For some PowerPoint projects you may find that you would like to line up elements in a certain way and that having guides on the slide would be useful. In the steps that follow, I will show you how to make guides visible and (because there is only one horizontal and one vertical guide that intersect in the center by default) how to add extra guide lines.
Show the Guides & Ruler
- Click the View tab and, from the Show area, select Guides. (Two guides appear on the slide by default, one vertical, the other horizontal.)
- Select Ruler from the Show area of the View tab.
Most people who use the guides need things lined up at specific measurable spots on the slide. The Ruler will help with this.
Reposition a Guide
- Click and hold one of the guides. (You will see a 0.00 indicating that the guide is in the center of the slide.)
- Drag the guide one direction or the other to change its position.
Create a New Guide
- Ensure the original guide is at its starting 0.00 position.
- Press the [Ctrl] key on your keyboard and then click and hold the guide. (When you drag you will create a new guide.)
- Place the new guide wherever you would like.
Be sure to release the mouse button first and then the [Ctrl] key. If you release the [Ctrl] key first the original guide will not be duplicated but will be repositioned instead.
Note: To delete a guide, simply drag it off the slide.
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If you love AJ's articles, you'll love her Optimizing PowerPoint Design for eLearning & Presentations mini course.
Another good point on guides (if you are using PowerPoint 2013) is that you can set them on your Slide Master as well...that way you won't accidentally drag them around in the normal view of your deck.
You can also now change their colors in 2013, which is helpful if you are setting multiple guides across your presentation for your different objects.
Posted by: Taylor | September 27, 2014 at 05:08 AM
Thanks Taylor, I use 2010 so that's great to know. I'm going to try out the master slide guides in 2010 as well and see if I can do that.
Posted by: AJ | October 15, 2014 at 04:25 PM