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Home > Jan's CompLit 101 > Working with Presentations > Basics > Interface
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Jan's Working with Presentations

   Basics: Interface

The user interface for PowerPoint is a bit more complex that other programs.

PowerPoint's Workspace

PowerPoint's workspace has three PowerPoint panes in the Normal view, which is where you do most of your work:

  • Navigation pane, which can show either slide thumbnails or an outline
  • Slide pane
  • Notes pane

There are also a few panes that appear only when needed, like the Clipboard pane and the Format Shape pane.

All of these parts makes for a crowded window. You will really appreciate a big monitor with a high resolution. If there is not enough room for you to work, you can hide the panes that you do not need at the moment. If you drag the right edge of the Navigation pane to the left, the slide thumbnails will get smaller.

Pane: Navigation Pane: Slide Pane: Notes Status Bar PowerPoint window with panes labeled: Navigation, Slide, Notes (PowerPoint 2010)

Normal view -with the panes and Status Bar labeled

Icon: Mouse click Click on a label of the illustration above and see an explanation below.

Icon: Mouse click Show all explanations at once (good for printing)

Explanation:


Back to illustration of PowerPoint's Workspace Icon: Up arrow