Lesson 2: How to Create the Core of Your Presentation
How to Add Clip Art and Images
Now it’s time to start having some real fun with PowerPoint. Many users like to add in clipart, images, sounds, and other multimedia capabilities. These features can energize your text and overall presentation. Let’s first take a look Clip Art. Clip Art is a very commonly used feature.
Refer to (Step by Step) Chapter 9, pg 167.
Through Microsoft and various sources on the Internet there are literally thousands of Clip Art images available for your use. You can search for specific Clip Art images such as cats, computers, and automobiles through search engines like google and yahoo. You’ll find many pages of free Clip Art. However, Microsoft provides you with an ample amount of Clip Art images already present in your PowerPoint program and also on the Microsoft website.
Let’s work with a slide that contains a Clip Art box. Open the “Insert” menu and select “New Slide”. Choose the slide in the lower left corner called “Text & Clip Art”. This slide contains a box that says, “Double click to add Clip Art”. Double click on this box and the “Microsoft Clip Gallery” will open. This window contains all the features you’ll need to access, use, and modify Clip Art.
Microsoft Clip Gallery
There a few buttons and items I’d like to point out in this window.
First, you have the “Pictures” tab. This tab contains roughly 50 categories of Clip Art images ranging from Academic to Web Elements. Double click on the “Buildings” icon. A list of building images will appear. Right click on one of the images and select “Insert”. The Microsoft Gallery will close and your chosen image will appear on your PowerPoint slide. We’ll talk about modifying this image in a future lesson.
Let’s open the Microsoft Clip Gallery again.
Follow these steps:
1.) Open the Insert menu.
2.) Select Picture.
3.) Select Clip Art.
The Microsoft Clip Gallery will open once again. You may have additional tabs labeled “Sound” and “Motion Clips”. Ignore these tabs for now.
Let’s say you want to search for a specific image such as a computer, but you don’t want to sift through some of the categories like Academic and Office. Microsoft Clip Gallery has a search feature that can save you valuable time. Towards the top you will see “Search” followed by a text box, which says “Type in one or more words”. Place your cursor in this text box and type “Computer”. Hit return and you will be presented with computer clip art.
Another feature of Microsoft Clip Gallery is “Clips Online” at the top of the window. Click on this button and it will take you Microsoft Office online where you can download additional Clip Art. It is a good idea to check this website frequently because it is updated with new interesting Clip Art often.
A final feature of Microsoft Clip Gallery is “Import Clips”. This feature allows you to browse for Clip Art you have stored on your computer. This feature is useful when you download new Clip Art from various Internet sources and want to have it available in your PowerPoint program.
How to Add Images from a File
You may have images you would like in your presentation besides Clip Art. For example, you may have photographs that you would like to put on a slide. You may also use PowerPoint as a computerized photo album. Or you may have found an image on the Internet that you downloaded to your computer. It is very easy to insert these image files.
To insert an image from a file follow these steps:
1.) Open up a blank slide.
2.) Open the Insert menu.
3.) Select Picture.
4.) Select “From File”.
An Insert Picture window will appear. Browse your computer for the name of your file. You can insert images such as .bmp, .jpg., etc.
5.) Highlight the image file and click Insert.
Voila! You have inserted your image. You can insert an image on any type of slide. We used a blank slide for basic instructional purposes. We will discuss in a future lesson how you can modify the size, position, and appearance of the image.
Additional Picture Menu Features
Under the Picture menu there are a few additional features I would like to mention. These features are more advanced, but it is a good idea to understand when you could utilize them.
Autoshapes:
This features allows you to free form draw with a pencil or insert common shapes such as circles, smiling faces, and boxes.
Organization Chart:
This feature allows you to add in an organization chart. This can come in handy when you are presenting a new corporate employee structure. In the “New Slide” feature there is also an “Organization Chart” slide option.
Word Art:
This feature let’s you insert text that you can format to appear vertically, slanted, and in various color patterns.
From Scanner or Camera:
This is a very advanced feature, which let’s you directly insert an image that you have in your scanner or camera.
Microsoft Word Table:
This feature allows you to quickly add in a Microsoft Word table. You specify the number of rows and columns for the table. A smaller Microsoft Word pad with the table in it appears on your slide.
