Objective 2.1 Insert and format text

  • 2.1.1 Insert text on a slide
  • 2.1.2 Format text on a slide
  • 2.1.3 Create WordArt
  • 2.1.4 Format text as bulleted or numbered lists
  • 2.1.5 Format text in columns
  • 2.1.6 Link to internal and external locations and files

2.1 Contents

2.1.2 Format text on a slide

The default formatting of text in placeholders reflects the design of the underlying slide master. You can use standard character and paragraph formatting techniques to override the following aspects of the design, or to format text that isn’t controlled by placeholders:

  • Alignment You can align the text horizontally to the left, right, or center; or you can justify it to span the text box. You can align the text vertically at the top of the text box, in the middle, or at the bottom.
  • Case You can make selected text all lowercase or all uppercase; ensure that the text is capitalized as a sentence or that each word has an initial capital letter; or change the capitalization of each letter.
  • Character spacing You can make the space between characters looser or tighter.
  • Color Picking a color from the applied color scheme creates a pleasing design impact. You can also add colors that are not part of the color scheme, including colors from the standard palette or from the almost infinite spectrum of colors available in the Colors dialog box.
  • Direction You can rotate text or stack the letters on top of each other.
  • Fancy text effects You can apply fancy effects such as shadows, reflections, and bevels, or rotate or mold text into a shape.
  • Font and size You can pick a different font or size for any selection.
  • Indentation You can indent the text from the left side of the text box.
  • Line and paragraph spacing You can adjust the vertical spacing.
  • Style and effects You can apply simple styles such as bold and italic, or you can choose more dramatic effects such as shadows, colored underlining, or small caps.

Exam Strategy: PowerPoint responds differently to the way you enter text depending on where you are entering it. Become familiar with the different ways of creating new text and bulleted list levels so that you can enter text efficiently during the exam.

You format text content by using the commands in the Font and Paragraph groups on the Home tab of the ribbon, many of which are also on the Mini Toolbar that temporarily appears when you select text.

You can access additional settings in the Font and Paragraph dialog boxes. PowerPoint doesn’t have as many font or paragraph formatting options as are available in Word, but you can achieve most effects.

Home tab: Font and Paragraph

Mini toolbar

Dialog boxes

Format Shape, Text Options, Text Box pane

PowerPoint has simpler text formatting options

After you format one text selection to suit your needs, you can quickly apply the same combination of formatting to another selection by using the Format Painter. You can also clear all manual formatting from a selection so that it reverts to the formatting specified by the design.

To change the font of selected text

  • On the Mini Toolbar or in the Font group on the Home tab, click the font you want in the Font list.

To change the size of selected text

  • On the Mini Toolbar or in the Font group on the Home tab, click the Increase Font Size or Decrease Font Size button.
  • On the Mini Toolbar or in the Font group on the Home tab, in the Font Size list, click a specific point size.

To change the case of selected text

  • On the Home tab, in the Font group, click the Change Case button, and then click the option you want.
  • Press Shift+F3 to cycle among the case options.

To change the color of selected text

  • On the Mini Toolbar or in the Font group on the Home tab, click the color you want in the Font Color palette.

Or

  1. Display the Font Color palette, and then click More Colors.
  2. On either the Standard or Custom tab of the Colors dialog box, specify the color you want, and then click OK.

To change the font style or effect of selected text

  • On the Mini Toolbar or in the Font group on the Home tab, click the button for the style you want.

Or

  1. On the Home tab, click the Font dialog box launcher.
  2. In the Font dialog box, specify the style or effect you want, and then click OK.

To change the character spacing of selected text

  • On the Home tab, in the Font group, click the Character Spacing button, and then click Very Tight, Tight, Normal, Loose, or Very Loose.

Or

  1. On the Home tab, in the Font group, click the Character Spacing button, and then click More Spacing.
  2. On the Character Spacing tab of the Font dialog box, in the Spacing list, click Normal, Expanded, or Condensed.
  3. Change the By setting to the precise amount of space you want between characters, and then click OK.

To change the alignment of selected text

  • On the Mini Toolbar or in the Paragraph group on the Home tab, click the Align Left, Center, Align Right, or Justify button.
  • Press Ctrl+L to left-align text, Ctrl+E to center text, Ctrl+R to right-align text, or Ctrl+J to justify text.
  • On the Home tab, in the Paragraph group, click the Align Text button, and then click the vertical alignment you want.

To change the indentation of selected text

  • On the Mini Toolbar or in the Paragraph group on the Home tab, click the Increase List Level or Decrease List Level button.

Or

  1. On the Home tab, click the Paragraph dialog box launcher.
  2. In the Paragraph dialog box, in the Indentation area, change the Before text setting, and then click OK.

To change the line spacing of selected text

  • On the Home tab, in the Paragraph group, click the Line Spacing button, and then click the spacing you want.

Tip: Clicking Line Spacing Options displays the Paragraph dialog box.

Or

  1. On the Home tab, click the Paragraph dialog box launcher.
  2. In the Paragraph dialog box, in the Spacing area, change the Before or After settings, or the Line Spacing option, and then click OK.

To change the direction of text in a placeholder

  • Click anywhere in the placeholder, and on the Home tab, in the Paragraph group, click the Text Direction button, and then click the direction you want.

To copy existing formatting to other text 

  1. Select the text that has the formatting you want to copy.
  2. On the Mini Toolbar or in the Clipboard group on the Home tab, do either of the following:
    • If you want to apply the copied formatting only once, click the Format Painter button once.
    • If you want to apply the copied formatting multiple times, click the Format Painter button twice.
  3. Click or select the text to which you want to apply the copied formatting.
  4. If you clicked the Format Painter button twice, click or select each additional text segment you want to format.
    • Then to turn off the Format Painter, click the Format Painter button again, or press the Esc key.

To clear all manual formatting from selected text

  • On the Home tab, in the Font group, click the Clear All Formatting button. 
  • Press Ctrl+Spacebar.