Create and save a presentation as a template

When you create a presentation, and then save it as a PowerPoint Template (.potx) file, you can share it with your colleagues and reuse it more than once.

Notes: 

• To apply a new or different PowerPoint 2007 template that already exists, see Apply a PowerPoint 2007 template.

In this article

What is a PowerPoint 2007 template?

Best practice for creating a template

Create a PowerPoint template

Save a presentation as a PowerPoint template (.potx)

What is a PowerPoint 2007 template?

Text in placeholders 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)

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Best practice for creating a template

When you create a template, add any content to the slide master in Slide Master view that you want to protect from being changed by users of your template, such as instructional prompt text, logos, header and footer information, subject matter content, a background, formatting, colors, fonts, and effects.

Users of your template will work in Normal view, guided by the instructional prompts that you added. The template users will replace the instructional prompt text and other placeholder content with data that is specific to their own project or presentation.

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Create a PowerPoint template

1. Open a blank presentation, and then on the View tab, in the Presentation Views group, click Slide Master.

2. On the Slide Master tab, in the Edit Master group, click Insert Slide Master.

   Notes: 

   • In the slide thumbnail pane, the slide master represents the larger slide image, and the associated layouts are positioned beneath it.

   • Many presentations contain more than one slide master, so you may have to scroll to find the one that you want.

3. To begin customizing the slide master, do one or more of the following:

   • To remove any of the built-in slide layouts that accompany the default slide master, in the slide thumbnail pane, right-click each slide layout that you don't want to use, and then click Delete Layout.

   • To remove an unwanted, default placeholder, in the slide thumbnail pane, click the slide layout that contains the placeholder, click the border of the placeholder in the presentation window, and then press DELETE.

   • To add a text placeholder, in the slide thumbnail pane, click the slide layout that you want to contain the placeholder, and then do the following:

4. On the Slide Master tab, in the Master Layout group, click Insert Placeholder, and then click Text.

5. Click a location on the slide master, and then drag to draw the placeholder.

   Tip: To resize a placeholder, drag the corner of one of its borders.

6. Type descriptive text that prompts the users of your template to enter specific information.

   • To add other types of placeholders that contain content such as pictures, clip art, SmartArt graphics, charts, movies, sounds, and tables, on the Slide Master tab, in the Master Layout group, click the type of placeholder that you want to add.

   • To apply a theme (to include color, formatting, effects, in a layout) to your presentation, on the Slide Master tab, in the Edit Theme group, click Themes, and then click a theme.

   • To change the background, on the Slide Master tab, in the Background group, click Background Styles, and then click a background.

   • To set the page orientation for all of the slides in your presentation, on the Slide Master tab, in the Page Setup group, click Slide Orientation, and then click either Portrait or Landscape.

   • To add text to appear in the footer at the bottom of all of the slides in your presentation, do the following:

     1. On the Insert tab, in the Text group, click Header & Footer.

     2. In the Header and Footer dialog box, on the Slide tab, select the Footer check box, and then type the text that you want to appear at the bottom of your slides.

     3. To display the footer content on all slides, click Apply to All.

        Note: For more information about using headers and footers, see Add a header or footer and Change or delete header and footer information in a presentation.

Save a presentation as a PowerPoint template (.potx)

1. Click the Microsoft Office Button , and then click Save As.

2. In the File name box, type a file name, or do nothing to accept the suggested file name.

3. In the Save as type list, click PowerPoint Template, and then click Save.

   Tip: Save your templates to the Templates folder at C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Templates\ to make them easier to locate.

4. If you need assistance applying your new template to a presentation, see Apply a PowerPoint 2007 template.

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