shortcuts

Instantly Select The Box – Not The Text

With text boxes, or autoshapes with text in them, there are two types of selection:
1. Selecting the text so it can be edited.
2. Selecting the shape so it can be edited or moved.

Selecting the text is easy, just click inside the box near the text and you get the text cursor. Note, when you have text selected the shape has a dotted line border.

But to select the shape I see people struggle all the time. The three common ways are:
1. Select the text, then carefully click on the dotted line border to change the selection to the shape.
2. Carefully position mouse at edge of shape and click (same as #1, but skipping the text selection – usually).
3. Select the text, then press the ESCape key to change the selection to the shape (this is a great trick if you are unfamiliar with it).

But the 4th, and often best, way to select a shape and not the text is also the easiest.
4. Hold the shift key and click on the shape – anywhere. This only allows the shape to be selected, never the text.

Note: the border is a solid line when the shape is selected.

– Troy @ TLC

By |2016-09-16T10:54:15-07:00March 10th, 2009|Tutorial|

Resize and Keep Aspect Ratio: PPT vs. Photoshop

Another great feature is resizing (enlarging or shrinking) images and autoshapes from any corner and have it maintain the same aspect ratio.

This feature is available in PowerPoint and Photoshop, using the SAME key combination.

PowerPoint: SHIFT + adjust with mouse

Photoshop: SHIFT + adjust with mouse

– Troy @ TLC

By |2016-09-16T11:10:07-07:00January 25th, 2009|Tutorial|

Resize From Center: PPT vs. Photoshop

A great feature is resizing (enlarging or shrinking) images and autoshapes from their center point.

This feature is available in PowerPoint and Photoshop, but using different key combinations.

PowerPoint: CTRL + SHIFT + adjust with mouse

Photoshop: CTRL + ALT + adjust with mouse

– Troy @ TLC

By |2016-09-16T11:10:30-07:00January 23rd, 2009|Tutorial|

Group to Adjust Line Length in PPT 07

Okay so the ‘little’ bug in PPT 2007 is driving you crazy! The fix is on the way with SP2 for Office 2007 (really), but you need to adjust the length of your straight lines today.

Here is a PPT 07 line

To adjust length AND maintain same angle you hold down the SHIFT KEY + CLICK on end of line and it zooms out to infinity

One solution is to duplicate the line, group the 2 lines together, then adjust the length of the group

The original line stays in the same position, the length was adjusted, the angle was maintained! Now ungroup and delete the duplicate line leaving you with the adjusted line (made shorter in this example)

– Troy @ TLC

By |2016-11-17T12:03:05-07:00January 15th, 2009|Tutorial|

Open PowerPoint in Safe Mode

This is one of those – I hope you don’t need to do this – actions. But recently one of the computers here suddenly decided it did not want to have fonts work (line spacing was all messed up). So after troubleshooting everyway possible, verifying files opened fine on other computers, etc. I had the faint memory of being able to start any office application in Safe Mode.

After a quick search on the PPTFAQ (thanks Steve!) I restarted PowerPoint in Safe Mode by holding down the CTRL key.

Not sure what the solution was (not opening with AutoCorrect or Recent Documents…. ?), but the file opened and displayed text as designed. Closed PowerPoint, launched again and all was fine from there.

So when all else fails, starting PowerPoint with no extended features using Safe Mode can be your best friend.

– Troy @ TLC

By |2016-11-17T12:37:52-07:00September 12th, 2008|Tutorial|

ESCape Key as an Instant Undo (CTRL Z)

Another nifty keyboard shortcut is like an instanteous undo. Say you are adjusting the size of an image and while adjusting you see it really is not what you want to do.

At this moment you have 3 choices:
1. Try to resize to the original and then unclick
2. Unclick and use the Undo button or CTRL+Z to undo the resizing
3. Click the ESCape key while still holding your mouse click. Whatever action you started (move object, resize object, crop object, etc.) is ended you are instantly back where you started before the mouse click!

– Troy @ TLC

By |2016-11-17T13:12:45-07:00April 4th, 2008|PowerPoint, Tutorial|

Use Space Bar to Stop Actions (PPT 2007)

I made reference to this in the previous posts “option 2” solution. A way to stop many editing actions at the exact point you want is to use the space bar.

Adding or adjusting a line can be tricky right now in PowerPoint 2007. Because some mice tend to be a bit jumpy when you release the click the line has moved a bit from your ideal location.

What you can do is click and drag to the length you want (can be longer or shorter). Then press the space bar. Using the space bar is the same as releasing, or unclicking.

Also works with adjusting images or autoshapes size, including using the crop tool.

It is bit difficult to figure this action out without doing it. Open PowerPoint 2007 and try using the space bar instead of unclicking.

– Troy @ TLC

By |2016-11-17T13:14:16-07:00April 2nd, 2008|PowerPoint, Tutorial|

To Infinity and Beyond! (PPT2007 Lines)

To Infinity and Beyond! or at least that may be what the programmer was thinking when it comes to adjusting straight lines in PowerPoint 2007.

If you have not experienced this bug, here a quick overview:
– Add a straight line to slide

– Hold down shift key (to keep it on a 90′ axis) and click the end point.
– ZOOM, the line immediately extends forever

But there are solutions! Note: be sure all updates to Office 2007 are installed. A fairly recent update/hotfix has made the below solutions work. So if they do not work on your computer, you may be missing an update.

Option 1 – Get on the Line
– If working with thicker lines this bug does not act as “buggy”.
– Continue to hold down the click when you try to extend a line and it has shot off into the next universe
– Carefully postion the cursor at the desired length and exactly in the middle of the width of the line it will snap back to the cursor
– Thicker lines are easier to position cursor in the middle, thin lines have a smaller middle and are more difficult
– This is much easier when using a trackball style mouse where you can maintain the click and not have the cursor move even 1 pixel as long as the trackball is not touched. I do this fairly easily with my LogicTech Trackman, but almost impossible with my Wacom tablet

Option 2 – Space Bar
Many thanks to PPT MVP Jean-Pierre for getting my brain wrapped around this work around. Here is what you do:
– Add a straight line to slide

– Hold down shift key (to keep it on a 90′ axis) and click the end point and ignore it zooming off into infinity

– Don’t let go of your mouse/unclick!
– Position cursor to where you want the lines new length to be
– Press the SPACE BAR and the line snaps to that position!

– Troy @ TLC

By |2016-11-17T13:14:37-07:00March 31st, 2008|PowerPoint, Tutorial|

Get Rid of That Mouse

Recently while watching a presentation here is one of those little pet peeves that I just experienced. A movie plays on a slide and the computer mouse appears onscreen – usually sitting right on top of the movie.

Don’t panic, just click the “A” key to quickly and gracefully make it disappear. The “A” stands for Appear, or in this case disAppear.

– Troy @ TLC

By |2016-11-17T13:15:24-07:00March 28th, 2008|PowerPoint, Tutorial|
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