Last reviewed 16 Sept 2026 · 9 min read
Presentation software
Presentation software creates slide-based visual presentations combining text, images, charts, audio and video. Microsoft PowerPoint (part of Microsoft Office/365) is widely used; alternatives: Google Slides, LibreOffice Impress, Apple Keynote.
Uses in engineering: project progress reviews, design presentations, DPR briefings, training sessions, tender presentations, conference talks.
Interface
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Quick Access Toolbar, title bar, ribbon | As in other Office applications |
| Slide pane | Main area for editing the current slide |
| Thumbnail (slides) pane | Miniature slides on the left for navigation and reordering |
| Notes pane | Speaker notes below the slide |
| Status bar | Slide number, notes and comments buttons, view buttons, zoom |
Ribbon tabs
| Tab | Key commands |
|---|---|
| Home | New slide (Ctrl + M), layout, reset, sections, font and paragraph formatting, drawing shapes, arrange, find/replace, Designer (in Microsoft 365) |
| Insert | Tables, pictures, screenshots, photo album, shapes, icons, 3D models, SmartArt, charts, links (hyperlink), action buttons, comments, text box, header and footer, WordArt, date/time, slide number, equations, symbols, video, audio, screen recording |
| Draw | Ink tools |
| Design | Themes, variants (colours, fonts, effects), slide size (16:9 widescreen, 4:3 standard), format background, Designer |
| Transitions | Effects between slides, effect options, sound, duration, advance on click or after time, apply to all |
| Animations | Effects on objects within a slide, Animation Pane, triggers, timing (start, duration, delay), Animation Painter |
| Slide Show | From beginning (F5), from current slide (Shift + F5), present online, custom slide show, set up slide show, hide slide, rehearse timings, record, use Presenter View |
| Review | Spelling, comments, compare, protect |
| View | Presentation views, master views, ruler, gridlines, guides, zoom, colour/grayscale, macros |
Creating a presentation
- Start from a blank presentation, a template or a theme (consistent colours, fonts, backgrounds).
- Designer (Microsoft 365) suggests professional layouts for slide content.
- Slide layouts: Title Slide, Title and Content, Section Header, Two Content, Comparison, Title Only, Blank, Content with Caption, Picture with Caption.
- Placeholders — dotted boxes holding titles, text, pictures, charts.
- Slides can be added, duplicated (Ctrl + D), deleted, hidden, reordered (drag in thumbnail pane or Slide Sorter) and grouped into sections.
Views
| View | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Normal | Default editing view — slide, thumbnails and notes |
| Outline | Edit text structure of all slides |
| Slide Sorter | Thumbnails of all slides — reorder, delete, duplicate, apply transitions |
| Notes Page | Slide with its speaker notes for printing |
| Reading View | Presentation in a window with simple controls |
| Slide Show | Full-screen presentation to the audience |
| Presenter View | Presenter sees current and next slide, notes and timer while the audience sees only the slide (dual monitors/projector) |
Masters
- Slide Master — controls the common design (fonts, colours, logos, backgrounds, placeholder positions) of all slides and layouts; changes apply to the whole presentation — ideal for an organisation's logo and footer.
- Handout Master — layout of printed handouts (slides per page).
- Notes Master — layout of notes pages.
Adding content
- Text — bullet points (use Tab / Shift + Tab to change levels), text boxes, WordArt.
- Pictures — insert, crop, remove background, picture styles, compress pictures to reduce file size.
- Shapes and icons, SmartArt (process flows, hierarchies, cycles — e.g. construction stages), tables (e.g. cost summaries), charts (linked to embedded Excel data — progress, budgets).
- Audio and video — insert from file, trim, play automatically or on click, loop.
- Screen recording — demonstrate software (e.g. CAD workflow).
- Hyperlinks (Ctrl + K) to websites, files or other slides; action buttons for navigation (next, previous, home).
- Header and footer — date, slide number, footer text.
- Zoom (summary/slide/section zoom) for non-linear navigation.
Transitions and animations
| Aspect | Transitions | Animations |
|---|---|---|
| Applied to | Movement from one slide to the next | Individual objects (text, pictures, charts) within a slide |
| Tab | Transitions | Animations |
| Examples | Fade, Push, Wipe, Split, Morph | Appear, Fly In, Zoom (entrance); Pulse, Grow/Shrink (emphasis); Fade Out, Fly Out (exit); motion paths |
Animation categories (colour-coded): entrance (green), emphasis (yellow), exit (red), motion paths.
- Timing: start On Click, With Previous, After Previous; duration and delay; Animation Pane sets order; triggers start animations when an object is clicked.
- Morph transition creates smooth movement between similar slides.
- Use animations sparingly — to reveal points step by step or show processes (e.g. construction sequence).
Slide show delivery
- Start: F5 from beginning; Shift + F5 from current slide; Esc ends the show.
- During the show: N/Enter/→/Space next; P/←/Backspace previous; type a slide number + Enter to jump; B (or .) — black screen; W (or ,) — white screen; Ctrl + P pen; Ctrl + L laser pointer; Ctrl + E eraser.
- Set Up Slide Show: presented by a speaker (full screen), browsed by an individual (window), browsed at a kiosk (full screen, loops automatically, restarts after inactivity).
- Rehearse timings — record time spent on each slide for automatic advance.
- Record slide show — narration, ink and laser pointer; export as video.
- Custom slide show — present a subset of slides for a particular audience.
- Hide slide — keep backup slides out of the main show.
Notes and handouts
- Speaker notes — prompts for the presenter (visible in Presenter View and Notes Page).
- Handouts — printouts with 1, 2, 3 (with lines for notes), 4, 6 or 9 slides per page.
Saving, exporting and file formats
| Extension | Type |
|---|---|
| .pptx | Default presentation (2007+) |
| .ppt | PowerPoint 97–2003 |
| .potx | Template |
| .ppsx | PowerPoint Show — opens directly in slide show mode |
| .pptm | Macro-enabled presentation |
| Export for sharing/printing | |
| .mp4 / .wmv | Export as video |
| .png / .jpg | Export slides as images |
- Package presentation for CD/folder — includes linked media.
- Compress media and pictures to reduce size; embed fonts for portability.
Good presentation practices
- One idea per slide; clear titles; limited text (short bullet points rather than paragraphs).
- Readable font sizes (large enough for the back row), high contrast, consistent theme.
- Use visuals — site photos, drawings, charts, maps — rather than dense tables.
- Label units and sources on charts; highlight key numbers.
- Limit animations and transitions to purposeful use.
- Rehearse; keep to time; prepare backup slides; check projector aspect ratio and file compatibility.
Keyboard shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + M | New slide |
| Ctrl + D | Duplicate slide/object |
| F5 | Start show from beginning |
| Shift + F5 | Start show from current slide |
| Esc | End slide show |
| B / W | Black / white screen during show |
| Ctrl + K | Insert hyperlink |
| Ctrl + G / Ctrl + Shift + G | Group / ungroup objects |
| Tab / Shift + Tab | Demote / promote bullet level |
| Ctrl + Z / Ctrl + Y | Undo / redo |
| Ctrl + S / Ctrl + P | Save / print |
| Alt + Shift + ↑ / ↓ | Move bullet point up/down |
Worked examples
Worked ExampleExample 1 — company logo on all slides
A consultant wants the firm's logo and project name at the bottom of every slide. What should be used?
Solution. Insert them once in the Slide Master (View → Slide Master) so they appear on all slides and layouts.
Worked ExampleExample 2 — transitions vs animations
A presenter wants (a) a Fade effect when moving to the next slide and (b) each construction stage to appear one after another on a single slide. Which features?
Solution. (a) Transition (Fade); (b) entrance animations with start "On Click" or "After Previous", ordered in the Animation Pane.
Worked ExampleExample 3 — self-running display
A presentation must loop continuously at a site office reception without anyone operating it. What settings?
Solution. Use Rehearse Timings (or set automatic advance times) and Set Up Slide Show → Browsed at a kiosk (full screen); optionally save as .ppsx or export as video.
Worked ExampleExample 4 — tailored audience
From a 40-slide DPR presentation, only 12 slides are needed for a funding committee. How?
Solution. Create a Custom Slide Show with the selected slides (or hide the others).
Frequently tested points
- PowerPoint — presentation software; files .pptx (default), .ppt (old), .potx (template), .ppsx (opens as show).
- Ctrl + M new slide; F5 show from beginning; Shift + F5 from current slide; Esc ends; B black, W white screen.
- Views: Normal, Outline, Slide Sorter (reorder), Notes Page, Reading View, Slide Show, Presenter View.
- Slide Master controls common design/logo; handout and notes masters.
- Transitions — between slides; animations — objects within a slide (entrance green, emphasis yellow, exit red, motion paths); Animation Pane.
- Rehearse Timings; record show; custom show; hide slide; kiosk mode loops.
- SmartArt for diagrams; charts linked to Excel data; hyperlinks and action buttons.
- Handouts with 1–9 slides per page; speaker notes.
- Export as PDF or video; package for CD.
Common MistakeCommon mistakes
- Using transitions when animations are intended (and vice versa).
- Editing the logo on each slide instead of the Slide Master.
- Overloading slides with text and excessive animation.
Revision SummaryChapter summary
- PowerPoint creates slide presentations using themes, templates, layouts, placeholders and Designer suggestions.
- Normal, Outline, Slide Sorter, Notes Page, Reading, Slide Show and Presenter views support editing and delivery, while masters enforce consistent design.
- Text, pictures, SmartArt, tables, charts, media, hyperlinks and action buttons build rich content.
- Transitions animate slide changes and animations reveal objects within slides, with timing, rehearsal, recording, custom shows and kiosk mode controlling delivery.
- Speaker notes, handouts, export options (.pptx, .ppsx, PDF, video), shortcuts and good design practices produce effective engineering presentations.