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LESSON ONE Introduction
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Exploring the PowerPoint
skill 4 Window
One of the best ways to start learning how to use a new program effectively is to explore the
overview program’s application window and features. PowerPoint’s interface uses elements common to
all Microsoft Office 2007 applications, such as the Ribbon, the Quick Access toolbar, and
window viewing controls, as well as features unique to PowerPoint. PowerPoint is designed
so you can perform all of the program’s commands from the main window and Ribbon.
how to
Familiarize yourself with the PowerPoint window to gain a better understanding of its
functions and features.
1. At the very top of the PowerPoint window is the Title bar that displays the name of the
current file. At its left end, to the right of the Office button, is the Quick Access toolbar
tip (Figure 1-11). This toolbar contains buttons for often used commands, such as Save, Undo
Be sure that the and Redo. You can easily add and remove commands from the Quick Access toolbar as
presentation you created you like.
in the previous skill 2. To the right of the Quick Access toolbar is the name of the current presentation (in this
appears in Normal view case, First Presentation.pptx) and the program name. At the far right of the Title bar are
in the active window, as three sizing buttons: Minimize reduces the window to a program button on the
shown in Figure 1-15. Windows taskbar; Restore down reverts the window to its last customized size and
If the window looks location; and Close terminates the entire program, or, if you have more than one
different, click the PowerPoint file open, closes just that file. If you resize the window to a smaller size, the
Normal View button at Restore down button is replaced by a Maximize button , which restores the window to
the lower-right of your its full-screen size.
screen.
3. Below the Title bar is the Ribbon. The Ribbon is a strip of commands, as buttons, drop-
down lists, or text boxes along the top of the PowerPoint window. At the top of the Ribbon
are tabs that organize commands according to the main phases of working on a
presentation. Within each tab, commands are organized into groups. Click the Home tab if
it is not already selected. The Home tab has the most commonly used commands for
working on a presentation: copying and pasting text (Clipboard group); adding and
deleting slides (Slides group); formatting text (Font and Paragraph groups), adding and
editing pictures (Drawing group), and general editing tools (Editing group).
4. Click each Ribbon tab to view the groups of commands located in each. Click the Home
tab when you are done.
5. Notice that some of the groups of commands are grayed out, such as the Font group. This
means the commands cannot, at present, be chosen. In the Office 2007 interface,
commands are de-activated, or grayed out, until you are working with an element that can
be altered with those commands. Click within the text Introducing PowerPoint 2007 on
the Title slide. Now that you have activated a box, or placeholder, that contains text, the
Fonts and Paragraph groups of commands on the Ribbon bar are activated (Figure 1-12).
Also activated are any context-sensitive tabs, or contextual tabs. Contextual tabs are hidden
until you are working with an element that requires additional commands. In this case, you
have clicked on a placeholder that you can apply visual effects to, so the contextual tab
Drawing Tools: Format displays on the Ribbon. The Drawing Tools: Format tab
contains commands you can use for formatting placeholder shapes and styles.
6. Click the contextual tab Drawing Tools: Format to view this collection of tools.

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I n t e r @ c t i v e L e a r n i n g S e r i e s
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Figure 1-11 PowerPoint Title bar and Ribbon
Commands Quick Font group is Tabs Minimize Restore Close
are organized Access grayed out down/Maximize
in groups toolbar because no text
boxes are
selected on the
slide
Dialog box
launcher
Figure 1-12 PowerPoint window
Change
Case button
When a slide element
is selected, contextual
tabs holding tools
specific to modifying Zoom In
that element, appear
Zoom slider
Zoom Out
Current
zoom level
Previous
Slide
Next Slide
Status Notes pane View buttons Drag to adjust
information (Normal View, Slide window size
Sorter View, Slide
Show View)