When you work with PowerPoint frequently, every little tip could help improve your productivity time. A quick Google search will turn up a list of common keyboard shortcuts for working in and presenting with PowerPoint, but here are a few lesser known tips I'd like to share.
Give Yourself Room to Make Mistakes
Every time I upload a new version of PowerPoint, the first thing I do is increase the number of Undos I can make. This never fails to be a huge lifesaver for me. Choose File from the Ribbon and then select Options. Select the Advanced category. From the Editing options area, change the Maximum number of undos to 150 (this is the highest you can go).
Setting the number of Undos this high may slow down your system. I don't notice a difference so I always keep it at the maximum number. If you notice your system being sluggish, try lowering this number by half.
Let Your Fingertips Do the Walking
Did you know that most everything in PowerPoint (and in all MS Office products, actually) can be done with keystrokes? With PowerPoint open, press the [Alt] key on your keyboard. Notice that each tab on the ribbon is assigned a letter.
The Home tab, for example, is H. Pressing any of the tabs' assigned letters will take you to that tab and reveal more key shortcuts for that tab's commands.
Want to change your slide's layout? Press [Alt] [H] [L], use the arrow keys to move between layouts and press [Enter] to make your selection.
About the author: AJ George is IconLogic's lead Technical Writer and author of both "PowerPoint 2007: The Essentials" and "PowerPoint 2008 for the Macintosh: The Essentials."
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