Design Master Problems (Powerpoint 2002)

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I have an interesting problem that seems unsolveable.

User here has created a Design Template from scratch and configured background, text, pictures etc to use as a group-wide template. Even though it is saved as a template and in the correct Templates folder, if you try to use it as the Basis of a new presentation from the Design templates bit of the panel, it reverts to the standard blank design. If you manage to get the correct layout into the new presentation and then Add New Slide, even though the template has been applied to all slides, the new slide comes up with the blank template design not the one created. In fact, the Design Pane shows the blank presentation as being the Slide Master in use and not with the configured background etc even though the filename is as intended.

Anyone seen this before or know of a fix?

Rob

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Did your user add the background etc. to the Slide Master and Title Master? If only a slide was modified, its design won’t be applied to new slides. New slides get their design from the Slide Master.

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What Hans said, Rob.
There’s a nice tutorial on creating templates that should help here. http://www.indezine.com/products/powerpoint/ppcreatemp.html%5B/url%5D

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This is the response from the user: “To answer the question below,I tried to go the route of dealing with a slide master, but it won’t let me change the design or layout as I want….same problem you saw yesterday – choosing the “image” of the slide layout or design you want and choosing the option to apply has no effect.

The answer to his question about whether I applied the background, etc, to the maser slide is “no”. Surely a template is meant to be something you can apply as a “whole”, not have to redesign each time from scratch on a master slide.

The fact that the pre-fabricated designs, etc, can be applied to slides with no problem, while my design, whilst appearing in the listing, cannot, suggests there is a real problem, not just me not applying the right thing to the right level. Either that or it is so unintuitive as to be unusable!”

I will forward the tutorial on though, thanks

Rob

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I understand your user’s frustration, Rob, but you might tell him/her that those prefabricated designs are all created using the slide masters. If they were to open a POT (PPT Template) file and go to View/Master, they’ll see how those are set up.

If much of the work has been done on a regular slide already, it’s possible to use CTRL+A to select all, then switch to View/Master/Slide Master and paste. That’s perfect for getting graphics, etc., on the slide master for use as a design template, but the user will want to set the font and bullet color and size using the text placeholders that are on the master already. So in fact, it may be better to select all on the slide, then hold down the Shift button and deselect the text placeholders on the slide, then paste to the master.

The user could also modify an existing template which is close to what he/she wants. Again, open the POT (template) file, go to View/Master/Slide Master and make changes as necessary there. Then save with a new name.

However, I really think that tutorial will help the user understand much better how to use the master. No, masters aren’t always as intuitive as we users would like, but once they’re mastered (pun intended), they can be very powerful.

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