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You are here: Home / Design / Slide layout / Create a custom layout

Create a custom layout

February 13, 2002 by Ellen Finkelstein 3 Comments

READ LATER - DOWNLOAD THIS POST AS PDF >> CLICK HERE <<
Layouts help you lay out the components of your slide and PowerPoint comes with many of them. Here’s a sample.
slide components

slide components

Unfortunately, PowerPoint versions before 2007 don’t have a feature to let you create custom layouts that appear in the Layout taskpane.

Suppose you’re a sales manager and create lots of comparison slides to train your sales reps. Here’s an example:

comparison slide

comparison slide

You want the layout to look something like this:
desired layout for the example

desired layout for the example

 

Thankfully, PowerPoint 2007 and later allow you to create custom layouts, using one of 8 placeholders:

  • Content
  • Text
  • Picture
  • Chart
  • Table
  • SmartArt
  • Media
  • Clip Art

Follow these steps to create a custom layout:

  1. Click the View tab, then click the Slide Master button in the Presentation Views group. The slide master appears.
  2. On the Slide Master tab, in the Edit Master group, choose Insert Layout. A new layout appears in the left pane.
  3. Again on the Slide Master tab, in the Master Layout group, click the Insert Placeholder button’s down arrow and choose one of the 8 placeholder types.
  4. Drag on the slide to size and place the placeholder.
  5. Place more placeholders, laying them out as needed.
  6. When you’re done, click the layout in the left pane, and display the Slide Master tab. In the Edit Master group, click the Rename button. Enter a name and click Rename.
  7. The presentation now contains the new layout and you can choose it the same way you’d choose any of the standard layouts for any slide.
  8. If you want to use the layout in the future, save the file as a template (.potx, or .potm if it contains macros) or theme (thmx).

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READ LATER - DOWNLOAD THIS POST AS PDF >> CLICK HERE <<

Related posts:

  1. Create a product catalog with custom layouts
  2. Creating a grid for perfect layout
  3. Add flexibility with custom shows
  4. Reapply the Slide Layout

Filed Under: Slide layout Tagged With: custom layout, layout, PowerPoint, PowerPoint 2007, slides

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Mike Throssell
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Mike Throssell

Help. I can create a custome layout on my slide master, but when I Click on the New Slide Button my custom layout is not there. Any help would be appreciated.

Mike Throssell
Bedford
Endland

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10 years ago
trackback
How To Create A Custom Layout In Powerpoint | MY NEWS

[…] Create a custom layout – PowerPoint Tips Blog – This layout doesn’t exist in PowerPoint, but you can create it easily enough. Use any layout with a title, text placeholder, and content placeholder…. […]

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7 years ago
Vung
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Vung

After much googling, yours is the right answer to my question about my 2003 Power Point. You are the only one who points out about this restriction. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Now, I can go on my project. Once again, thank you.

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7 years ago
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