BtD #011: The Path to Perfect Alignment
As we continue navigating the vast capabilities of PowerPoint, we find ourselves at the heart of visual communication: perfect alignment. This skill, often overlooked, is fundamental in crafting slides that aren't just informative but are also visually compelling and professional.
The Journey of Alignment
Our brains are wired for order — it's a natural inclination that helps us recognize and follow patterns in a digital narrative. By embracing this innate love for patterns, we can guide our audience's journey, turning what's expected on a slide toward a captivating focal point!
In this edition of Beyond the Deck (BtD), we delve deeper into creating symmetry in PowerPoint, a process that often requires aligning multiple elements. I'll introduce some unconventional tricks that go beyond standard practices. We're not just tweaking; we're amplifying our skills several notches higher.
We'll be working with the standard 16:9 aspect ratio which is a canvas size of 7.5 x 13.33 inches.
Along the way, I'll highlight new commands and merge them with sophisticated alignment strategies, as well as principles of symmetry and sizing, to ensure your design is cohesive and impactful. These insights aren't just tips and tricks; they are essential tools designed to sharpen your message and significantly enhance the professional quality of your presentations.
Image 1
1
The Power of the Alignment Command
When working with elements on a slide, the Alignment Commands are your front-line go-to for precision.
To access the Align menu:
Select an object (e.g. image, text box or shape).
This opens a ‘Format’ tab (e.g. Shape Format) in the ribbon.
Select this tab.
The Align Command will appear on the right of the ribbon.
This LinkedIn post (link) offers a look at the commands in action.
What's crucial here are the two options at the bottom of the list:
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ⱺ Positions the selected object(s) in relation to the slide’s perimeter.
ⱺ If you want an object perfectly centered, this is the tool for the job.
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ⱺ Can only be used when selecting multiple objects.
ⱺ This will position the selected objects in relation to each other.
Image 2
2
Shaping Strategy
Remember BtD #006 where we covered the Rule of Thirds? If you look closely at the image you’ll see the nine equally sized (background) quadrants of our grid.
We’re going to take this a step further.
Creating a design that is evenly divided into columns, and then aligning the items within these columns, (see image 3), can be a little tricky.
Image 3
The solution: A Shape Ruler
Create a shape the width of your column. In this case, that black rectangle is one-third the width of the slide, roughly 4.44 inches. You can use this as a ruler to align objects such as icons, shapes and text boxes. Simply select the “ruler” and then select the other element(s). Then use the Align command as seen in Image 2.
*Remove the shape-ruler when you’re through for a beautifully organized slide.
3
Consistency with Text Boxes
Image 4 is a design in progress. Each of the text boxes selected are the same width as the black rectangle, 4.44 inches. For this example, we then only need to align the elements by placing them adjacent to one another.
Additionally, when you create uniform text boxes, the Distribute Horizontally and Distribute Vertically alignment commands (see Image 2) can do the work for you!
Image 4
4
Grouping (Advanced Techniques)
The last two Beyond the Decks (BtD #009 & BtD #010) focused on Grouping — for a good reason!
Design is a process. If you use suggestions 2 & 3 first, the objects on your slide will be uniformly sized and ready for grouping!
Once grouped, you can then use the Alignment commands (Image 2) to create gorgeously symmetrical patterns all the day long!
Image 5
5
Smart Guides
Of all my favorite settings, Smart Guides sits at the top.
Smart Guides are a design aid feature that help you align, evenly distribute, and size objects with precision. As you move objects around, these intelligent guides appear automatically to show the alignment of the object in relation to other elements on a slide.
For best results, move objects slowly, then ‘drop’ it once you see the Smart Guide you’re looking for. See Image 7.
Activating Smart Guides
Right click on an empty spot on the slide
Select # Grids & Guides
Select Smart Guides
Image 6
Image 7
Beyond
Embracing these alignment techniques is a big step towards mastering sleek, professional presentations. Keep experimenting, keep refining, and please share your journey with us. The only way to move beyond the ‘crazy-making’ 🤪 is to move through it. Learn from your mistakes.
You’ll be happy you did.
Thank you for joining me 🤍!