ppt presentation notes

Notes Master in PowerPoint (Everything You Need to Know!)

By: Author Shrot Katewa

There are times when I often forget to talk about every single point that I had planned for when giving a presentation. This is not an uncommon phenomenon. That is exactly when PowerPoint notes can come in handy! But, to leverage the power of notes in PowerPoint, you need to understand the notes master in PowerPoint thoroughly.

The notes master in PowerPoint is a feature that allows you to control the settings of the notes section of PowerPoint. It allows you to change layouts, font size, font type, font style, and much more. To enable the Notes Master in PowerPoint, click on the “View” ribbon and then on “Notes Master”.

Through this article, I am going to talk about how you can use the Notes Master for making presenter notes. I’m also going to share the type of problems you might face in the Notes Master and how you can solve them. Plus, I’ll also provide you with some ninja tips to make this tool helpful for you!

So, let’s get started!

What are Presenter Notes in PowerPoint?

When you are presenting in front of an audience, they will either look at the information written on the presentation slide or listen to what you are saying.

If there is too much information on the presentation slide, it will be hard for the audience to process all the information. This is why presentation design often follows a minimal design style.

But, keeping minimal text on the slide can also be a problem – now your audience needs to pay close attention to what you are saying in order to understand the context of the presentation. While that is great if you want to grab their attention, this also means you need to make sure that you don’t miss out on a point! This is where presenter notes can come in handy.

Presenter Notes, also known as speaker notes, are the key points, important messages, or information in a summarized format on an individual slide. Making the notes handy helps the presenter to deliver his or her message clearly to the audience.

Presenter Notes helps the presenter navigate each slide while providing relevant information for that particular slide.

Think of the presenter Notes as a scratch piece of paper, where you can put all the key messages or important stats so that the audience can understand what you are saying.

You can also use presenter Notes to add more information about your presentation slide’s animations or to add important links and how to navigate through your PowerPoint slides.

What is Notes Master in PowerPoint?

Notes Master is a powerful tool in the Microsoft PowerPoint application that allows you to create, edit, and customize your presenter Notes.

The note Master is located in the “View” tab inside the PowerPoint application. Select the “View” tab. Now choose “Notes Master” from the “Master Views” group. This will open the Notes Master menu.

What Can You Do with Notes Master?

You can use notes master to create, edit, and customize the settings and appearance of your presenter notes in the PowerPoint application.

The notes master also allows you to customize the appearance of your speaker notes when they are printed out.

For instance, you can change the page layout, text format, text color, page orientation of the presenter notes using the Notes Master tool. This truly is a powerful editing tool that gives you complete control over the appearance of your presenter note section.

How to Use Notes Master in PowerPoint?

To use the notes master for your presentation slide, first, you have to open the notes master tool. To do that, follow the steps given below –

Step 1 – Click on the View Tab

The first thing is to open your PowerPoint slides presentation. Once the slide is open in the PowerPoint application, click on the “ View ” tab located in the menu bar of your PowerPoint application.

Step 2 – Choose Notes Master

Clicking on the “ View ” tab will open a command window. From there, choose the “ Notes Master ” from the “ Master Views ” group. This will open the “Notes Master” menu.

Step 3 – Customize the Notes Master

From the notes master editor menu, you can customize your presenter notes.

To do that, first, check the placeholders that you want to use and uncheck those that you don’t want in your presenter Notes. There are several parameters included in the “Placeholder” group. These are- date, slide image, body, header, page number, and footer.

You can view the changes that you make in the Notes Master preview section (the white section displayed).

You can also change the presenter note page orientation into either landscape or portrait mode. There are also some additional editing tools like text font size, text color, background style, and much more that you can mess around with to make your Notes much more attractive.

Once you are done customizing your presenter notes pages you can close the “Notes Master” menu. To do that, just simply click on the “Close Master View” button located on the Notes Master menu.

How to Print PowerPoint Presentation Notes?

Now that you know how to customize your notes in a PowerPoint presentation, it is time for you to add notes to your slides.

Once you have created your notes in the PowerPoint presentation slides, you can easily print them along with the slides and prepare for giving the presentation even when you are not in front of a computer.

Step 1 – Click on the File Option

To print notes in PowerPoint, click on the “File” tab located in the top left corner of your screen.

Step 2 – Click on Print from the Options on the Left

When the file option is clicked from the menu bar, a new window will be presented. From there, select “Print”. Another window will open as a result.

Step 3 – Choose the “Notes Pages” Print Layout Option

From the new window, choose the “Full Page Slides” located in the “Settings” menu. From there, select “Note Pages” as your print layout. You will see a preview of how your presenter note pages will look like.

Step 4 – Click on Print

If you want to make changes to any other print settings, you can do that too. Once you are done, all you have to do is to click on the “Print” button. And your Notes will be printed.

How to Apply Notes Master to All Slides?

Like other Master tools in the PowerPoint, any changes in the Notes Master command menu will be applied to all the slides in the presentation file. But the Notes Master tool is still undergoing some development and it is still missing some features.

When you are using this tool, sometimes many random things can happen to your note pages. For example, if you change anything in the Notes Master menu, it may not be applied to all slides. And Notes Master has no feature that you can use to apply the changes to all the slides at once. In such a case, you will need to apply Notes Master to individual slides.

This can be quite bothersome and time consuming if there are a lot of slides in the presentation file and you need to check each slide and apply the changes individually. But there is an alternative method that you can use to apply Notes Master to all slides using a Microsoft Visual Basic script.

To use this method, follow the step-by-step guide given below:

First, go to the “ Developer ” tab located on the top of your screen. The developer menu will open.

From the developer menu, click on the “ Visual Basic ” option. A new window will open.

From the new window, click on “ Insert ” located on the top left corner of the screen. From the dropdown menu, select “ Module ”. An editor window will open.

In the editor window, paste the following Microsoft Visual Basic script:

After pasting the script to the editor window, press “ F5 ” or click on “ Run>Run Sub/UserForm ” It will take some time to reapply Notes Master to all the slides depending on the number of slides in the presentation file. Once the reapply process is done, you will see that your problem is solved.

Note: This method works on Microsoft PowerPoint version 2007 or above. For some of you, you might notice that the “Developer” tab is missing in your PowerPoint application. In this case, read the following section to enable the developer tab in PowerPoint.

How to Enable the Developer Tab in PowerPoint?

In order to expedite certain processes in PowerPoint, you can always use the visual basic codes through the developer tab just as we showcased in the previous example. But, you often don’t get to see the “Developer” tab by default in PowerPoint.

In fact, I covered this topic of Enabling Developer Tab in PowerPoint in thorough detail a little while ago. Please go through this article as it also includes the process for PowerPoint on Mac!

[Tutorial!] How to Enable Developer Tab in PowerPoint?

In case you prefer reading on this page, below is a summarized version of the steps that you need to take to enable the developer tab in PowerPoint.

Step 1: First, click on the “File” tab located in the top left corner of the application. A new window will open.

Step 2: From there, select “Options” located in the bottom left corner of the application.

Step 3: Now from the newly opened window, select the “customize ribbon” option. From there, locate “Customize the ribbon” and under that select “Main Tab.”

Step 4: Now locate the “Developer” tab and make sure that there is a checkmark beside it. Now press “Ok”. Now if you return to your presentation slide, you will notice that the “Developer” tab has been added to your PowerPoint application’s ribbon.

How to Reset Notes Master in PowerPoint?

As mentioned before, Notes Master is still a bit buggy. Sometimes you might see that the size of your note page is not what you set earlier or some texts or graphics in the slide might appear in some weird spots in your presenter Notes. In these circumstances, resetting the Notes Master can solve these problems.

Here’s how to reset notes master in PowerPoint –

• Go to the “View” Ribbon.
• Select “Notes Master”
• Uncheck all options under “Placeholders”
• Then, recheck all options under “Placeholders”
• Set the “Notes Page Orientation” as Portrait

In case you need visual aids, here’s the step-by-step process with pictures.

Open the presentation slide, go to the “ View ” tab located on the main ribbon of your PowerPoint application. Select “ Notes Master ” from there.

Uncheck all the options that are grouped under “Placeholder” and make sure that you check them again. This should reset the Notes Master in the PowerPoint application.

Make sure that the “Notes Page Orientation” of the “Notes Master” is set to “ Portrait ” as that is the default orientation of the notes master in PowerPoint.

How to Present PowerPoint without Showing Notes?

Presenter Notes will allow you to keep track of the key points and important stats of your presentation. But you need to make sure that your Notes remain hidden while you are presenting in front of an audience. And to do that, follow the steps given below:

Step 1: First, you will need to connect the projector screen or a second display to your computer. The second display or projector screen will be the one that your audience will be able to see.

Step 2: Now Open the “Display settings” from the control panel. From there, make your computer monitor your primary display by simply checking the “Make this my main display” option.

Step 3: Now choose “Extend These Displays” from the display settings window and close it.

Step 4: Now open your PowerPoint presentation slide and click on the “Slide Show” tab located on the main ribbon of the application.

From there, checkmark the “Use Presenter View” located in the “Monitors” cluster. You will see that the monitors are added on the “Monitors” option.

From there, select the secondary monitor or projector screen as your presentation display.

Step 5: Now press the slide show icon located on the taskbar of the PowerPoint application.

As a result, the presentation display will only show the slides whereas you will be able to see both the slides and Notes on your computer monitor.

Notes Master vs. Handout Master – What’s the Difference?

Notes Master and handout Master in the Microsoft PowerPoint application are more or less similar when it comes to customization and formatting Notes. However, there are some key differences present between them.

How does Notes Master Compare to Handout Master?

Notes Master tool is designed to create, edit, and customize presenter Notes. The Notes created in the presentation slide can help the speaker to keep track of key points while presenting his or her slides in front of an audience. Typically, each note page contains only one slide.

On the other hand, “Handout Master” is a tool created to make audience handouts. These handouts contain key points from the presentation slide which can help the audience to understand the presenter’s message much more clearly. Handouts usually contain more than one slide per page.

Notes Master or Handout Master – which is better?

The editing options are somewhat similar for both handout Master and Notes Master. However, Notes Master offers more placeholder options to format note pages. And Notes are typically helpful to only the presenter. In this regard, Notes Master is better compared to handout Master.

However, you should use handout Master if and only if you need to include texts and graphics for the audience handouts. But the features and functionality are almost similar for both Notes Master and handout Master. So, even if you only know how to use Notes Master, you will face no problem using the handout Master.

How to Fix Notes Master in PowerPoint?

Notes Master has a lot of bugs. They can be quite bothersome. These bugs can occur randomly. Some of these bugs include changing the note page layout or changing the page size and orientation. In such a case, you will need to troubleshoot Notes Master in PowerPoint.

To fix the page size, follow the steps given below:

Step 1: Frist, go to the “File” tab and select “Print>Print Properties.” From there, change the paper size to anything other than the “Letter” size. Now click “Ok” and return to your presentation slides.

Step 2: Follow the same methods explained in step 1 to change the page size. But this time set the page size to “Letter” and press “Ok.”

Step 3: Now go to the “View” tab and select “Notes Master.”

Step 4: When you are using the Notes Master, right-click on an empty space of your note page, and from the context menu click on “Notes Master Layout.” A dialogue box will open.

Step 5: From the dialogue box, uncheck everything and press “Ok.”

Step 6: Now repeat the process explained in step 4 and step 5. But this time, check all the options in the dialogue box and click “Ok.”

Then close the Notes Master view.

This should fix your problem with note page size problem. But your page layout will still appear a bit messy.

In order to fix the note page layout, follow these steps:

Step 1: Click on the “View” tab and select “Notes Master.”

Step 2: Now right-click on an empty space on the note page. This will open a context menu. From there select “Notes Layout>Reapply Master.”

Make sure that you check the “Body” and the “Slide image.” Otherwise, you will lose the note that you made previously in the presentation file. If they are checked by default, leave them as they were and proceed to the next step.

Step 3: Now press “Ok.” This will fix your note page layout.

Important Note: You will need to apply this method to the note pages individually. Because PowerPoint still doesn’t have the feature to apply Notes Master to all the slides at the same time.

Final Thoughts

After going through the entire article, I hope that you have learned everything there is about making speaker Notes using the Notes Master tool in the PowerPoint application. Put a lot of thoughts into how you can prepare your presenter Notes. This will make the presentation seem much more professional and you will be able to deliver your message clearly.

Image Credit for Featured Image

How to Add Notes to PowerPoint Presentations: A Comprehensive Guide

Sara Wanasek

Presenting a slideshow can be a daunting task, especially when you’re speaking to a large audience. Thankfully, most presentation software comes equipped with the ability to add notes to your slides, making it easier for you to stay on track and deliver a seamless presentation – no full memorization needed.

In this blog, we will explore two different ways that you can to add notes to PowerPoint:

• Presentation notes that you prepare in advance and only you can see or
• Adding live notes to your presentation for your audience to see

By leveraging these techniques, you’ll be able to engage your audience effectively and deliver memorable presentations. Let’s dive in.

How to Add Presenter Notes in PowerPoint

Presenter Notes in PowerPoint are notes that you can view on your screen while you are presenting. Your audience will not see these notes, just you, so you can stay on track, remember important points, and deliver your information clearly and easily. Presenters, here’s everything you need to know to add notes to PowerPoint.

Add Notes in Edit Mode

Notes can be added to any slide in PowerPoint. Follow these steps:

• Start by clicking on the Notes button located beneath each slide. If you don’t see it, click on the View tab at the top of the screen and then click on Notes Page.
• Begin typing your notes for that slide, providing additional details, reminders, or cues to guide your presentation.
• Repeat the process for each slide you want to add notes to.

Once you’ve added your notes, you’re ready to deliver your presentation with confidence!

Present with Notes

Now that your notes are added to your presentation, let’s learn how to use them during the presentation. Do note that to present with the Presenter Notes, you will need to be connected to another screen or projector.

• First, select the Slide Show tab in the PowerPoint ribbon
• In the Set Up section, click the check box for Presenter View
• Enter Presentation Mode! You should see your presentation on one screen (such as your projector) and your notes displayed on the other screen (such as your laptop).

⚠️ If the Presenter view appears on the wrong screen, you can swap this by clicking on the Display Setting on top of the Presenter view screen.

As you move through your slides, your notes will automatically advance with the slides, keeping you right on track.

Print Notes

If you prefer a physical copy of your notes to present with or want to share it with your audience, you can print them from PowerPoint.

To do this go into File → Print → and under Settings , choose Notes Pages . Now, you can Print .

Presenting with notes in your PowerPoint presentation helps you stay on track, maintain confidence, engage your audience, adapt to unexpected situations, and appear professional and organized, ultimately leading to a smoother, more impactful delivery. But what if you want to further explain a concept with notes and annotations during your presentation? You can with annotation tools! →

Add Notes During a Presentation

Need to add notes to aid your presentation and help your audience understand, follow along, and stay engaged? Presenter tools such as annotations are great tools to help your presentation delivery and pace. By interacting with your slide information throughout your presentation, you can encourage active learning and audience participation in the presentation. There are a few ways you can add notes to PowerPoint:

Add Notes to Any Slide

During your presentation, you can add notes in two main ways:

1.You can use PowerPoint’s built-in simple pen and highlighter to add notes to your slide. This is found in the bottom left corner of the screen click on the pen and choose your color to begin drawing.

2. For sightly more advanced pen tools, text boxes, and shapes, you can use the free PowerPoint add-in ClassPoint, to add notes to PowerPoint sides . Once downloaded, ClassPoint , an audience engagement tool, will add a toolbar at the bottom of your presentation screen with these additional annotation & presentation tools .

This gives you different thickness options and color options for the pens , highlighters , shapes , and text boxes on your slide.

Insert Whiteboard Slides

Did you know you can even add a blank whiteboard slide into your PowerPoint presentation while you are presenting? With ClassPoint, it’s true!

Perfect for when you run out of space, want to brainstorm, or have fresh details to convey to the audience.

To add a whiteboard slide to your presentation, click on the Whiteboard icon on the ClassPoint toolbar. From there, choose a template provided, or add your own whiteboard background design . This slide will be opened & inserted right into your presentation and you can begin adding your notes. All annotations added will be saved once you exit out of the presentation mode.

Add disappearing laser ink

With ClassPoint’s presentation toolbar, you can also use the laser pointer to write with disappearing ink!

Although this will not save to your slide, it is a great way to help your audience follow along and make connections to your slide information.

Share Notes

Just like when you printed your Speaker Notes above, you can also share all the notes you added to your PowerPoint slides. Print your presentation, or share it with your audience via a QR code.

Click on the Share PDF icon on the ClassPoint tab in the PowerPoint ribbon. Select to include the whiteboard and annotations that you made and click Generate . A QR code will appear that your audience can scan to access your PowerPoint slides and see all the notes you have added!

Overall, adding annotations to your PowerPoint presentation is a great way to enhance your message, engage your audience, and make your presentation more effective. So if you haven’t tried it before, why not give it a go and see the difference it can make to your next presentation?

Adding notes to your presentation is a simple but effective way to elevate your overall performance. Whether you’re adding notes in edit mode or during your presentation, PowerPoint offers a variety of tools to help make your presentation a success. Start implementing these strategies with ClassPoint, and watch as your presentations become more engaging and impactful than ever before!

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Home Blog PowerPoint Tutorials How to Add Speaker Notes in PowerPoint? A Quick Guide with Video Tutorials

How to Add Speaker Notes in PowerPoint? A Quick Guide with Video Tutorials

It can be hard to remember all the information you intend to discuss during a presentation. To avoid text-heavy slides and missing out on important information, some presenters use notes or flashcards. A more elegant method of presenting your slides is to use speaker notes in PowerPoint .

What are Speaker Notes in PowerPoint?

Speaker notes in PowerPoint are hidden notes in your PowerPoint slides that can be added to help you remember bits of information. Speaker notes are only visible to the presenter and can also be printed with slides for reference. You can use the printed version of speaker notes for yourself or the audience for later reading.

Speaker notes are visible to the presenter during Presenter View, which enables viewing the slide and notes side by side. This enables the presenter to show the audience only the slides, as he/she presents with the aid of notes visible on their screen.

What are the Benefits of using Speaker Notes?

Speaker notes can have a number of benefits and can enable you to not only appear more confident as you present but to also better organize your slides.

1. Speaker Notes Help Avoid Text-Heavy Slides

One of the benefits of using speaker notes is that you can avoid adding too much text to your slides and insert related points as Speaker Notes. This can provide your audience with a clutter-free view of your slides, as you use the notes to ensure you remember all the important bits of information during the presentation.

2. Speaker Notes can Help Replace Paper Notes

Flashcards or paper notes can look inelegant and can cause confusion if they get mixed up. Many presenters end up stuttering or scrambling their notes during a presentation due to this very problem. Presenters can avoid this hassle by simply using speaker notes in PowerPoint.

3. Speaker Notes can be Helpful in Recalling Information

Speaker notes can be helpful in remembering important information when you find it difficult to recall the information. In such a case the notes can be added as a precaution so that you can quickly recall that important piece of information when you have a hard time recalling something.

4. Speaker Notes can Enable You to Stay on Point

With a presentation with a bit of text and an elaborate theme, a presenter can easily lose focus. To stay on point, you can add speaker notes to set the right sequence for you to follow as you present your slides.

5. Speaker Notes can Help you Appear More Confident

The audience appreciates a presenter when he/she has the confidence to look them in the eye and speak their heart out. Presenters who scramble for notes or keep looking at their flashcards can appear less confident.

How to Add Notes to PowerPoint?

Adding speaker notes in PowerPoint is very simple. In this short tutorial we explain how to add notes to PowerPoint depending on your preferred platform.

How to Add Speaker Notes to PowerPoint for Windows?

Step 1. Select the Slide you want to add speaker notes to.

Step 2. Select Notes in the bottom right section of your screen.

Step 3. Add the notes you want below the PowerPoint slide.

How to Add Speaker Notes to PowerPoint for macOS?

How to Add Speaker Notes to PowerPoint for web?

PowerPoint in the web version lets you create Speaker Notes but does not let you view them when you are presenting.

Which option is used to create speaker notes in the PowerPoint Slide?

On the View tab of the ribbon, in the Show group, select Notes.

The pane appears across the bottom portion of the PowerPoint window, with the cursor blinking, ready for you to begin typing.

Also, you can add speaker notes in PowerPoint by clicking the Notes option at the bottom of the slide to open the notes pane. The option can be used to open or hide the pane anytime.

Expand Notes Pane: To expand the notes pane, hover your mouse to reveal the vertical scroll bar and drag to adjust the size of the pane according to need.

How to View Speaker Notes in PowerPoint while Presenting?

How to present with speaker notes? Now that you know how to add notes to PowerPoint, you can use this feature to deliver your presentation while visualizing the speaker notes as a presenter. Here we will see how to view speaker notes in PowerPoint in Presenter View.

Enable Presenter View: You can view Speaker Notes in PowerPoint in Presenter View . To make sure this option is enabled in PowerPoint, go to the Slide Show tab, and check Use Presenter View .

Select Monitor Settings: From the Slide Show tab, you can also select which monitor you want your presentation to appear on. This can help you ensure that the monitor selected for the speaker notes does not swap with the monitor screen intended for the audience. Usually, setting the monitor settings to Automatic should automatically show speaker notes on your laptop and the view with only your slides to the audience. However, checking these settings beforehand can help you avoid swapping the screens.

Adjust Text Size for Notes: When in Presenter View, you can also expand or reduce the size of the text using the buttons on the bottom right corner of the screen.

Navigate Slides: The arrow keys enable you to move between slides in Presenter View.

Annotate Slides: You can enable the Pen tool or highlighter to annotate slides during your presentation or use the Laser Pointer to focus on parts of your slide using an onscreen laser tool. These options are available via the Pen and Laser Pointer Tools option at the bottom of the Presenter View menu.

Zoom Slides: You can zoom in to a specific slide by selecting the Zoom option and then clicking on a specific section of the slide that you intend to zoom in.

Switch to a Specific Slide: You can also jump to a specific slide via the See all slides option. This can help you instantly change your slide in a single click, without moving back and forth to find it.

Black or Unblack Slideshow: You can hide or unhide a slide by using the Black/Unblack Slideshow option.

Toggle Subtitles: In a previous post, we showed you how to enable subtitles and captions in PowerPoint . The subtitle button in Presenter View enables you to toggle the subtitles on or off.

Hide Presenter View: To turn off Presenter View anytime, you can select Hide Presenter View from the More slideshow options button.

How to print PowerPoint with Speaker Notes?

Print PowerPoint with Speaker Notes is very simple:

Printing Speaker Notes with Slide Thumbnails: You can print speaker notes directly in PowerPoint by going to File -> Print -> Settings -> Notes Pages.

Printing Speaker notes without Slide Thumbnails: If you would like to print the notes without thumbnails, go to View – > Notes Pages, delete the thumbnails for each slide, and then print your notes via File -> Print -> Settings -> Notes Pages.

Creating and Printing Handouts using Speaker Notes in PowerPoint

You can create handouts from your speaker notes by exporting them to a Microsoft Word file or printing them directly from PowerPoint.

Export Handouts to Word

To export your handouts to Word, go to File -> Export -> Create Handouts .

This will provide you with the option to select whether you would like to export notes next to slides or export blank lines next to slides, notes below slides, blank lines below slides, or the outline only.

Below is an example of handouts exported to Microsoft Word from PowerPoint. You can print these handouts from Word anytime via File -> Print.

Final Words

Speaker notes in PowerPoint can help presenters create uncluttered slides and present information without worrying about messy paper notes or missing out information because of an oversight. Speaker notes provide much needed support to cater to the needs of the modern presenter, with the added advantage of printing or providing handouts to the audience after the presentation, such as citations and links for further reading.

If it’s your first time presenting with speaker notes in PowerPoint, you should try to acquaint yourself with the necessary settings and features of speaker notes to avoid getting confused when using them for the first time. Sometimes, monitor settings can flip, especially amidst an online presentation via Zoom or other video calling apps. To prevent that from happening, you can have a mock call with a colleague to make sure speaker notes aren’t visible. To do that, you can rehearse your presentation by adjusting your screen share view while hiding speaker notes.

Discover our step-by-step guide on how to make a presentation .

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Presentation Ideas, Presentation Tips, Speaker Notes, View Presentation Filed under PowerPoint Tutorials

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Blog > All about notes in PowerPoint Presentations

All about notes in PowerPoint Presentations

08.06.21   •  #powerpoint #tips.

Not only is a well-prepared PowerPoint presentation essential, but also a red thread and a fluent presentation. With the help of notes in PowerPoint, this is no longer a problem! In this blog post, we will not only explain how you can add powerpoint notes, but also how you can edit them and make good use of them during a presentation. We will also show you how to print out the notes and how to delete them again.

Inserting and editing notes in PowerPoint

• First open your presentation.

There are two ways you can print out the notes. With the slides or without.

Print notes with the slides

Print notes without the slides

Using notes during a presentation.

If you want to share your PowerPoint on Zoom without showing the audience your notes, there are several options. A very simple and straightforward option would be to simply print out your notes. If you have two monitors, PowerPoint will automatically set up the Presenter View for you. If you do not have a second screen, you only have to go to the three dots at the very bottom left during the presentation, there you can easily display the speaker view under "Speaker view".

Now, turn the tables! - Let your attendees take private notes

With the help of SlideLizard (a cool software for live audience interaction in PowerPoint), your participants can make private notes directly on their own smartphones during the presentation. These notes remain linked to the slides and at the end of the presentation, all participants receive their own notes via email. In addition, your audience can mark the most important slides with a star to make them easier to find again later. Moreover, with SlideLizard you can add live polls & quizzes directly in your PowerPoint. You can try SlideLizard for free today !

Deleting notes in PowerPoint

Of course, there is also the option of deleting the notes. You can delete them directly on the respective slides or you can delete them all at once. Proceed as follows:

Keyboard shortcuts for notes in PowerPoint

How can I add notes in PowerPoint?

To add notes in PowerPoint, go to "Notes" in the "View" tab or you can also insert notes via the status bar at the bottom right with just one click.

How do I print notes in PowerPoint?

Go to "Print" in the "File" tab. Then select "Notes pages" in the print layout instead of "Full page slides".

How can I use the notes in PowerPoint during my presentation?

In order to see your PowerPoint notes during your presentation, you must check the box "Use Presenter View" in the tab "Slide Show" beforehand. They will then be displayed automatically during your presentation.

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About the author.

Miriam Rapberger

Miriam supports SlideLizard in the area of marketing and design. There she uses her creativity for blog posts, among other things.

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Everything You Need to know About Notes in PowerPoint

• Post author: Jacob Stauttener
• Post published: October 11, 2021
• Post category: Presentations
• Post last modified: August 15, 2022
• Reading time: 23 mins read

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Do you have a presentation to make and find yourself wondering how to add notes to PowerPoint?

Adding notes to your PowerPoint Presentation is a simple and effective way to make presenting easier. In this article, we will go over how you can add notes to PowerPoint, tips on using those notes, and how to print some fancy PowerPoint notes.

Now, let’s get right into it!

Why Would I Want Notes in my PowerPoint?

PowerPoint Slides are not meant to be your script. They are meant to enhance your message and help guide the attention of your audience. Generally, you want the audience’s focus to be on you and your spoken word – not your slides.

The temptation for many first starting with PowerPoint is to place all of the information they need to discuss on the slides. The problem with this is that the audience begins to read your slides and lose concentration on the words from your mouth. When the audience reads your slides ahead of you, they often lose their interest fast and their attention is split between your words and what is on the slide.

PowerPoint gives you a simple way to add notes to your slides that your audience never sees. These notes are there to help you so you never have to use your presentation deck as your script. Instead, you the notes section.

So, how do we add notes to PowerPoint?

How to Add Notes to PowerPoint

Microsoft made adding notes to PowerPoint extremely easy. All you have to do is go down to the bottom of the screen where it says “Click to add notes”. Once you click there, you can add in your notes for the presentation.

I recommend that you use this for a point form. For my videos made from converted PowerPoint files, I like to write my full script there. I have also seen marketing, communications and presentation professionals use this space for stage and technical directions too.

What to do if you Don’t See the Notes Section

If you don’t see the notes section, there is a little tab at the bottom of the screen that you can click to make the notes appear.

I want to point out that the you can adjust the separating bars between sections. You can change the size of the notes area by hovering over the line and then clicking, holding and dragging that line to resize the area.

Different Views and Adding Notes

Speaking of different views, you don’t need to write out all your notes on the default slide design page (also known as the “Normal” View). You can also access these notes in the “Outline View” and the “Notes Page” too.

Personally, I like editing my notes in the “Normal View”. Remember that you can resize your notes window by hovering over the bar above it. When you see the two sided arrow, click and drag to resize the window. That will give you ample room to edit your notes while viewing your slides. The “Notes Page” is also a good view for editing your notes.

How Should I Write Up my Notes in PowerPoint?

How you write up your notes for your presentation is completely up to you. My opinion is that the best method is to write out a series of point form notes that remind you of your salient points and to act as a guide to keep you on track. This way, you don’t get off track, cover everything you want and maximize your potential interaction with the audience.

To me, so long as you know the content, this is the best way to present to your audience as it allows flexibility in your delivery to cater to the room. It his harder to adjust to your delivery if your presentation is fully scripted out.

• My opinion – point form notes are the best
• State only your salient points
• Use as a guide to stay on topic and to remember important points
• There are also plenty of reasons to fully type out your presentation script

While I prefer bullet point scripts when I present, your support crews would likely prefer that you stick to a fully written script with stage directions. This helps the show go smoothly for larger events where you have people helping the presenter in the delivery of their message. When the presenter follows a full script completely it helps everyone involved in that delivery stay on track and not miss queues such as when to change the slide, join in the conversation, or adjust an AV setting (like lighting).

As mentioned earlier, you could add stage directions in the PowerPoint notes section for the presenter or tech crew. Let’s talk a little bit about that now.

Use Your Notes for Stage Directions Too

Using the Notes section of PowerPoint, you can add in reminders for yourself (and anyone helping) about stage and technical directions. Perhaps you have an external video that you want queued up or a secondary source shown for a live demo. You can add this there to keep everyone on track. If you have multiple presenters delivering different parts of the presentation to your audience, you can also use the Notes section to direct who will be presenting each part.

[Square Brackets] are a common way to differentiate the spoken script words from the presentation directions. Italics also work well .

Highlights will show up in your handouts “Notes Page”, but they don’t generally show in other modes of PowerPoint. I advise sticking to Square Brackets, Italics or whatever you find already works with you and your support staff.

Again, how you choose to write your script in PowerPoint notes is up to you. As a presenter, I prefer bullet points. When I use PowerPoint to create hobby videos, I like to use a full written script. While supporting presenters as a media technician, I prefer a fully scripted notes section with stage directions.

You will have to find what works best for you. Now, let’s chat about how to actually use the notes section of PowerPoint when it comes to Presenting, Recording and printing Handouts.

How to use PowerPoint Notes – Presenting, Recording and Handouts

Now that we have the notes in our presentation, how do we use them? Microsoft gave us three effective ways to use these notes. You can use them as your speaker notes while you present to an audience, notes while you record a presentation, and as part of a handout for your audience. Let’s go through how to do all three of these uses for PowerPoint notes.

How to Present with Speaker Notes

Just like adding notes, presenting with speaker notes is extremely easy. All you have to do is present in Presenter view with two screens. This second screen could be your home monitor, a TV at the office or a projector at a convention center.

To make sure that your presentation is set up to take advantage of presenter view, go to “Slide Show”. From there, make sure that “Use Presenter View” is selected. When you go to show the presentation, the computer will automatically set up one screen with the presenter’s view and the other with the full screen slides.

You can change which screen the slides show on by changing the “Monitor”. The other will become your Presenter View screen.

A Quick Look at the Presenter View

This is a fantastic tool for both anyone who has to control a PowerPoint presentation in front of a live audience or anyone presenting to a virtual audience too. As a media technician I use this view all the time. It is great for following the scripts of the presenters and also works out great while running webcasts too. The only problem about this view is that you need two monitors to get the option to function.

The screen shot above shows a PowerPoint deck that I turned into a video for a YouTube channel. This is the presentation showing in “Presenter View”. The slide is on the left, the next slide is on the right and under it is my script (or the notes section).

When you go to record your slide deck, you can also still access your notes. Let me demonstrate below.

How to Record with Speaker Notes

To record a presentation, you go to “Slide Show” followed by “Record Slide Show”.

There you will find the notes on a toggle button near the top middle of your screen.

I find this one annoying to use because it is so small, but its location forces you to look almost directly into your laptop’s webcam (as most laptops have it located at the top of the computer screen). If you are recording video with you content in PowerPoint, this is a huge bonus! I can’t think of a better place to put the script other than right under the camera for giving the audience the impression that you are talking to them when you are reading your script.

How to Print Speaker Notes with Slides in PowerPoint

Even though we live in a paperless society, we still need to make printouts and hand outs. You can make them electronically (as PDFs) or physically on paper. One great way to access your notes is through the Notes Page. You can find this by clicking on “View” and then “Notes Page.”

If you have any presenters that want a printed copy of the notes for the podium (or technical or communications staff that also need the notes), I recommend that you print off the slide deck’s “Notes Page”.

To print your notes, select “File” and then “Print”. Here you will find a drop down for the slide layout. It likely says “Full Page Slides” to start. Change this to “Notes Pages”. You will see an image of the printer page further down in the article when I show you how to make fancy handouts with this same view.

Below is how the printout will look by default. Personally I find this layout very straight forward to work with.

“But wait, you mentioned I can turn this view into good looking handouts. How do I do that?”

Creating Impressive Handouts with Notes – Altering the Layout of Handout Notes in PowerPoint

Now let’s look at how to take the notes (or script) of your presentation and turn that into a nice handout to give to your audience.

As a tip, I like to back up my files before I mess around with the layouts, but that is up to you on whether you do that or not.

To print, I went to “File” and then “Print”. On the print screen, I make sure that I choose the “Notes Pages” under the settings.

You can then print these handouts as PDF files or as physical copies.

Creating PowerPoint Handouts with Word

As with all things computers, there are usually multiple ways to doing things. Sometimes, those ways lead to different results but cover the same end goal. Here is another way to do handouts. This time, we utilize Microsoft Word.

You may want to back up your work before you go through with this just to be on the safe side.

As a note, the function to export PowerPoint to Word takes a lot of memory. If you run into problems or see the message “PowerPoint couldn’t write to Microsoft Word,” restart your computer. Then run the Export with all other programs closed. If that still does not work, split the PowerPoint into two separate presentations. One with the first half of the slides and the other with the second half. Export both of those presentations and then combine them in Word.

Relevant Links…

In this post, I made reference a few times to my hobby videos On top of Tech Presenters, I run another website focused on tabletop gaming. That website also has a YouTube channel connected to it. I made all of my early videos on that channel using PowerPoint. Now I use video editors instead, but it is surprising how much you can do with PowerPoint.

If you are interested in video editors, check out my article “ The Best Free Video Editors Out There For the PC” . You can also find more PowerPoint Tips right here on Tech Presenters. One article that I would like to direct your attention to is “ The Hottest PowerPoint HotKeys for Presenters “. Be sure to check that article out for some HotKeys that could help you present better in front of an audience.

Turning back to this article, the PowerPoint files that I screen captured are from the videos listed below. I made them using PowerPoint and even wrote my scripts into the notes section of the program.

• LED Lamp Review for Painting, Building and Photographing Miniatures – Lamp by GameCraft Miniatures
• 28mm WW2 Soviet Train Station Review – MDF Terrain by Things from the Basement soon on Kickstarter
• Monster Scenery Terrain Review – Broken Ground – Pre-painted terrain for miniature gaming and RPGs

On top of these videos, I also have a related Website called Must Contain Minis .

For those wondering, I am using Office 365 on Windows 10.

Now, let’s finish up this article.

Bringing it Together…

In this article, we went over how to add notes to PowerPoint. Not only that, but we went further and also discussed how to use the notes during presentations, for recording and for printing off handouts.

As a presentation support professional, I find coupling my slides with notes extremely handy. As a presenter, these notes help me stay on track and to make sure that I cover all of the important points that I wanted to make. Knowing how to use these notes, and how to get the most out of them, really helps in delivering the best presentations that you can.

Personally I like to keep back up files and older versions of my files in case I run into any problems. In general, I am pretty cautious in my approach and there is not harm in keeping multiple files. Just make sure that you name them well and work on the newest version. I figured I would leave that reminder here. If you are playing around with the layout of your notes page or messing around with what appears on them, it might be a good idea to keep a back up to go to in case things don’t work as intended.

Until next time, Happy Presenting Everyone!!!

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How to add notes to your Microsoft PowerPoint slides

When you present a slideshow, it’s likely that you have more to say than what displays on the slides. You may want to expand on the text you’ve included, or if the slide only contains visuals, explain them further.

Add speaker notes to a slide in PowerPoint

Hide notes while editing a slideshow, view speaker notes during a slideshow.

Luckily, Microsoft PowerPoint provides a built-in feature for speaker notes. This allows you to add notes to each slide and then see them in Presenter View when you start the show.

What You Need

Microsoft PowerPoint

Open your PowerPoint presentation and select the first slide where you want to add notes.

Step 1: Go to the View tab and choose either Normal or Outline View . This allows you to see your slide along with the note you plan to add.

If you’re wondering how to add a note in PowerPoint without changing the view, the short answer is: You can’t. But if you prefer not to use Normal or Outline View, you can check out the Notes Page view in the same section of the ribbon.

While still technically a “view,” this displays your slide and a text box for your note as a printed page, as shown below.

Step 2: Display the Notes panel below the slide if it’s not visible using one of the following:

• Click the Notes button in the Status Bar at the bottom.
• Move your cursor to the bottom of the window. When you see the two-sided arrow, drag up until the panel displays.
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Step 3: When the panel is empty, you’ll see “Click to Add Notes” within it. Place your cursor in the box and type your note.

Step 4: You can apply simple formatting to your note using the tools on the Home tab or in the floating toolbar. This is handy if you want to add bullet points or emphasize the font with bold, italics, or an underline.

Step 5: If you have a lengthy note within the panel, you’ll see a scrollbar appear on the right so that you can move down and see the entire note. You can also drag up on the panel to enlarge it.

If you want your slide in full view as you're assembling or editing your slideshow, you can hide the presenter notes. This does not delete them; it merely moves the notes panel out of view.

Do one of the following to hide your notes:

• Drag the notes panel downward until it no longer displays.

When it’s time to present your slideshow, you can use Presenter View to see your speaker notes. This allows you to view the notes for each slide on your monitor while presenting the slideshow on another. Your audience will not see your notes.

Step 1: Go to the Slide Show tab. On Windows, check the box for Use Presenter View in the Monitors section of the ribbon. On Mac, click the Presenter View button in the Start Slide Show section.

If you’ve already started the slideshow, you can still turn on Presenter View. Click the Three Dots in the Presenter Toolbar and choose Show Presenter View (Windows) or Use Presenter View (Mac).

Step 2: You’ll then see your notes display on the right side of the screen, with your slide on the left. As you advance each slide, the notes will display accordingly.

Step 3: The text for your note wraps automatically to the next line, and you have a scrollbar to move through those lengthy notes.

To adjust the font size for the notes, use the buttons below the notes panel.

Whether you want to add notes to PowerPoint to talk through your slideshow or simply as references while you assemble your slides, be sure to take advantage of this built-in feature.

For additional ways to work in Microsoft PowerPoint, check out how A.I. can help you create your slideshows .

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PowerPoint makes it easy to give a great presentation thanks to intuitive software that lets anyone craft an eye-catching deck. What's even better, however, is the option to use Presenter View. This lets you leave notes for yourself that can be viewed on your computer screen while everyone else is only seeing your presentation.

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Fortunately, there are several different tools you can use to monitor this important statistic. Some are built right into your operating system, while others will require a separate download. You can also purchase certain external devices to keep tabs on your desktop’s energy output.

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How to add notes to your Microsoft PowerPoint slides for presentation reminders or editing collaboration

• To add notes to your PowerPoint slides, you'll need to have your presentation set to "Normal" view. 
• You can add notes to individual slides through a button using the "Notes" button. 
• Presentation notes appear next to your slides on the screen as your slideshow plays, but they can also be printed out with the slides.
• You can add notes to your PowerPoint slides to have you with the editing process or while you're presenting a project. 
• Visit Business Insider's Tech Reference library for more stories .

PowerPoint presentation notes are meant to help you remember some of your slideshow's finer details in a quickly accessible format. During a presentation, the notes show up on the screen in Presenter view, but not on the screen of anybody else seeing the slideshow. 

If you're presenting in front of a room and can't keep returning to your laptop, you can still use your presenter notes. Just print the slideshow out with the notes. You can also hand these notes out to your audience if you think they'll need them, or the group with whom you're collaborating on the presentation. 

Adding presentation notes to your PowerPoint slideshow is easy, you merely have to know where to look. Here's how to do it.

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1. Launch your PowerPoint presentation. 

2. Go to the "View" tab in the toolbar at the top of the screen.

3. Choose "Normal" view on the far left of the toolbar if it isn't already selected. 

4. Click the slide you want to add a note to.

5. At the bottom of the screen, towards the right side and to the left of "Comments," click the button that reads "Notes." 

6. Type any notes you want to make in the box and hit the Enter key or click away from the box.

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• Main content

How to View Notes in PowerPoint While Presenting With One Monitor

Presenting a PowerPoint is a great way to engage and inform an audience, but it can be challenging to keep track of your notes while you’re presenting. Fortunately, PowerPoint includes a feature that allows you to view your speaker notes on one monitor while your audience sees the presentation on another. This makes it much easier to stay on track and deliver your message effectively. In this guide, we’ll take a detailed look at how to view notes in PowerPoint while presenting with one monitor, as well as some tips for getting the most out of this feature.

Table of Contents

Why Viewing Notes While Presenting is Important

When giving a presentation, it’s important to have access to your notes to stay on track and avoid missing important points. Viewing your notes while presenting can also help you remember key details and ensure that you’re delivering the information in an organized and effective manner. This can be especially important if you’re presenting complex or technical information. By having access to your notes, you can make sure you’re covering all the necessary points and answering any questions that might come up.

Another benefit of viewing your notes while presenting is that it can help you feel more confident and prepared. Knowing that you have your notes to refer to can alleviate any anxiety or nervousness you may feel about presenting. It can also give you a sense of security, knowing that you have all the information you need at your fingertips. By feeling more confident and prepared, you’re more likely to deliver a successful presentation that engages your audience and effectively conveys your message.

Understanding the Need for One Monitor

Using Presenter View in PowerPoint allows you to view your notes on your laptop or primary monitor while the audience sees only the presentation on the projected screen, even if you only have one monitor. This feature is particularly useful when you don’t have a dual-monitor setup. Presenter View provides a separate interface for the presenter that includes the current slide, speaker notes, and upcoming slides, ensuring that you can deliver your presentation smoothly without revealing your notes to the audience.

How to Access Notes in PowerPoint

Accessing your notes in PowerPoint while presenting on a single monitor is straightforward with Presenter View. To use Presenter View, start your PowerPoint presentation and go to the “Slide Show” tab in the ribbon menu. Then, check the “Use Presenter View” box. When you start the slideshow, your presentation will appear on the projected screen, while your notes and controls appear on your primary monitor. This allows you to reference your notes discreetly during the presentation.

Step-by-Step Guide to Viewing Notes in PowerPoint

Here’s a step-by-step guide to viewing your notes in PowerPoint using Presenter View:

• Open your PowerPoint presentation.
• Navigate to the slide on which you wish to start presenting.
• Select the “Slide Show” tab in the ribbon menu.
• Check the “Use Presenter View” box.
• Start your presentation by clicking on “From Beginning” or “From Current Slide.”
• Your notes will appear on your primary monitor, while the audience will see only the slides on the presentation screen.

Remember, your audience will not see your notes, allowing you to discreetly reference them during your presentation.

Tips for Presenting With One Monitor

Here are some tips for presenting with one monitor:

• Practice your presentation beforehand to make sure you’re comfortable with the software and know how to access Presenter View.
• Use the Presenter View to keep track of key points and ensure that you’re covering all the necessary information.
• Put your notes in bullet-point format to make them easy to follow and read while presenting.
• Use concise language and avoid excessive text on your slides.
• Maintain eye contact with your audience as much as possible, even when referencing your notes.

How to Customize Your Notes View in PowerPoint

PowerPoint allows you to customize your notes view to suit your preferences. To do so, enter Presenter View and hover over the notes section. You can then adjust the font size and formatting to make your notes easier to read. Additionally, you can rearrange the on-screen elements in Presenter View to suit your presenting style.

Shortcut Keys for Easy Navigation Through Notes

PowerPoint includes a number of keyboard shortcuts that can help you navigate through your presentation easily. Here are some of the most useful ones:

• Use the “N” key or the right arrow to move forward one slide at a time.
• Use the “P” key or the left arrow to move backward one slide at a time.
• Press “Ctrl” + “S” to access the “All Slides” view, where you can select a specific slide to jump to.

Troubleshooting Common Issues When Viewing Notes

If you’re having trouble viewing your notes in PowerPoint using Presenter View, ensure that Presenter View is enabled in the “Slide Show” tab. If the notes are not appearing, try restarting PowerPoint or your computer to resolve any temporary glitches. Additionally, check that your screen resolution and display settings are correctly configured to support Presenter View.

Alternative Methods for Viewing Notes While Presenting

If you prefer not to use Presenter View or encounter difficulties, you can print out your notes and refer to them as needed. Another option is to split your screen, displaying the presentation in a window on one half and a document with your notes on the other half. This method requires you to manually scroll your notes, but it can be a useful alternative.

Best Practices for Using Notes During a Presentation

Here are some best practices for using notes during a presentation:

• Don’t rely too heavily on your notes–practice your presentation beforehand and aim to deliver your message in a natural, conversational tone.
• Use your notes as a guide rather than a script.
• Keep your notes organized and easy to follow.
• Make sure to address any questions or concerns that come up during the presentation.
• Try to engage with your audience and create a rapport with them.

Benefits of Using One Monitor While Presenting

Using one monitor while presenting with Presenter View has several benefits. It allows you to reference your notes discreetly, helps you stay organized and on track, and enables you to maintain better eye contact with your audience. This setup can also simplify your presentation space and reduce the risk of technical issues.

Advanced Techniques for Managing Your Presentation and Notes on One Monitor

As you become more comfortable with Presenter View, you can explore additional features such as the thumbnail strip to preview upcoming slides, the timer to keep track of your speaking duration, and the ability to zoom into a particular slide detail during your presentation.

How to Switch Between Different Views During Presentation Mode

To switch between different views during presentation mode, you can use the following methods:

• To access Presenter View, start your slideshow and press the “Alt” + “F5” keys.
• To exit Presenter View and return to the normal view, press the “Esc” key.
• To black out the screen during the presentation, press the “B” or period key.

How to Control Slides, Animations and Media During the Presentation with One Monitor

During your presentation, you can control slides, animations, and media with the following actions:

• To advance to the next slide or animation, press the right arrow key or click the left mouse button.
• To return to the previous slide or animation, press the left arrow key.
• To play a video or audio file, click on it directly or use the media controls in Presenter View.
• To pause or stop the media, use the media controls in Presenter View.

With these tips and techniques in mind, you should now be well-equipped to view your notes in PowerPoint while presenting with one monitor. Remember to practice beforehand and experiment with different techniques to find the ones that work best for you. With a little bit of preparation and practice, you can deliver a confident and effective presentation that engages and informs your audience.

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How To Add Notes To PowerPoint

Whether you're presenting to a large group of people or just a few team members, adding notes to your PowerPoint slides can help you deliver a more polished and professional presentation.

Adding notes to your PowerPoint presentations can be incredibly useful when you're giving a presentation.

It helps you stay on track, remember key points, and provide additional information to your audience.

In this guide, we'll take you through the step-by-step process of adding notes to PowerPoint, so you can start creating more engaging and informative presentations .

How To Add Notes To PowerPoint ✍️

Powerpoint faq: adding notes 🙋, it’s a wrap 🎁.

Important disclosure: we're proud affiliates of some tools mentioned in this guide. If you click an affiliate link and subsequently make a purchase, we will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you (you pay nothing extra). For more information, read our affiliate disclosure .

• Open your PowerPoint presentation.
• Navigate to the slide where you want to add notes.
• Click on the "Notes" button at the bottom of the screen , which will bring up the "Notes" pane.
• Type your notes into the "Notes" pane below the slide.

5. You can format your notes using the formatting options available in the "Notes" pane.

6. If you want to view your notes while presenting , click on the "View" tab at the top of the screen, then select "Notes Page" from the "Presentation Views" section or click "Presenter View" .

7. When you're ready to present, you can either view your notes on your computer screen or print them out as a handout for you or your audience.

How do I access the "Notes" pane in PowerPoint? Click on the "Notes" button at the bottom of the screen.

Can I add images or diagrams to my PowerPoint notes? Yes, you can! Simply insert the image or diagram into the "Notes" pane using the "Insert" tab.

Can I format the text in my PowerPoint notes? Sure,  format the text in your PowerPoint notes using the formatting options available in the "Notes" pane.

How do I view my PowerPoint notes during a presentation? Click on the "View" tab at the top of the screen, then select "Notes Page" from the "Presentation Views" section.

Can I print out my PowerPoint notes as a handout for my audience? Of course, simply select the "Notes Pages" option when you print your presentation.

That's it! You can now add notes to your PowerPoint presentations to help you remember key points or to provide additional information to your audience.

It also greatly enhances the effectiveness and professionalism of your presentation.

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How to Make a “Good” Presentation “Great”

• Guy Kawasaki

Remember: Less is more.

A strong presentation is so much more than information pasted onto a series of slides with fancy backgrounds. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others. Here are some unique elements that make a presentation stand out.

• Fonts: Sans Serif fonts such as Helvetica or Arial are preferred for their clean lines, which make them easy to digest at various sizes and distances. Limit the number of font styles to two: one for headings and another for body text, to avoid visual confusion or distractions.
• Colors: Colors can evoke emotions and highlight critical points, but their overuse can lead to a cluttered and confusing presentation. A limited palette of two to three main colors, complemented by a simple background, can help you draw attention to key elements without overwhelming the audience.
• Pictures: Pictures can communicate complex ideas quickly and memorably but choosing the right images is key. Images or pictures should be big (perhaps 20-25% of the page), bold, and have a clear purpose that complements the slide’s text.
• Layout: Don’t overcrowd your slides with too much information. When in doubt, adhere to the principle of simplicity, and aim for a clean and uncluttered layout with plenty of white space around text and images. Think phrases and bullets, not sentences.

As an intern or early career professional, chances are that you’ll be tasked with making or giving a presentation in the near future. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others.

• Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist at Canva and was the former chief evangelist at Apple. Guy is the author of 16 books including Think Remarkable : 9 Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference.

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How-To Geek

How to print a powerpoint with notes.

Create a physical copy of your slides with your notes included.

Quick Links

How to add notes to powerpoint, how to print slides with notes on windows, printing powerpoint with notes on mac, key takeaways.

To print a PowerPoint with notes on Windows, click File > Print and "Notes Pages" in the Layout drop-down box. Then, select "Print." On Mac, go to File > Print. In the Layout drop-down box, choose "Notes" then "Print" to finish.

Do you want a hard copy of your PowerPoint slideshow that includes your speaker notes ? Maybe you want a physical copy to review on your own or with others. We'll show you how to print your PowerPoint with the notes attached.

As a refresher, you can add speaker notes to PowerPoint to help you through your presentation. Your audience won't see these notes during the show, so it's helpful to include your talking points or additional details you want to share to expand on your slides.

Related: How to Use Speaker Notes in PowerPoint

You can  add speaker notes to your slides easily in PowerPoint on Windows or Mac one of these three ways.

• Click the Notes button in the Status Bar at the bottom of the PowerPoint window.
• Drag up from the area below the slide near the bottom of the window.
• Go to the View tab and select "Notes" in the Show section of the ribbon.

Then, type your text in the Notes section below the slide. You can use the font formatting tools on the Home tab to bold or color your text, add bullet points, or change the font size.

Open your PowerPoint presentation and go to File > Print. In the Layout drop-down box below the Slides text box, pick "Notes Pages."

You'll see the preview on the right with the slide at the top of the page and your notes below. You can use the arrows at the bottom to review each page if you like. This is a good way to see if any slides are missing speaker notes.

Adjust any other print options, such as the printer you want to use, the  slides you want to print , and the color. Then, click "Print" when you're ready.

Open your slideshow in PowerPoint on Mac and head to File > Print. When the print window opens, select "Show Details" on the bottom left if you see a condensed view of the print options.

On the right side, below Paper Size, you'll see a drop-down box. Make sure that "PowerPoint" is selected here. Next to Slides, choose the slides you want to print.

Click the Layout drop-down box and choose "Notes."

On the left, you'll see the print preview which displays the slide at the top of the page and the notes beneath it. You can use the arrows at the top to preview each page if you like.

Adjust any other print options you'd like and click "Print" when finished.

Related: How to Print Just the Speaker Notes for a PowerPoint Presentation

Printing a PowerPoint with notes is worth a few minutes if you want to review the presentation on paper. If you're wondering how to print notes in PowerPoint without the slides , check out our tutorial.

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MS Power Point – Introduction, Features, Notes PDF

Table of Contents

MS Office PowerPoint is a presentation software application that allows users in the preparation of professional, high-impact, dynamic presentations. The building blocks of a PowerPoint presentation are slides. Slides, help to focus on visuals as well along with the user. In this article, we will be discussing in detail the functions and features of MS PowerPoint.

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MS Power Point – Introduction

Given below are some of the important things that one must know about the development of Microsoft PowerPoint:

• The program was developed by Robert Gaskins and Dennis Austin, in a software company named Forethought, Inc.
• It was released on 20/04/1987, and after 3 months it was acquired by Microsoft.
• The first version when introduced by Microsoft was MS PowerPoint 2.0 which was released in 1990.
• It is a presentation-based application that uses images, videos, graphics,  etc. to make a presentation more attractive and interesting.
• The Powerpoint presentation is are saved as “.ppt”files.
• A PowerPoint presentation comprising slides and other attributes is also known as PPT.

Eventually, with every version, the program was more creative and more interactive. Various other features were introduced in PowerPoint which significantly increased the requirement and use of this MS Office program.

MS PowerPoint Practical Application

MS PowerPoint is used in various fields few of them are mentioned below:

• Business: Introduction of products, services, offerings ·
• Sales and Marketing Department: Sales and marketing materials are largely designed on PowerPoint. ·
• Finance Department: To display yearly projections and budgets. ·
• Data Presentation: One can generate create diagrams, derive graphs or charts with massive data. ·
• Stationary Material: One can create certificates, calendars
• Educational Slideshows: They may be used in classrooms for teaching purposes.
• Presentations: It could be used for any family functions like weddings, anniversaries, family reunions, birthdays, etc.

Features of MS PowerPoint

Some of the features are  discussed below:

PowerPoint Design Ideas

• It can be found in the “ Design ” tab in the PowerPoint Ribbon.
• You can choose the desired design for your PPT.
• MS PowerPoint animations helps you to emphasize certain points of your present
• Entrance Animation
• Emphasis Animation
• Exit Animations
• Each animation category gives you a list of additional options to choose from.

Slide Transitions

• While animation allows you to animate elements within your slide, transitions allows you to change how slides change from one to another.
• This can have a remarkable impact on a slide’s first impressions.
• Some of the most important transitions are:
• There are two main ways of adding images.
• You could either add an image from your Personal Computer or you can embed an image from the internet.

 Merge Shapes

• MS PPT allows you to merge shapes. This is because you might not always have the exact shape that you are looking for.
• Videos can be easily added from the storage on your Personal Computer.
• Videos can also be selected from the internet.
• With the feature to add icons into your presentations, it just gives you some freedom to add a personal touch to the presentation.

PowerPoint Notes for Presentation

• Note features help you remember what to say for each slide which is a great way to stay on topic.
• Your presentation can be made in such a way that the notes do not appear on the slides but they still appear on your PC or Mac.

Morph Transition

• By using Morph Transition, you can make elements move between slides giving a video like feel to your PPT!
• Charts are used in presentations to illustrate data in an easy-to-understand way for your audience.
• Charts can be linked to external data sources or even excel sheets.
• The charts also easily getup dated automatically in PPT when the data is edited in excel.

Removing Background from Images

• With Microsoft PowerPoint,  you can remove a background from your image

Video Editing (Basic)

• It allows you to trim, cut portions of a video out, and even add
• It works as a basic video editor.

Export PowerPoint as Video

• The entire presentation can be exported as videos in Microsoft PowerPoint.

Add Audio Narration

• MS PowerPoint allows you to add audio narration to your presentation.

Adding Comments to Slides

• Comment feature is more relevant to the person who reviews a presentation rather than the person who creates it.

Click on the link for complete notes on MS PowerPoint : MS PowerPoint PDF Download .

Famida is an experienced educator with over a decade of teaching experience, specializing in grades 8 to 12, business management (BBM), and electronics engineering. Holding a Master's degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering, she has also trained interns in IoT. For the past four years, Famida has been writing articles for Entri, focusing on exam preparation tips, question papers, and study plans. She also creates practice questions for the Entri app and provides support to users. Additionally, Famida's writing skills extend to parenting and personal blogs, as well as curriculum development.

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Present on multiple monitors (and view speaker notes privately)

You can present with 2 monitors: Using Presenter View is a great way to view your presentation with speaker notes on one monitor (your laptop, for example), while your audience views the notes-free presentation on a different monitor (like a larger screen you're projecting to).

Note:  Make sure the device you're using for your presentation supports the use of multiple monitors. Check with your manufacturer for up-to-date information about multiple monitor support.

To do this procedure and split the view between projectors in this way, you must be connected to the second screen.

Set up PowerPoint to use Presenter view with two monitors

On the Slide Show tab, in the Monitors group, select Use Presenter View .

Windows Display Settings should open.

In the Display Settings dialog box, on the Monitor tab, select the monitor icon that you want to use to view your speaker notes, and then select the This is my main monitor check box.

If the This is my main monitor check box is selected and unavailable, the monitor is already designated as the primary monitor.

Select the monitor icon for the second monitor—the one the audience will watch, and then select the Extend my Windows Desktop onto this monitor check box.

Notes:  If the Windows Display Settings don't open, do the following:

Windows 10: Click Start > Settings > System > Display . At the top, under Customize your display , is a diagram of the screens connected to your computer, with each screen numbered. If you are connected to a project, typically it will be represented in the diagram as screen 2. Select screen 1 in the diagram, then scroll downward. Ensure that the check box named Make this my main display is selected. Above that check box, in the Multiple displays list, select Extend these displays .

Windows 8: Right-click the Windows Start button, click Control Panel > Display > Adjust resolution . In the Multiple displays list, click Extend these displays . Select the monitor on which you want to view your speaker notes, and click Make this my main display .

You can use PowerPoint on your smartphone as a remote control to run your presentation and view your speaker notes. See Using a laser pointer on your smartphone when presenting in PowerPoint for more information, including a brief video.

Deliver your presentation on two monitors

On the Slide Show tab, in the Set Up group, click Set Up Slide Show .

In the Set Up Show dialog box, choose the options that you want, and then click OK . If you choose Automatic , PowerPoint will display speaker notes on the laptop monitor, if available. Otherwise, PowerPoint will display speaker notes on the main display identified in your Display settings ( Settings > Display ).

Extend vs. Duplicate: What happens after the slide show ends

PowerPoint does something behind the scenes to make the process of starting a slide show on a second monitor as smooth and quick as possible. When you enter Slide Show, PowerPoint automatically changes your display settings (also known as your display topology) to Extend .

What can be confusing is what happens after your slide show concludes:

In PowerPoint 2013 , when your slide show ends, PowerPoint leaves the display topology as Extend . (The benefit of this approach is that the next time you present on a second monitor, the first slide will appear with minimal delay. The drawback is that PowerPoint may be overriding your preferred display setting of "duplicate". Some people don't like this override.)

In newer versions , in the same end-of-slide-show scenario, PowerPoint reverts to your default setting, returning to Duplicate , if that's what you have chosen.

If you are using PowerPoint 2013 and you want PowerPoint to revert to the default setting, rather than keeping the Extend setting, you can tell it to do that by making a small change to the Windows registry as described below.

In this procedure, you are creating a command that adds a new setting to the Windows Registry for PowerPoint, and then you are running that command:

Create a new file in Notepad.

Copy and paste the following three lines of text into Notepad:

On the File menu in Notepad, click Save As .

Name the file Update.reg . (It's important that the file name extension be .reg ).

In the Save as type box, choose All Files (*.*) .

Take note of the folder in which you are saving the file. Then click Save , and close Notepad.

Open File Explorer from the Start menu and navigate to the folder where you saved Update.reg.

Double-click Update.reg .

Answer "Yes" to the two prompts that ensue.

With that completed, PowerPoint will now revert to your default display topology at the conclusion of a slide show.

(Read more technical details in this community forum post that was answered by a PowerPoint program manager .)

Video: Use Presenter view

View your speaker notes as you deliver your slide show

Video: Rehearse timings for a slide show

Zoom in to part of a slide in Slide Show view

Print your PowerPoint slides, handouts, and notes

Create a self-running presentation

Start the presentation and see your notes in Presenter view

PowerPoint videos not playing on secondary monitor

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How to Embed a YouTube Video in PowerPoint

We show you how to embed a YouTube video in PowerPoint so that you can spice up your presentations and impress colleagues.

Table of Contents:

It can be difficult to keep an audience’s attention during a lengthy presentation. In fact, 4 out of 5 professionals admit to shifting their focus away from the presenter during the last presentation they attended. One way to combat this is interactive elements. You can embed a YouTube video in PowerPoint to break up long stints of talking and create a more fun environment.   Though you can add a plain hyperlink to your presentation to open in the browser, that doesn’t look particularly professional. Instead, it makes sense to embed your video in PowerPoint so you can play it directly from the application. As an added benefit, the video’s thumbnail will appear for a more beautiful design.   In this guide we show you how to embed a YouTube video in PowerPoint using two methods: its embed code and a URL. Both will give more or less the same results, so we recommend the latter unless you have a specific reason.

How to Embed a YouTube Video in PowerPoint Using Code

Embedding a YouTube video using its embed code is slightly more technical but offers additional customization options. This method is especially useful for those working with older versions of PowerPoint.

How to Insert a YouTube Video in PowerPoint Using a URL

You can speed up the process to embed video in PowerPoint from YouTube by using just its URL rather than the embed code. This should work so long as you have a modern version of PowerPoint.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions About Videos in PowerPoint

Will embedded youtube videos in powerpoint work without an internet connection.

Embedded YouTube videos require an active internet connection to stream content from YouTube’s servers. If you plan to present in a location without internet, consider downloading the video (if permitted by copyright) and embedding the file directly into your PowerPoint presentation.

Can I embed a private YouTube video into my PowerPoint presentation?

Private YouTube videos cannot be embedded directly. For a video to be embeddable in PowerPoint, it must be either public or unlisted. If you are the owner of the video, you can change its privacy settings on YouTube to ‘Unlisted’ , which allows embedding while not making the video publicly searchable.

How can I make an embedded video autoplay when its slide comes up during the presentation?

To make an embedded YouTube video autoplay in PowerPoint, first embed the video into your slide. Then, right-click on the video, select ‘Playback’ , and then choose ‘Automatically’ under ‘Start’ . This setting ensures the video begins playing as soon as the slide is displayed without requiring a manual play action.

Is there a way to loop an embedded YouTube video in PowerPoint?

Direct looping of embedded YouTube videos within PowerPoint is not supported. An alternative would be to set the video to loop on YouTube’s platform before embedding, but this requires the loop setting to be available and set on YouTube. Another approach is to edit your video to include the repeat content and upload it as a new video for embedding.

What versions of PowerPoint support embedding YouTube videos?

Embedding YouTube videos is supported from PowerPoint 2010 onwards. Newer versions, such as PowerPoint 2019 and PowerPoint for Microsoft 365, provide enhanced support and a more user-friendly experience for embedding videos from YouTube using both the URL and embed code methods.

How can I embed videos from Vimeo or other services into PowerPoint?

For services like Vimeo, you can use the embed code provided by the video platform. Go to ‘Insert’ > ‘Video’ > ‘Online Video…’ in PowerPoint and paste the embed code. Compatibility and support can vary, so it’s recommended to test the embedded video before the presentation.

Can I insert videos from sources other than YouTube using these methods?

The URL method described in the tutorial is tailored for YouTube. However, PowerPoint allows embedding videos from other services through their embed codes. Always check the specific platform’s guidelines for embedding content and test the video in PowerPoint to ensure compatibility.

If I embed a YouTube video, will viewers of the presentation need a YouTube account to watch it?

Viewers do not need a YouTube account to watch an embedded YouTube video within PowerPoint. The requirement is for the video to be publicly accessible or unlisted. Private videos cannot be viewed without logging into the account that has access.

Can I control the playback volume of an embedded YouTube video in PowerPoint?

The embedded YouTube video’s volume controls are managed through YouTube’s built-in player controls during playback. PowerPoint does not offer separate volume control for embedded YouTube videos, so adjustments must be made using the video player’s volume slider or the computer’s volume settings.

What should I do if the ‘Online Video’ option is not available in my PowerPoint?

If the ‘Online Video’ option is missing, it’s likely that you are using an older version of PowerPoint that doesn’t support this feature. Consider updating to a newer version. As an alternative, you can download the video and insert it into your presentation as a local file through ‘Insert’ > ‘Media’ > ‘Video’ > ‘This Device’ .

Is it possible to embed a YouTube video so it plays in fullscreen automatically in PowerPoint?

PowerPoint doesn’t support automatic fullscreen playback for embedded videos. You would have to set the video to fullscreen manually during presentation mode or adjust the video frame size to fill the slide as a workaround.

Can I customize the playback quality of an embedded YouTube video?

The playback quality of an embedded YouTube video in PowerPoint is determined automatically by YouTube based on factors like internet speed. It’s not possible to preset a specific playback quality within PowerPoint. Viewers can manually adjust the quality during playback using the YouTube player controls if needed.

What happens if the YouTube video I embedded is removed from YouTube?

If an embedded YouTube video is removed from the platform or if the video’s URL changes, it will no longer be accessible in your PowerPoint presentation. You’ll see a blank frame or an error message in place of the video. It’s advised to regularly check embedded videos for availability, especially before important presentations.

How can I add annotations or comments to an embedded video in PowerPoint?

PowerPoint doesn’t support adding annotations directly to embedded online videos. As a workaround, you can overlay shapes, text boxes, or comments on or around the video frame on your slide. These can serve as annotations and are helpful for providing additional context or notes related to the video content.

Can an embedded video in PowerPoint be used as a clickable link to open a webpage?

While the video itself cannot be directly used as a hyperlink in PowerPoint, you can overlay a transparent shape or icon over the video frame and add a hyperlink to that shape. This setup can then direct users to a webpage or another slide within the presentation when clicked, effectively making the video or its part act as a clickable link.

Related: How to Insert an Animated GIF in PowerPoint

Related: How to Add Music / Audio to PowerPoint Slides

Related: How to Add Speaker Notes in PowerPoint

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