A Beginner's Guide: Google Slides
Create a new Google Slides Presentation and Getting Started
Creating a new Google Slides deck is very similar to using Google Docs if you’ve used it before. First, you’ll have to sign into your Google account. (You will have to open a new account if you do not have one.) In order to access Google Slides, go into Google Drive and click New +. You should see Google Slides as an option beneath docs and sheets.
Google Slides Interface: Naming your blank presentation
Let’s get started on the first lesson of the beginner’s guide to Google slides! Start a new presentation file in no time! Again all these practices can be used for other services like Google Docs or Sheets. The first best practice is to name your Google Slides Presentation. In the top left of. your blank presentation, click on the text box that says “Untitled Presentation”. Enter the name of your Google Slides Presentation and press enter. As a recommendation, it may be helpful to put the date before the name or a number sequence if you are working with multiple Google Slides presentations. A standard naming convention is helpful especially if you are doing a training module, HR documentation, educational materials or multiple pitch decks. One of the most important lessons in designing many documents and decks is to keep organized and having a good naming system – it will go a long way. You can also consider naming your presentation after its version history to keep track. There are more ways to name your presentation but these are our starter tips.
Google Slides Interface: Saving your Presentation
You’ll see “Save to Drive” appear next to the name text box. A nice feature of using Google docs, slides and other services in G Suite is this auto-save feature. The document saves itself as you work, which makes sure you will never lose work! You can also click this cloud icon as a save button, so you have the option to save manually too. When you click this save button, make sure there is a checkmark on your cloud before you back out of Google Slides.
Google Slides Interface: Saving to a Folder and Creating New Folders
The next thing to check is where you will save this presentation file. By clicking on the folder icon, you can choose where to save your Google Slides in Google Drive. Select the folder you wish to save your presentation in.
Google Slides Interface: Locating your Slides presentation in Google Drive
All these folders are inside Google Drive. If you’d like to locate your folders with your google slides, navigate to Google Drive. Within Drive, you can either search for the folders in the search bar or they should appear right in the list of your storage. The search bar is the easiest and probably the way you want to use it to go to file quickly.
Google Slides Interface: Renaming your Google Slides presentation
Google Slides Interface: Starring a Presentation so you can find your file easily
A useful quick shortcut tool is you can also use the star icon to star your Google Slides presentations to make it easier to find in Google Drive. If you go to Google Drive and go under Starred, you will find your presentations there easily.
Google Slides Interface: Using or Changing a Theme / Templates
Let’s get started on a quick introduction of how to use the Google Slides interface before you start designing. On the right normally is your themes view, where you can apply a master theme to each slide by clicking on the design. This is pretty much a library of templates that are easy and free to use.Google Slides Interface: Add Text
Want to add text? Hover your mouse over “Click to Add Title”. Click and type in the title of your presentation. The same goes with the subtitle – click into the box and you can change the subtitle to whatever you’d like it to be.
Google Slides Interface: Formatting Text
In order to format the text, highlight the text and take a look at the menu bar right above the editor beneath the navigation bar:Changing the Font
One drop-down you will most likely use the most is changing the font. You’ll see the name of the font as its button. When you click on that, a drop-down of fonts will appear for your selection.Changing the style and colour of your text, and other formatting options
You’ll have to close your Themes’ gallery by clicking on the x on the right of your screen, or simply expand the window and you’ll see more text options. In the formatting bar, you can change the text size with the numerical button listed or make it Bold with the B or italic with the I, or underlined with U. You can also adjust the font colour with the A button and highlight text with the highlighter icon. You can hyperlink selected text with the chain link icon. You can leave a comment with the + in the chatbox icon. You can change alignment or line-height using the icons with the stacked lines or the lines with the vertical arrow. More options are available in the hamburger icon at the end of the formatting bar.The formatting functions are similar to using Word.
Changing the Text Box’s background
You can also create a background for your selected text box by using the paint bucket tool to the left.
How to move your text box around the interface
You can also move the text boxes by hovering your mouse over the blue outline and grabbing any one of the four lines of the box. Hold the click down and drag where you want to move your text box.You can also adjust the sides using the square points on the four corners and in the midpoint between the four corners. Google Slides also has smart guides to show you when things are centred or aligned relative to each other. If you see a red line appear between elements or in the centre, you know your text is aligned.
Google Slides Interface: Creating New Slides
Now that you have your title slide, you probably want more slides, like say a table of contents, a couple of content slides, and a thank you. In order to make a new slide, look to the left of the screen. Using the plus symbol, you can make a new slide by clicking on it. Depending on what theme you chose, the new slide will auto-design itself.
Google Slides Interface: Insert Images
In order to insert an image or add a new image, go to Insert on the navigation bar above. The image should be the first option and you have the option to insert it from your computer or online or from your Google account. Use the upload dialogue box to add a new image. You can also search on the web by using search to add a new image. If you’d like to resize the image, you can grab the corners and it will scale as you size up or down. You can also move the image around by clicking on the image and dragging it with your mouse. Viola! It was easy to add a new image or picture to your presentation.Present Your Slideshow!
Once you are done designing, there are several ways to present your slideshow. The simplest way is to click Present on the top right. This will make your presentation go full-screen and you can present via your computer or screen share. In this mode, you’ll see the presenting navigation bar at the bottom left. You can navigate each slide by using the drop-down or the left/right arrows on the navbar or on your keyboard. To exit fullscreen, press ESC on your keyboard, use the exit on the navigation bar or if you see a windowed version of the presentation, hit the top window bar’s x button.
