Creating a PowerPoint 2007 Presentation

Starting PowerPoint 2007

Double click quickly on the PowerPoint 2007 icon on the Windows desktop (see image on right), or click the Start button in the lower left corner of the screen, and then click All Programs, next move your cursor over Microsoft Office, then click Microsoft PowerPoint 2007.

  

In this tutorial, whenever we indicate that you need to click a mouse button, it will mean to click the left mouse button – unless we indicate that you should click the right mouse button.  So, always move the cursor over the “place” we indicate and “click left” unless we tell you otherwise.

If you have been using PowerPoint 97, 2000, XP/2002 or 2007 this will be a wonderful journey.  You will find many exciting new features and enhancements.  Almost everything is “graphical.”  When PowerPoint opens, the appearance of the screen will be very different.  Once you get used to the new 2007 features, we think you’ll find it much easier to use as you create and edit your PowerPoint slides.

In the image below you’ll immediately see that the Menu Bar has been replaced by Tabs and Ribbons.  The Tabs and Ribbons are then divided into Groups.  We’ll be working with these new features in detail as we move through the tutorial. 

 

Notice, in the image on the last page, that the screen is “sort of” divided into three sections.

Across the top are the Microsoft Office Button, the Quick Access Toolbar and the Tabs, Ribbons and Groups (indicated on the last page).

 

 

If you refer to the Introduction to Microsoft 2007 Tutorial you’ll find a detailed explanation of how to use these new features.

 

On the left side of the PowerPoint screen you’ll see an area that indicates Outline and Slides at the top.  When you first open PowerPoint 2007 you’ll notice that the Slides Tab is “white.”  This means that you’ll be able to see a small version of each slide as we create it.

 

To the lower right-center of the screen, you’ll see a PowerPoint Design Template.  We’ll be using these templates to create our slide show.  We’ll come back to this in more detail later in the tutorial.