Make Custom PowerPoint Templates using Additional Slide Masters
PowerPoint templates typically include a title slide and a text slide. For variety, you can put additional background designs into your presentation using Format/Background. It's simple to apply an alternate background to one or more slides on an ad hoc basis.
But it takes a few steps, and if you plan to use a number of backgrounds in your presentations, there's a shortcut to save time...additional slide masters.
Starting with PowerPoint 2002, you can build a custom template with
alternate background designs and save the resulting custom sets as a template (.pot) to use for other presentations.
Let's start with a blank presentation and apply a design template.
(We're using the PowerFinish Purple Glow Design Set which is available as a free template download.)
Using Slide Master View,
we'll show you how to incorporate alternate slide backgrounds into a custom set for your presentations.
In Master View, insert a new slide master.
Creating Your Template
A thumbnail appears for your new slide master. Notice that it is
blank, so now we can apply an alternate slide background design using Format/Background.
We'll only add one slide master for this example, but you can repeat the
process for all the different backgrounds you want to use.
Notice the pushpin icon next to your new slide master?
That's the Preserve Master setting. In order to save
all of your master changes, you want to apply it to the original master pair and all of the alternate slide masters you have added. Just highlight the thumbnail and click on the Preserve Master (slides with a pushpin) icon in the Master toolbar.
Saving Your New PowerPoint Templates
Return to Normal View and choose Save As, select Design Template (.pot)
from the Save As Type drop down, give your template a new name and close the file. Your custom template is now available for any future PowerPoint presentations.
Using Your New Templates
Now, when you open a new presentation and select your new custom template,
PowerPoint will ask if you want to apply the multiple masters, choose Yes.
Tip: You'll see additional small slides in the corner
of the thumbnail of available design templates when you select a template with multiple masters.
Get a PowerPoint template plus alternate backgrounds in each Template Design Set.
Pick a template design for your presentation. Change to a new slide background to introduce another idea or emphasize specific content. You can confidently use any or all of the alternate slide design backgrounds in a single template set because they’re all guaranteed to look great together!