the rectangle, you may need to reorder the objects.
You can now lock an image, shape or other object in PowerPoint. Objects can be locked in Normal View or Slide Master View. Only PowerPoint 365 users can lock objects to prevent moving and resizing. This is helpful if you want to select and move other objects on the slide or prevent others from moving or resizing an object. You can lock items using the context menu or the Selection Pane.
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.
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Are you looking to take your PowerPoint presentations to the next level?
We will discuss why you should use Presentation Mode, how to enter it, its key features, and how to navigate through your slides.
What is presentation mode in powerpoint.
Presentation Mode in PowerPoint refers to a feature that allows presenters to display their slides in a full-screen view, enhancing the visual impact of their presentation.
This mode is particularly useful during formal presentations, as it eliminates distractions and ensures that the audience’s focus remains on the content being discussed. In Presentation Mode , presenters can navigate through their slides smoothly, interact with their content, and make annotations in real time. One notable advantage of this mode is the Presenter view , where speakers can see upcoming slides, and speaker notes, and even manage time effectively without disrupting the flow of the presentation.
Using Presentation Mode in PowerPoint offers numerous advantages, such as creating a more engaging and professional presentation experience for both the presenter and the audience.
One of the key reasons to use Presentation Mode in PowerPoint is that it allows presenters to deliver a more engaging and professional presentation by providing advanced control over their slides, including features like a laser pointer .
With Presentation Mode, presenters can seamlessly navigate through their slides, controlling the flow of information and keeping the audience’s attention focused. The ability to access advanced controls such as animations, transitions, and speaker notes enhances the overall delivery quality.
Presentation Mode in PowerPoint aids presenters in maintaining focus, organization, and efficiency throughout their presentation by offering tools like Presenter View, where notes and slide previews can be accessed.
This feature is particularly useful as it allows presenters to keep an eye on upcoming slides while also referring to their speaking notes discreetly, enhancing the flow of the presentation. The ability to adjust display settings such as screen mirroring or extending desktops simplifies the setup process, ensuring that the presentation runs smoothly. The note-taking capabilities within Presentation Mode enable presenters to jot down important points or reminders directly within the application, eliminating the need for external notes and promoting a more organized approach to presenting.
Engaging Presentation Mode in PowerPoint not only benefits the presenter but also enhances the audience’s experience by ensuring a seamless and visually appealing display of the content.
When toggling to Presentation Mode, the display settings undergo a transformation that optimizes the presentation for viewer interaction. The ability to seamlessly swap displays allows the presenter to effortlessly navigate through slides, ensuring a smooth transition between different sections of the presentation. This elegant integration of features not only captivates the audience but also enables a more fluid and engaging delivery of the content. The visual appeal of the slides is enhanced, making it easier for viewers to follow along and grasp the key points being presented.
Step 1: open your powerpoint presentation.
The first step to enter Presentation Mode in PowerPoint is to ensure that your presentation file is open and ready for display.
To do so, open PowerPoint and locate the file containing your presentation. Click on the file to open it. Review that the slides are arranged in the correct order and that any speaker notes or animations are set up as desired. Check the slide sorter view to confirm the flow of your presentation. Ensure that the current slide is the one you want to begin with when Presentation Mode is activated. This initial setup is crucial for a seamless transition into your presentation.
Once your presentation is open, navigate to the ‘Slide Show’ tab located in the top menu bar of PowerPoint to access presentation controls and features like zooming into specific slides.
Once you’re on the ‘Slide Show’ tab, you’ll find a variety of essential controls that aid in delivering a seamless presentation experience. Here, you can click on ‘From Beginning’ to start the slide show from the very first slide. You can choose ‘From Current Slide’ to begin from the slide you’re currently on.
After accessing the ‘Slide Show’ tab, choose between the ‘From Beginning’ or ‘From Current Slide’ options to initiate your presentation in Presentation Mode, ensuring the desired display settings and presenter view are selected.
When you opt for ‘From Beginning,’ your presentation will start from the very first slide, whereas selecting ‘From Current Slide’ allows you to start your presentation from the slide you are currently on. This choice depends on whether you want to begin at the start of the presentation or jump in at a specific point.
The features of Presentation Mode in PowerPoint are designed to enhance the presenter’s experience and engage the audience, offering functionalities such as Presenter view with notes, laser pointer integration, and slide previews.
Presenter view with notes allows speakers to refer to their talking points discreetly, ensuring a seamless delivery. The incorporated laser pointer feature permits highlighting key areas on slides, directing the audience’s focus effectively. Slide previews provide a comprehensive overview of the presentation flow, aiding in smoother transitions between topics. The option to hide or reveal slides as needed enhances the element of surprise and control during the presentation, captivating the audience’s attention. These combined features transform the presenter’s performance into a dynamic and engaging experience for all participants.
Ability to use a laser pointer or pen tool.
Presentation Mode enables presenters to use a laser pointer or a pen tool to highlight key points on slides, enhancing the clarity and impact of their presentation.
When utilizing the Presenter view, presenters gain the advantage of accessing notes discretely without them being displayed to the audience, allowing for a more professional and polished delivery. In addition, having a live preview of the upcoming slides enables the presenter to seamlessly transition between points, enhancing the flow of the presentation. Through system preferences or the displays app, customization options such as adjusting the layout to suit individual preferences or toggling between speaker notes and slide previews can be easily configured, providing a tailored experience for each presenter.
In scenarios where presenters are utilizing a two-monitor setup for advanced display configurations, such as showing notes on one screen while presenting on the other, hiding presentation controls on the main display ensures that only the essential content is visible to the audience, maintaining a neat and streamlined appearance.
Use the arrow keys on your keyboard.
Utilize the arrow keys on your keyboard to seamlessly advance through slides in Presentation Mode, ensuring a smooth and controlled flow of your presentation.
Users can enhance their presentation experience by utilizing the fullscreen mode . By entering fullscreen, viewers can keep the focus solely on the presentation content, removing any distractions from the surrounding interface elements. This feature is particularly useful when showcasing detailed slides or when presenting to a larger audience, allowing for a more immersive and engaging delivery.
With its responsive nature, the scroll wheel ensures quick and precise movements, enabling presenters to fluidly transition between slides with the utmost ease.
To exit Fullscreen mode in PowerPoint, you can simply press the ‘Esc’ key, the keyboard shortcut that is universally used to escape full-screen views across various applications. This action will promptly take you out of the immersive mode and back to the regular interface.
Exiting Presentation Mode using the ‘Esc’ key is a simple maneuver that can swiftly transition you back to your familiar workspace. Once you press the ‘Esc’ key, the fullscreen effect will dissolve, and any Speaker Notes you might have been glancing over will no longer dominate your screen, ensuring a seamless flow as you exit the presentation. This action provides an effortless way to shift the focus back to the general view of your PowerPoint, facilitating a smooth continuation of your usual workflow.
Step 3: select ‘end show’ from the drop-down menu.
For a more detailed exit process, users can select ‘ End Show ‘ from the drop-down menu within PowerPoint, ensuring a controlled and comprehensive conclusion to their presentation.
How do i enter presentation mode in powerpoint.
To enter presentation mode in PowerPoint, click on the Slideshow tab in the top menu and then select “From Beginning” or “From Current Slide” depending on where you want to start your presentation.
Is there a shortcut to enter presentation mode in powerpoint, can i use a different display for presentation mode in powerpoint.
Yes, you can use a different display for presentation mode by going to the Slideshow tab and selecting “Set Up Slide Show.” From there, you can choose to present on a secondary monitor or projector.
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Home > All Tutorials > PowerPoint Tips > Power Point Shortcuts
Engage your audience better in your next presentation, by learning these 6 Power Point shortcuts to present your slides. Learn when to use these shortcut keys in your presentation. These features of PowerPoint can take your presentation delivery to the next level.
When you want the attention of your audience on you instead of on your slide, press ‘B’ on your keyboard. The slide blanks out and your audience attention shifts to you.
When to use this shortcut?
Pressing W on your keyboard gives a blank white screen.
When to use this shortcut key?
You may like: Tutorial to create projector graphic
More Power Point shortcuts below…
By pressing ‘H’ on your keyboard, you can access the Hidden slides.
When to use these Power Point Shortcuts?
Your annotations remain on the slide even when you move to next slides. This helps you to refer back to your annotations without losing them. If you want to save these annotations in your presentations, you can do so when you exit the slideshow view.
A dialog box will prompt you with – “Do you want to keep your ink annotations?” Select ‘Keep’ or ‘Discard’ as per your preference.
If you want to erase all the annotations on the slide, press E. To erase only a few annotations on the slide, press ‘Ctrl+E’. This will change the pointer to eraser.
By using right click in slideshow mode you can access dialog to change your pointer to Ballpoint pen, Felt tip pen or Highlighter as follows. You can even choose the color of your pen:
When you press ‘Ctrl+T’ a task bar will appear in the bottom of the screen. This will help you access the other files that are open on your computer.
When to use this feature?
Use these shortcut keys to make your next presentation more engaging and memorable.
Related: Shortcut to PowerPoint Circle Diagram
See Main Page for more PowerPoint Tips
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We pulled together this list of our 80 favorite PowerPoint keyboard shortcuts together because…
Creating a PowerPoint presentation is no small task!
It requires juggling all sorts of PowerPoint stuff like charts, tables, pictures, object formatting, text and shapes just to create your slides in the first place. Then there is the delivery of the presentation itself.
On top of that, companies, bosses and clients want everything done yesterday. For you as an employee (or contractor) that means expectations are rising. Getting more done in less time. That’s where PowerPoint Keyboard Shortcuts come to your rescue.
With a little bit of practice, these PowerPoint shortcuts will seriously cut down your build time, make your slides look more polished and professional and get you to Happy Hour.
One of the main reasons to learn your keyboard shortcuts is they eliminate mental stress and anxiety.
Studies show that one of the main sources of modern stress and anxiety in the workplace is what researchers call Cognitive Load . The point being that your brain can only make so many decisions a day before it basically shuts down.
That’s why high-profile leaders like Steve Jobs, Barack Obama, and Superman focus on wearing one or two outfits every day. It cuts down on the decisions they need to make, allowing them to focus on higher priority tasks.
How do keyboard shortcuts help you out here? They eliminate a bunch of micro-decisions and mental hoops your brain otherwise has to process to get a task done.
So instead of playing hide-n-seek in the ribbon for your command – let me see…where was that command again? – your fingers just hit the keys and get the task done. Decreasing your cognitive load.
In that sense, your keyboard shortcuts not only decrease your cognitive load, freeing up your mind for higher priority tasks, they also blast through your otherwise repetitive and annoying tasks for you, getting you to Happy Hour.
To see a list of our favorite Windows 10 keyboard shortcuts, read our guide here .
If learning your PowerPoint shortcuts was easy, everyone would already have their black belt in PowerPoint, but they don’t. So the very first rule is simply – COMMIT.
Here are a few other tips to make learning your PowerPoint shortcuts as easy as possible:
Define your goals. If there are 100 keyboard shortcuts you want to learn and you can only learn 2 or 3 a day, break it up. Don’t worry about the 100, just worry about the 2 or 3 you want to learn that day (or that week).
When you first learn a new keyboard shortcut, the most important thing is to start using it every single time you want to complete that task. A common learning mistake is not consistently using the shortcut right off the bat because it’s not comfortable.
Disclaimer: When you first start learning your keyboard shortcuts (for whichever program in which you are working), you might not feel any faster, or you might even feel slower. That’s because it’s new and uncomfortable.
But trust me, the fastest people in PowerPoint use shortcuts. And that can be you. Don’t give up.
Just because a shortcut exists doesn’t mean you should learn it.
There are hundreds of keyboard shortcuts and thousands of commands you can set up as shortcuts in PowerPoint that you’ll never need to use.
That’s why I recommend that instead worrying about all of the available shortcuts, just focus on learning the keyboard shortcuts around the core activities you perform every single day.
1. display the all slides dialog box (slideshow mode).
After starting a slideshow, you can open the All Slides dialog box by hitting CTRL + S on your keyboard.
This dialog box allows you to visually see all the slides within your presentation and quickly jump around between them.
This is handy when you want to quickly move forwards or backwards within your presentation and you don’t know what the slide number is.
Slide Number + Enter Key
When you give a presentation, your topic never goes in the order you planned. There are some situations when you require going to nonadjacent slides in your presentation.
For instance, say you are on slide 50, and your audience puts a question that requires you to jump to slide 20. Pressing Page Up 30 times doesn’t seem professional.
To easily jump to the 20 th slide in your presentation, after you start your slideshow, simply hit the slide number on your keyboard and then hit Enter .
Note: This only works while after you start Slideshow (F5) or start Presenter View (Shift + F5). This shortcut will not work in the normal slide editing view of your presentation.
For a black slide, press B or . (period)
For a white slide, press W or , (comma)
Sometimes you may need to pause your presentation for a lunch break or to answer a question unrelated to your topic.
In these situations, B and W shortcut keys to display a blank screen. Pressing B or W second time will pick up the show where you left it.
You can select the slides all at once if your presentation is in slide sorter view simply hit CTRL + A .
Remember, this PowerPoint shortcut will work only if your presentation is in Slide Sorter View. To learn more about the Select All shortcuts throughout the Microsoft Office Suite, see our guide here .
To add the copy of the current slide in your presentation, press CTRL + SHIFT + D .
When you are ready to start your Slide Show from the very first slide in your presentation, in all versions of PowerPoint, simply hit F5 on your keyboard.
To learn all the different ways to start a PowerPoint slideshow, see our guide here .
To view your presentation from your current slide (all versions of PowerPoint) in Slide Show Mode, hit SHIFT + F5 .
To move to the next slide in your presentation, hit Page Down .
To move to the previous slide in your presentation, hit Page Up .
9. using the built-in laser pointer.
While in Slide Show Mode, hold down the CTRL key on your keyboard and click and drag with your mouse.
Holding the CTRL key and dragging around with your mouse turns on the laser pointer to draw your audiences’ attention to different aspects of your slide.
Note: To learn how to change the color of your laser pointer shortcut in PowerPoint (Between red, green and blue), read our guide here .
After you start your Slide Show, you can write on your slides with a pen by hitting CTRL + P and use your mouse (or pen if you have a touch screen) to write and/or draw on your slides.
Hitting CTRL + P a second time turns the Pen off..
After starting a Slideshow, to write on your slides with your highlight, hit CTRL + I and use your mouse (or pen if you have a touch screen) to highlight and draw on your slides.
While in slideshow mode, after using the pen or highlight shortcuts to add into your slides in Slide Show mode you can either:
Hit CTRL + M to hide the ink. And if you do so a second time, you will make the ink re-appear.
Press E at any time to erase all of the ink on that slide.
PowerPoint Shortcut Tip
Be careful when erasing the Ink on screen as there is no way to un-erase that ink. If you typically want to save the ink on yours, memorize the CTRL + M shortcut instead as it merely hides the ink.
To hide your pointer and navigation immediately, hit CTRL + H .
To hide your pointer and navigation after 15 seconds, hit CTRL + U .
Pointers and navigation button could be annoying to the audience. So it’s important to hide while giving presentation.
14. display the shortcuts menu.
SHIFT + F10
After you start your Slide Show, Shift + F10 is the equivalent of right-clicking on the screen, displaying the different presentations options available to you.
While in Slideshow mode, this command display all the different slide show shortcuts you can use to quickly navigate your presentation. If you ever forget your shortcut, just hit F1 .
While in Slide Show mode, you can display the task bar at the bottom of your screen by hitting CTRL + T .
Displaying your taskbar is a fast and easy way to navigate between different documents and files on your computer without closing out of your presentation.
17. insert a hyperlink.
Select the text or object on your slide that you want to add the hyperlink too, then hit CTRL + K to open the Insert Hyperlink dialog box.
For details on how to use hyperlinks in PowerPoint to create interactive presentations, click here .
Note: Your hyperlinks and zoom slides will properly carry over when you convert your presentation to the PDF file format. See details here .
While in Slide show mode, to go to the first or next hyperlink on a slide hit the TAB key.
While in Slide show mode, to go to the last or previous hyperlink on a slide, hit SHIFT + TAB .
Once you’ve navigate to a hyperlink (using the above keyboard hot keys) you can activate it by hitting the ENTER key.
20. align a paragraph.
First, select the your text or paragraphs, then hit:
Left alignment, hit CTRL + L
Right alignment, hit CTRL + R
Center alignment, hit CTRL + E
Justify alignment, hit CTRL + J
Hit the END key move to the end of a line.
Hit the HOME key to move the beginning of a line.
To promote a paragraph, hit ALT + SHIFT + Left Arrow.
To demote a paragraph, hit ALT + SHIFT + Right Arrow .
These List Level Shortcuts are extremely effective when filling in company templates as it properly uses the bullet spacing set on your Slide Master. This is entirely different than the Promote and Demote paragraph shortcuts.
To see how to use these List Level Shortcuts to properly fill in a company PowerPoint template (and see how they are COMPLETELY different than the TAB and SHIFT + TAB shortcuts) see the short YouTube video below.
To promote a paragraph, hit the TAB key.
To demote a paragraph, hit SHIFT + TAB .
To move selected paragraphs up, hit ALT + SHIFT + Up Arrow .
To move selected paragraphs down, hit ALT + SHIFT + Down Arrow .
When within a shape or text box (the blinking cursor), hit CTRL + A to select all text.
Note: There are a wide variety of ways you can use the Select All shortcut in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. To learn all about it, read our guide here .
To delete one character to the left, hit the BACKSPACE key.
To delete an entire word to the left, hit CTRL + BACKSPACE
Note: Instead of deleting text, you can instead create the strikethrough text effect using your keyboard shortcuts. To expand your knowledge and learn the strikethrough shortcuts for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, read our guide here .
To delete one character to the right, hit the DELETE key.
To delete one word to the right, hit CTRL + DELETE .
To increase the font size, hit CTRL + SHIFT + , (comma) .
To decrease the font size, hit CTRL + SHIFT + . (period) .
If you want to open the font dialogue box to performing font or font size changing operations, do the following:
To open font dialogue box to change formatting of the characters, hit CTRL + T .
While making a presentation, you frequently need to change your text between uppercase, lowercase, sentence case, etc. That is why knowing the SHIFT + F3 shortcut is such a timesaver in PowerPoint.
Hit CTRL + = (equal) too apply subscript formatting with automatic spacing.
Hit CTRL + SHIFT + = (equal) to apply superscript formatting with automatic spacing.
Select the text, and hit CTRL + B to make it bold.
Select the text, and hit CTRL + I to make text italic.
Select the text, and hit CTRL + U to give it an underline.
To open up the spell check engine to double-check your spelling and grammar, hit the F7 function key.
To open thesaurus, hit SHIFT + F7 .
37. select all objects on a slide.
To select all the objects on a slide, with the slide space active (click somewhere on the slide to be sure), hit CTRL + A .
To copy the formatting of text or of an object, select it and then hit CTRL + SHIFT + C .
To paste the formatting of text or of an object onto another object, hit CTRL + SHIFT + V .
Format Painter Shortcuts in Action
The Format Painter is one of the fastest ways to pick up and apply formatting styles throughout your presentation.
And what is so great about these specific shortcuts is that they are SUPER easy to learn. That’s because they mimic the standard CTRL + C to Copy and CTRL + V to Paste shortcuts. All you need to do is add the Shift key:
CTR L + ALT + V
The Paste Special shortcut gives you a variety of pictures format paste options for your content. To use the shortcut first CTRL + C to copy something in PowerPoint, then hit CTRL + ALT + V to open up the Paste Special options.
PowerPoint Tip
The Paste Special dialog box is where you can find the WMF and EFM file formats for breaking apart your copied PowerPoint Tables and PowerPoint charts.
To group selected objects on a slide, hit CTRL + G .
To ungroup objects (including grouped objects, SmartArt graphics, EMF and WMF objects), select them and hit CTRL + SHIFT + G .
To learn other cool things you can group and ungroup in PowerPoint, see our guide here .
To reform an ungrouped set of objects, simply select a single object from the previous group, hit CTRL + SHIFT + J .
To rotate an object by 15° to the right, with an object selected, simply hit ALT + Right arrow .
To rotate an object by 15° to the left, hit ALT + Left arrow .
45. moving the cursor from cell to cell.
To move to the next cell, hit the TAB key.
To move to the previous cell, hit SHIFT + TAB .
To move to the next row, hit the Up arrow key.
To move to the previous row, hit the Down arrow key.
To add a new row at the bottom of the table, move your cursor to somewhere on the bottom row of your table and hit the TAB key.
49. format the selected chart element.
With a charting element selected (such as the data labels or columns), hit CTRL + F1 to jump to the formatting options for that specific element.
This charting shortcut works in both PowerPoint and Excel, and is one of the fastest ways to drill down to the specific formatting options for your charts.
To move your chart like any other object, simply hold the CTRL key down, and then click the chart with your mouse.
Doing so selects your chart like any other object, allowing you to use the Arrow keys to move it around on your slide.
51. switch between the outline view and the normal view.
Hit CTRL + SHIFT + TAB to switch between the Outline and Normal View in PowerPoint.
Holding the SHIFT key and clicking on the Normal View icon in the lower right-hand corner of your screen will take you to the Slide Master View of your presentation.
Hit the shortcut again to come back to the Normal View.
Holding the SHIFT key and clicking on the Slide Sorter View icon in the lower right-hand corner of your screen will take you to the Handouts Master View of your presentation, where you can customize the handouts for your presentation.
Holding the SHIFT key and clicking on the Reading View icon in the lower right-hand corner of your screen will open up the Set Up Slide Show dialog box, where you can choose to show your presentation in a resizable window, run custom slide shows, etc.
Holding the CTRL and SHIFT keys, and clicking on the Normal View icon in the lower right-hand corner of your screen will close the Thumbnail View and give you more work space for your presentation.
Holding the CTRL and SHIFT keys, and clicking on the Slide Sorter View icon in the lower right-hand corner of your screen will open up the Outline View in full screen.
In Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 and 2010, hold down the CTRL key , and in 2013 and 2016 hold the ALT key , and then select the Slide Show View icon in the lower right-hand of your screen to run a mini presentation in the upper left-hand corner of your deck.
Hit ESCAPE to move to that slide.
If you have multiple presentations open on your device, you can switch among them by hitting CTRL + F6 .
To switch between your active windows, hit CTRL + TAB.
To see all open and active windows on your computer, hit WINDOWS + TAB .
To cycle through the content placeholders on your slide (built on the Slide Master), first click into a placeholder and then hit CTRL + ENTER .
Once you have cycled through your content placeholders, hitting CTRL + ENTER again creates a new blank slide, based on the slide layout you were just previously on.
This shortcut adds a new blank slide to your presentation, based on the slide layout you were just on.
Note: After hitting CTRL + M to insert a new slide, you can immediately start typing the title of your new slide. This makes creating a quick draft outline of your presentation easy.
To see how to do this using the Outline View in PowerPoint, read our guide here .
Ctrl + Enter is a unique little shortcut.
While working in the normal PowerPoint view, hitting CTRL+ENTER cycles through the content placeholders in your layout allowing you to quickly type text or add content.
Once it cycles through all the available placeholders in your layout, hitting the shortcut again adds a new slide to your presentation.
So, the way the CTRL+ENTER shortcut is different than the CTRL+M shortcut, is that before it creates a new blank slide, it first cycles through all the content placeholders on your slide.
Instead of ending up with a new blank slide, you instead create a duplicate of the slide you were working on (making it easy to save your work).
What type of new slide is added? When using the New Slide shortcuts in PowerPoint, the slide layout that is inserted is based on the slide layout you were just on when you used the shortcut.
For example: If you are on the Section Header layout, using the New Slide shortcuts inserts a new blank Section Header layout. If you are on a Comparison layout, using either of the New Slide shortcuts inserts a blank Comparison layout.
The only time this rule doesn’t hold true, is if you use these shortcuts while on the Title slide layout. If you are on the Title Slide layout (for your template), instead of inserting a new Title Slide, the next layout in your slide master will be inserted (most likely a Title and Placeholder layout).
This makes sense too, right?
In a normal presentation you will only have one title slide. So, the New Slide shortcuts are smart enough not to insert a second title slide layout, and instead take you to your first content slide layout.
To expand your knowledge and learn more about how Ctrl+M and Ctrl+Enter are different, read our guide here .
Hit the F12 function key to save your presentation with a different name, in a different location on your computer, or in a different file format.
Save As Shortcut Pro Tip
The Save As shortcut is the secret to quickly converting your presentation into the PDF file format as we discuss here , or turn your presentation into a picture presentation as we discuss here .
Hitting CTRL + F12 will immediately open the Save As dialog box to open a file on your computer, without having to navigate through the back-stage view.
This shortcut opens the Find and Replace dialog box, allowing you to quickly replace text throughout your presentation. Be careful when using the ‘Replace All’ option, as it not only will cycle through the Normal View of your presentation, but all your Slide Master Views.
If you have closed the find dialogue box and now want to repeat the last find action, hit SHIFT + F4 .
To take a screen capture of the current screen to the clipboard, hit the PrtSc (Printscreen) key.
To copy the picture of a selected window, hit ALT + PrtSC (Printscreen) .
To launch the Print dialog box, hit CTRL + P . If you don’t need to adjust the settings, you can immediately hit EN TER to print your presentation.
The print shortcut works across the entire Microsoft Office suite (and most other software programs you use). So I HIGHLY recommend learning this one.
To learn how to print multiples slides on one page in PowerPoint, read our guide here .
Note: A common printing mistake you can avoid is printing your files collated and then manually uncollating the documents.
The reason this is a mistake is because Microsoft Office can automatically print your files uncollated, saving you from a bunch of tedious work.
To learn more about the difference between collated vs. uncollated printing, read our guide here .
ALT + SHIFT + D
This dialog box allows you to add and remove your date and time, slide numbers and footers.
PowerPoint Slide Number Pro Tip
To properly add your headers and footers to your slides, you need to add them in twice.
Once on your Slide Master and once in the Normal View using the Header and Footer dialog box. For help navigating your headers, footers and slide numbers like this, see our detailed blog post here .
This PowerPoint shortcut closes the active file you are using, without closing the PowerPoint application itself. This is an operating system shortcut and works in all the Microsoft Office programs.
This is a Windows-level operating-level shortcut and can be used with any program you are running on your computer. After closing out of all your active applications, this shortcut can shut down or restart your computer too.
To expand your knowledge and learn other important Windows 10 shortcuts, see our guide here .
Use the following shortcuts for the given tasks in the new PowerPoint 2013 version. Note, these PowerPoint 2013 shortcuts all work in PowerPoint 2016 as well.
Hit CTRL + ] to increase the font size
Hit CTRL + [ to decrease the font size
Although these are new shortcuts, the old font size shortcuts still work: CTRL + SHIFT + , to decrease the font size and CTRL + SHIFT + . to increase the font size. However, because the shortcuts above work in a wider variety of programs, I recommend memorizing them instead.
To make a copy of your current open presentation in PowerPoint 2013, you need to hit CTRL + SHIFT + N .
To add a new section in your presentation, hit CTRL + , (comma) .
To zoom out of a slide or to see all slides in Slideshow View, simply hit CTRL + – (minus) . Once zoomed out, you can use your Arrow keys to navigate around.
To zoom into a slide in Slideshow View, simply hit CTRL + = (equal) . Once zoomed in, you can use your Arrow keys to navigate around.
Hitting Ctrl + F1 once collapses your Ribbon commands into the top of your screen, giving you more uncluttered workspace in PowerPoint. Hitting CTRL + F1 a second time un-collapses your Ribbon commands.
This is Microsoft Office shortcut, so it works in PowerPoint, Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.
CTRL + SHIFT + F1
The NEWEST shortcut to hit the Microsoft Office suite delivering Distraction-Free Mode. Hit this keyboard shortcut to auto-hide your Ribbon commands, giving you a 100% clean working space. When you want to see all your Ribbon commands again, just hit this shortcut a second time.
While the following shortcuts didn’t make our top 80 favorite PowerPoint shortcuts list, these shortcuts are still extremely value to know (and use).
We consider these MANDATORY shortcuts for any knowledge worker because you they work across the entire Microsoft Office suite (and just about every software program you will ever use).
Selecting an option (or group of objects) in PowerPoint and hitting Ctrl + C will copy them, allowing you to reuse them in other parts of your presentation.
This is MUCH faster than trying to recreate and format objects in PowerPoint.
To expand your knowledge and learn all about the Copy shortcut, and how it is different than the Cut shortcut, read our guide here.
After you copy an object in PowerPoint, you can then use the Ctrl + V shortcut to paste the object on your slides.
Remember, your goal in PowerPoint is to finish your slide deck, not remake everything from scratch. So, to the extent that you can Copy and Paste objects, slides, and formatting… the more time you will save and the better off you will be.
To expand your knowledge and learn more about the Paste shortcut, and how to use it to control your formatting as you paste into new Microsoft Office documents, read our guide here .
The cut shortcut allows you to pick up (and move) an object.
This is a variation of the Copy Shortcut as instead of copying an object, you cut it out of your presentation that you can then Ctrl + V to paste somewhere else.
To expand your knowledge and learn more about the Cut shortcut (and how to use it), read our guide here .
Note: If you are trying to delete a table from your presentation, it is often easier to Cut the table out using this Ctrl + X shortcut (and never paste it in anywhere) rather than trying to select the table and delete it.
So that is our list of our 80 favorite PowerPoint shortcuts to speed up your workflow.
Shortcuts are the fastest way to DOUBLE your productivity in PowerPoint. That’s why if you use PowerPoint daily, I highly recommend committing to your keyboard shortcuts.
If you enjoyed this in-depth post and want to learn more about our PowerPoint Speed Training courses and other resources, visit us here .
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Whether you use a mouse or remote control to navigate through a PowerPoint slide show presentation, one of the best ways to more effectively deliver PowerPoint presentations with greater engagement is to take advantage of handy slide show shortcuts.
Try this selection of PowerPoint keyboard shortcuts for your next in-person or virtual PowerPoint slide show (or watch my video of presentation shortcuts):
More Tips: You can also right-click anywhere on the slide show screen for a shortcut menu with many of these same actions. Although your audience will also see this shortcut menu, this is a handy way to quickly choose presentation options.
Click here to download a handout of PowerPoint keyboard shortcuts and discover more PowerPoint tips and tricks .
© Dawn Bjork, MCT, MOSM, CSP®, The Software Pro® Microsoft Certified Trainer, Productivity Speaker, Certified Speaking Professional
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3 Time-Saving PowerPoint Shortcuts with the SHIFT Key March 21, 2022
Use keyboard shortcuts to deliver PowerPoint presentations for good audience experience
Pranab Bala • March 14, 2020
Preparing good PowerPoint slides is the first thing for delivering an excellent presentation. Keyboard shortcuts comes very handy while delivering Presentations without stumbling or worrying about whats next. This article will cover the Keyboard Shortcuts to make presenter's life at ease. These are very easy to memorize if you practice once or twice. You may bookmark the page and use for quick reference before you start a new presentation
Start presentation from current slide, start presentation from beginning, exit presentation mode, go to the first slide, go to the last slide, go to a specific slide, view all slides dialog showing list of titles, show context menu to choose action from, hide pointers, laser pointer, change pointer to arrow, change pointer to pen for annotation or freehand, hide annotation markup, change pointer to annotation eraser, delete or clear all on-screen annotation, display a blank black slide and back.
Normal mode is the where we do all the editing. Sometime, we may need to come out of the presentation mode, quickly update it and jump back to the presentation mode.
Shift + F5 - If you are in editing mode (Normal Mode), you can start presenting right from that slide by pressing Shift and F5 key together. You may need to switch between the modes during preparation of the slides or to make some adjustment while presenting
F5 - Irrespective of what slide you are currently in, pressing F5 will start the presentation from the beginning
Esc - Anytime during presentation, pressing Esc key will stop presentation and take you to the Normal mode. It will show the slide that you were just before Esc. If you are using previous versions of PowerPoint, please try hyphen ( - )
While presenting the slides, sometime, we need to jump around slides instead of sequences. This section covers most of the keyboard shortcuts used in navigation in slide show mode
Home - While presenting, if you need to start-over, pressing Home Button takes you to the very first slide
End - pressing End button anytime during the presentation, takes you to the last slide of the PowerPoint, while in presentation mode
Type the number and Press Enter - Sometimes you need to navigate to backup slides or appendixes. If you remember the slide number, you just need to type that number and press enter. You will not see the numbers on screen, while you type. But the trick will happen when you press enter. To come back to the current slide, you need to type the current slide number and press Enter or you can use Ctrl +S to see "Last Slide Viewed" as mentioned in View All Slides Dialog showing list of titles
Ctrl + S - While in presentation mode if you want to jump forward or backward and do not know the slide number then simply press Ctrl and S . This will show a list of slides that you can choose from. Alternatively, you can select a slide and click on Go To. Remembering this shortcut will save you in difficult times, when you forget any other shortcuts.
Shift+F10 - All actions on slides can be done using mouse after you see the context menu using this keyboard shortcut. This one is my favorite keyboard shortcut . When you forget all the shortcuts, remembering this one will stop you from failing. Though the pop-up on the screen might feel little less intuitive. But, it helps you to get back to your previous slide, start annotating on screen or make it blank
Pointers play an important role in presentation to glue audiences to the section of the slide where you need their attention. There various option to suit your need. You can also hide any pointers
Ctrl + H - This will hide pointer from the slide show. To bring back pointer you can use Ctrl + A or any of the keyboard shortcuts mentioned in the following sections
Ctrl + L - Pressing Ctrl and L change the pointer to Laser.
This is how it looks.
This tiny little Laser is the right pointer to draw attention of the audiences to particular part of screen
💡 Remember L for L aser
Ctrl + A - Arrow is the default pointer. Anytime, you want to change it back to Arrow use Ctrl + A
💡 Remember A for Arrow
Ctrl + P - This change the pointer to Pen with default color. You can start annotating or write on top of the presentation. When you stop presenting, you will get a popup on whether you want to save your scribble in the PPT. It saves the annotation as image objects and can be adjusted or deleted afterwards
💡 Remember P for P en
If you want to change pen color one option is to hover your mouse at the bottom left corner of the screen and you will notice very light panel floating. Click on the pen sign and it will pop-up the color panel. You can change color from there.
Sometimes, you might prefer a blank screen to draw or illustrate, rather than on the present slide. You can make your screen blank
You may Jump to the section for Black or white for annotation
Ctrl +M - This keyboard shortcut simply hide the the annotation that you have made. but do not delete those. anytime during presentation you can un-hide them again by pressing same Ctrl + M for the same slide
Ctrl + E - Pressing this keyboard shortcut sequences changes the pointer to Eraser. Please note that the eraser erases annotation when you press on top of the annotation one at a time.
💡 Remember E for E raser
E - Pressing E erases all annotations. This is irreversible. You cannot get back the annotation that you have erased
💡 Remember E for E rasing
Sometimes, during presentation, you might need audience's attention and do not want them to look at the screen or you want to do annotation on a white or Black board. you can blank your screen
B - Pressing B in presentation mode makes the screen Black.
. or Period can be used to get back your slide on screen
💡 B for B lack slide
W - Pressing W in presentation mode makes the screen Black.
, or comma can be used to return to the presentation from a blank white slide.
💡 W for W hite slide
IMAGES
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To do this. Press. Start a presentation from the beginning. F5. Start a presentation from the current slide. Shift+F5. Start the presentation in Presenter View. Alt+F5. Perform the next animation or advance to the next slide.
PowerPoint Shortcut Keys to Use During a Presentation. There are other PowerPoint keyboard shortcuts that only work in the slide show mode. We'll go from my favorite basic commands to some advanced keyboard shortcuts to help you manage your presentation like a pro. Basic PowerPoint Commands 1) Use F5 to start a Slideshow
Frequently used shortcuts. The following table itemizes the most frequently used shortcuts in PowerPoint. To do this. Press. Create new presentation. Ctrl+N. Add a new slide. Ctrl+M. Apply bold formatting to the selected text.
Ctrl+L: Left align a paragraph. Ctrl+R: Right align a paragraph. Ctrl+T: Open the Font dialog box when text or object is selected. Alt+W,Q: Open the Zoom dialog box to change the zoom for the slide. Alt+N,P: Insert a picture. Alt+H,S,H: Insert a shape. Alt+H,L: Select a slide layout. Ctrl+K: Insert a hyperlink.
Shift+F5. To begin the slideshow from the current slide, press Shift+F5. In other words, press the Shift and F5 keys at the same time. 3. Spacebar, N, or Right Arrow. When you are ready to advance to the next slide or perform the next animation, you can press any of the following: the Spacebar, the N key, or the right arrow key. 4.
Open a presentation: Press Ctrl + O to open an existing PowerPoint presentation. Create a new presentation: Press Ctrl + N to create a new presentation. Add a new slide: Press Ctrl + M to add a ...
PowerPoint Duplicate Slideshow - New Feature A brand new keyboard shortcut in PowerPoint 2013 and PowerPoint 2016 is the CTRL + SHIFT + N shortcut, which creates a new duplicate slideshow, or presentation, of the one you are currently working in. So if you find a presentation that you want to quickly copy and tweak, in PowerPoint 2013 or 2016 (same thing as Office 365) just CTRL + SHIFT + N ...
Click From Beginning. Holding down the Alt key and clicking From Beginning, the Presenter View will launch from the very first (non-hidden) slide in your presentation. You can also launch the presenter view from the beginning of your presentation at any time by clicking Alt + F5 on your keyboard.
Apply Character Formatting. This set of shortcuts will help us to edit our copy text in PowerPoint slides. Open the Font dialogue box: CTRL + T / CMD + T. Apply bold formatting: CTRL + B / CMD + B. Apply an underline: CTRL + U / CMD + U. Apply italic formatting: CTRL + I / CMD + I. Apply subscript formatting: CTRL + = / CMD + =.
To end the presentation: Press Esc. Let's take a look at some other PowerPoint keyboard shortcuts. 2. PowerPoint Keyboard shortcuts ⌘ + D. Duplicate slide objects (Normal view) Duplicate slides (Slide Sorter view, and in Slides pane within Normal view) Duplicate Layout and Slide Master (Slide Master view) ⌘ + Shift + D. Duplicates active ...
Here are the shortcuts you need to know: Hold the Ctrl key and click with your mouse (in Slide Show Mode). Key PowerPoint Shortcut #3 - Inking Your Slides. Some of the best tools native to PowerPoint when presenting in front of an audience - whether on a webinar or in a room - are the inking tools.
Start presenting. On the Slide Show tab, in the Start Slide Show group, select From Beginning. Now, if you are working with PowerPoint on a single monitor and you want to display Presenter view, in Slide Show view, on the control bar at the bottom left, select , and then Show Presenter View.
PowerPoint Shortcuts for Editing Your Presentation Ctrl + M - Add a new slide . PowerPoint Shortcuts for Shapes & Slides Ctrl + D - Duplicate your slide or any items on your slide. Ctrl + Drag - Hold down the Ctrl button and click to drag the selected item to move it to the correct location. Ctrl + Shift + Drag - Duplicate an item and keep it aligned with the original as you move it to ...
Ctrl-Home. ⌘-up arrow. Move to the next title or body text placeholder. (If this is the last placeholder on a slide, it will insert a new slide with the same slide layout as the original slide ...
Select the Use Presenter View checkbox. Select which monitor to display Presenter View on. Select From Beginning or press F5. In Presenter View, you can: See your current slide, next slide, and speaker notes. Select the arrows next to the slide number to go between slides. Select the pause button or reset button to pause or reset the slide ...
Action. PowerPoint Shortcuts. Highlight and Promote the paragraph. Alt + Shift + Left Arrow key. Highlight and Demote the paragraph. Alt + Shift + Right Arrow key. Move up paragraph. Alt + Shift + Up Arrow key. Move down paragraph.
Ctrl + E: Center align text.\. Ctrl + L: Left align text.\. Ctrl + R: Right align text.\. Ctrl + M: Insert a new slide.\. Ctrl + D: Duplicate currently selected slide.\. Ctrl + H: Show or hide the Ribbon. These shortcuts can save you a lot of time and effort, especially if you're working on a large presentation.
Press Shift+F5. 3. Start the presentation in Presenter View using a function key. Press Alt + F5. 4. Start a presentation from the beginning using key tips. Press Alt > S > B (press Alt, then S, then B). 5. Start a presentation from the current slide using key tips.
Step 1: Open your PowerPoint presentation. The first step to enter Presentation Mode in PowerPoint is to ensure that your presentation file is open and ready for display. To do so, open PowerPoint and locate the file containing your presentation. Click on the file to open it. Review that the slides are arranged in the correct order and that any ...
Summary of Power Point shortcuts to present better: Use B to shift the audience attention to you by blanking out the screen. Use W to get blank white screen. Use Ctrl+S for All slides dialog. Use H to access next slide if hidden. Use Ctrl+P to draw on the screen. Use Ctrl+T to view task bar.
Creating a PowerPoint presentation is no small task! It requires juggling all sorts of PowerPoint stuff like charts, tables, pictures, object formatting, text and shapes just to create your slides in the first place. ... The NEWEST shortcut to hit the Microsoft Office suite delivering Distraction-Free Mode. Hit this keyboard shortcut to auto ...
Save time with Microsoft PowerPoint keyboard shortcuts. Launch and navigate slide show presentations with fast PowerPoint keyboard shortcuts. 303-699-6868. [email protected]. Menu . ... (annotations), press [Ctrl] + P to enable the Pen mode. Use your mouse to draw directly on the slide. To change the pen color or to enable other tools ...
Start presentation from current slide. Shift + F5 - If you are in editing mode (Normal Mode), you can start presenting right from that slide by pressing Shift and F5 key together. You may need to switch between the modes during preparation of the slides or to make some adjustment while presenting.