Create a pop-up window

How can you create a popup or cause an image to appear on a single slide only if it is clicked on or scrolled over in PowerPoint? It would be like on a web page, where you click or rollover a spot on the slide and reveal an explanation box or another small image

Pop-up windows and images that appear when you click are a great way to add interactivity to PowerPoint. You can use them in an educational or business context.

One way to accomplish this on Windows (PC) is with triggers. (Unfortunately, the Mac version of PowerPoint doesn’t support triggers.) What are triggers? They are objects that you click to cause some animation to occur. Essentially, you turn an object into a clickable button. To use this method, create the buttons and the pop-up windows. In this slide, the red dots are the buttons and I used AutoShape callouts for the pop-up windows. You could also use images or any other object that you can insert on a slide. For the entrance custom animation for the callouts, I chose Zoom. To add it, choose Slide Show> Custom Animation (in PowerPoint 2007, Animations tab> Custom Animation). Select the object, and choose Add Effect> Entrance> Zoom. If you don’t see that option, choose More Effects first.

buttons and the pop-up windows

When you have your object animated, click its item in the Custom Animation task pane and choose Timing to open the Zoom dialog box (the name of the dialog box is named according to the animation you chose).

choose Timing to open the Zoom dialog box

Click the Triggers button and choose the Start Effect on Click of option. From the drop-down list, choose the object that you want to click. Click OK.

Repeat for each callout and button object.

Ellen Finkelstein can train you or the presenters in your organization to create high-impact, engaging, professional presentations for training, sales, business, or education. For more information, please click here.