PowerPoint files are called presentations. Whenever you start a new project in PowerPoint, you'll need to create a new presentation, either completely refreshed or from a template. You'll also need to know how to open an existing presentation.
Create and open presentations in PowerPoint 2016
How to create a new presentation
When starting a new project in PowerPoint, you often want to start with a new, blank presentation.
1. Select tab File to go to view Backstage.
2. Select New on the left side of the window, then click Blank Presentation.
3. A new presentation will appear.
How to create a new presentation from a template
A template is a pre-designed presentation that you can use to quickly create new content. Templates often include custom formatting and design, so they can save you a lot of time and effort when starting a new project.
1. Click the tab File to access the view Backstage, then choose New.
2. You can click the suggested search to find templates or use the search bar to find more specific content. In the example in this article, we will search the keyword table.
3. Select a template to review.
4. A preview of the template will appear with additional information about how to use the template.
5. Click Create to use the selected template.
6. A new presentation will appear with the selected template.
It's important to note that not all templates are created by Microsoft. Many templates are created by third-party vendors and even individual users, so some templates may perform better than others.
How to open an existing presentation
In addition to creating a new presentation, you often need to open a previously saved presentation.
1. Select tab File to go to view Backstage, then click Open.
2. Click Browse. Also, you can choose OneDrive to open files stored on your OneDrive.
3. Dialog box Open will appear. Locate and select your presentation, then click Open.
Most features in Microsoft Office, including PowerPoint, are geared toward saving and sharing documents online. This is done with OneDrive, which is an online storage space for your documents and files. If you want to use OneDrive, make sure you're signed in to PowerPoint with your Microsoft account.
How to pin a presentation
If you often work on the same presentation, you can pin it to Backstage view for easy access.
1. Select tab File to go to view Backstage, then click Open. Your recent presentations will appear.
2. Hover over the presentation you want to pin, then click the pin icon.
3. The presentation will be on the list Recent presentations until it is unpinned. To unpin a presentation, click the pin icon again.
Compatibility Mode
Sometimes you may need to work with presentations that were created in previous versions of PowerPoint, such as PowerPoint 2003 or PowerPoint 2000. When you open these types of presentations, they appear in Compatibility Mode. compatible).
Compatibility Mode will turn off certain features, so you will only be able to access commands found in the program that was used to create the presentation. For example, if you open a presentation created in PowerPoint 2003, you can only use the tabs and commands found in PowerPoint 2003.
In the image below, you can see at the top of the window a sign that the presentation is in Compatibility Mode. This will disable some features in PowerPoint 2016, including newer types of slide transitions.
To exit Compatibility Mode, you need to convert the presentation to the current version type. However, if you're collaborating with others and they only have access to the old version of PowerPoint, it's best to leave the presentation in Compatibility Mode so the formatting isn't changed.
You can review the support page from Microsoft to learn more about what features are disabled in Compatibility Mode.
How to convert presentations
If you want access to all PowerPoint 2016 features, you can convert your presentation to the 2016 file format.
Note that converting files may cause some changes to the original layout of the presentation.
1. Click the tab File to access the view Backstage.
2. Locate and select the command Convert.
3. Dialog box Save As will appear. Select the location where you want to save the presentation, enter a file name and click Save.
4. The presentation will be converted to the latest file type.
Practice!
1. Open the sample practice presentation here.
2. Note that the presentation opens in Compatibility Mode. Convert it to the 2016 file format. If a dialog box appears asking if you want to close and reopen the file to see the new features, select Yes.
3. In view mode Backstage, pin a file or folder.
See more: