PowerPoint Backgrounds

**OzzyOsborn** · 15 August 2007, 02:09 PM

Hi I want to create interesting background JPEGs for use in PPT . Has anybody got an idiots guide to do this. I want to create 3D frames / borders etc to make dull corporate presentrations look stunning? Many thanks from a newby

**amoore** · 15 August 2007, 03:33 PM

Go at it as you would anything else.

Start with the dimensions you need for PowerPoint. I believe it's 10in x 7.5in. Then get creative. You might want to create a layer to hold boxes for text placement so you can keep the background reasonably plain under them.

Aside from that, it's up to you.

**jclements** · 15 August 2007, 04:41 PM

I use Xara all the time for PPoint. I set things up as Alison described, decide upon my general layout, colors to use (being sure to name them), fonts, etc. I try to replicate all the titlebars and any PowerPoint gradiations in Xara too. Then save it as a template.

Note, I write down the RGB values of my named colors and then create rectangles and text in PowerPoint and with fills using those same values. This loads those colors into PowerPoint's color-swatch that is displayed in its fill dialogs. I save those rectangles and text on a "dummy" slide. I can then copy and paste their fill attributes to other PPoint objects if necessary.

I export the Xara backgrounds, logos, bullets, etc., as 96dpi Transparent PNGs (sometimes greater if the slides are going to be printed). Then I import them into the PPoint Master Template, Normal Slide, or in the Bullet dialog.

I added a non-printable "Instructions" layer for people just beginning to use Xara.

John

An example file is attached.