How to format text in PowerPoint

The easiest way to make a presentation is to do it with PowerPoint. But maybe this time you would like your presentation to look a bit different. You might already know that you can format any text in PowerPoint, but did you know that you can also use WordArt in your PowerPoint presentation? Find out in this article how to change text to WordArt, insert columns and hyperlinks as well as how to apply formatting and styles.

Changing text to WordArt

Sometimes you may want to change the text and make it fancy. You can use WordArt for this.

1. Select the text to change
2. As you are in a text box which technically is a shape you should see the Drawing Tools Format Ribbon

Figure 199- change text to WordArt

3. In the WordArt Styles group select the style for the text you have selected.

Figure 200- choose the style

The text will change

Figure 201- style applied

Creating multiple columns in a single shape

Now you can create columns inside a shape so if you want to have columns inside a text box this is what you do:

1. Click on the shape in which you want to add columns
2. Click on the Home Ribbon
3. Click on the Columns icon
4. Select the number of columns – for more than three click More Columns and type in how many you want.

Figure 202- add columns to a shape

To adjust the spacing between the columns:

1. Click on the shape or text box with the columns
2. Click on the Home Ribbon
3. Click on the Columns Icon
4. Select More Columns
5. Click on the Spacing up or down arrows or type in the specific size

Figure 203- set number of columns

Inserting hyperlinks

Hyperlinks can take you to:

1. A website
2. Another slide
3. Open another document – spreadsheet, or presentation

Figure 204 – hyperlink icon
Select the text or object you want to turn into a linkCreate a hyperlink

1. On the Insert Ribbon click on Hyperlink

Figure 205 – add a hyperlink

Applying formatting and styles to text

Text can be formatted in the normal way by selecting it and applying various effects, for example, change the font, the colour, the size, text direction, apply a shadow, stretch, or change case.

You can also change the text direction, and set how the text aligns relative to the placeholder, top, middle or bottom.

You can even convert text to SmartArt.

Figure 206- change style and formatting of text

Creating bulleted and numbered Lists

Bulleted lists make up the majority of text we see in many presentations. Be careful as too many lists or too much text is hard to read although a bulleted or numbered list is easier to read than a whole paragraph of text.

To create a bulleted list

In the standard placeholder, a bulleted list is the default setting for text entry – simply click in and type, when you press Enter, the next line will have a bullet.

Figure 207- bulleted list

To turn standard text into a bulleted list:

In a text box:

Figure 208- apply bullets

1.       Type the text

2.       Select the list

3.       Click the Bulleted List icon

Note that you can click on the bullet icon to apply the standard bullets.

Click the drop down arrow to pick a different type of bullet from the gallery.

Once you click on the bullet you want, the list will change.

Change the look of the bullets

You can pick from the bullets on offer from the gallery or you can modify them and make them your own.

Create a numbered list

We hope you found this article helpful and learned something new. You might also want to check out other PowerPoint blogs such as “How to present a PowerPoint presentation online”, “3 Simple Ways to Make a Creative Design in PowerPoint” or “How to use masters in Power Point 2013“