What is a PowerPoint template?

In this article

Overview of a PowerPoint template

 Notes 

A PowerPoint template is a pattern or blueprint of a slide or group of slides that you save as a .potx file. Templates can contain layouts (layout: The arrangement of elements, such as title and subtitle text, lists, pictures, tables, charts, shapes, and movies, on a slide.), theme colors (theme colors: A set of colors that is used in a file. Theme colors, theme fonts, and theme effects compose a theme.), theme fonts (theme fonts: A set of major and minor fonts that is applied to a file. Theme fonts, theme colors, and theme effects compose a theme.), theme effects (theme effects: A set of visual attributes that is applied to elements in a file. Theme effects, theme colors, and theme fonts compose a theme.), background styles, and even content.

You can create your own custom templates and store them, reuse them, and share them with others. Additionally, you can find many different types of free templates built-in to PowerPoint, and hundreds on Office.com and on other partner Web sites that you can apply to your presentation.

Some examples of templates on Office.com include, but are not limited to, the following:

Agendas Award certificates Brochures
Budgets Business cards Calendars
Content slides Contracts Databases
Design slides Diagrams Envelopes
Expense reports Fax sheets Flyers
Forms Gift certificates Greeting cards
Inventories Invitations Invoices
Labels Letters Lists
Memos Minutes Newsletters
Plans Planners Postcards
Purchase orders Receipts Reports
Resumes Schedules Schedules
Statements Stationary Time sheets

Most templates include the following components:

Soccer template

Callout 1 Subject matter-specific content, such as Certificate of Achievement, Soccer, and the soccer ball image
Callout 2 Background formatting, such as pictures, texture, gradient or solid fill color, and transparency. This example shows the light blue solid fill background
Callout 3 Color, fonts, effects (3-D, lines, fills, shadows, etc.), and theme design elements (such as the color and gradient effects inside the word Soccer)
Callout 4 Text in placeholders (placeholders: Boxes with dotted or hatch-marked borders that are part of most slide layouts. These boxes hold title and body text or objects such as charts, tables, and pictures.) that prompt people to enter specific information, such as Player's name, Name of coach, Date of presentation, and any variable, such as the year (2007)

Top of Page Top of Page

Links to more information about PowerPoint templates

Top of Page Top of Page

 
 
Applies to:
PowerPoint 2010