Creating and Opening Presentations PowerPoint 2013

Introduction

Video: Creating and Opening Presentations

PowerPoint files are called presentations. Whenever you start a new project in PowerPoint, you'll need to create a new presentation, which can either be blank or from a template. You'll also need to know how to open an existing presentation.

To create a new presentation:

1. Select the File tab to go to Backstage view.
   
2. Select New on the left side of the window, then click Blank Presentation or choose a theme.
   
3. A new presentation will appear.

To open an existing presentation:

1. Select the File tab to go to Backstage view.
2. Select Open.
   
3. Select Computer, then click Browse. Alternatively, you can choose OneDrive (previously known as SkyDrive) to open files stored on your OneDrive.
   
4. The Open dialog box will appear. Locate and select your presentation, then click Open.
   

If you've opened the desired presentation recently, you can browse your Recent Presentations instead of searching for the file.

To pin a presentation:

If you frequently work with the same presentation, you can pin it to Backstage view for easy access.

1. Select the File tab to go to Backstage view. Click Open. Your Recent Presentations will appear.
2. Hover the mouse over the presentation you want to pin. A pushpin icon will appear next to the presentation. Click the pushpin icon.
   
3. The presentation will stay in Recent Presentations. To unpin a presentation, simply click the pushpin icon again.
   

You can also pin folders to Backstage view for easy access. From Backstage view, click Open, locate the folder you want to pin, then click the pushpin icon.

Using templates

A template is a predesigned presentation you can use to create a new slide show quickly. Templates often include custom formatting and designs, so they can save you a lot of time and effort when starting a new project.

To create a new presentation from a template:

1. Click the File tab to access Backstage view.
2. Select New. You can click a suggested search to find templates or use the search bar to find something more specific. In our example, we'll search for Business presentations.
   
3. Select a template to review it.
   
4. A preview of the template will appear, along with additional information on how the template can be used.
5. Click Create to use the selected template.
   
6. A new presentation will appear with the selected template.
   

It's important to note that not all templates are created by Microsoft. Many are created by third-party providers and even individual users, so some templates may work better than others

Using templates

A template is a predesigned presentation you can use to create a new slide show quickly. Templates often include custom formatting and designs, so they can save you a lot of time and effort when starting a new project.

To create a new presentation from a template:

1. Click the File tab to access Backstage view.
2. Select New. You can click a suggested search to find templates or use the search bar to find something more specific. In our example, we'll search for Business presentations.
   
3. Select a template to review it.
   
4. A preview of the template will appear, along with additional information on how the template can be used.
5. Click Create to use the selected template.
   
6. A new presentation will appear with the selected template.
   

It's important to note that not all templates are created by Microsoft. Many are created by third-party providers and even individual users, so some templates may work better than others