BtD #005: Unwrapping the Potential of PowerPoint Templates: Is There Goodness Inside?
Templates are the most commonly used and most frequently misunderstood files in PowerPoint.
All templates are not created equal, not just in how attractive they are, but in the way they are built and therefore in how they function. But first, a brief review:
✦ Themes: Discussed in BtD #004, themes are the aesthetic backbone of your presentation, defining colors, fonts, effects, and layouts across slides. They operate behind the scenes, sustaining the visual appeal of your presentation while providing essential elements like color dropdown menus and fonts for Headings and Body text.
Understanding Templates
Templates, unlike themes, incorporate front-facing slides. While every template includes a theme, the converse isn't true. This distinction is important since these terms are often used interchangeably, leading to confusion (even amongst designers).
PowerPoint offers a number of themes, which are built into the software and any online search will produce a dizzying scroll of free and paid options. Among these, some are visually appealing and cohesive, others are meh, and many will have you scratching your head, asking, “Really?” But even a ‘pretty’ deck may not be what you want. Here's why:
I categorize templates into two groups:
Well-constructed
The rest
Well-constructed templates have three key features:
Utilization of Theme Colors for all text and shapes
Utilization of Headings and Body fonts in the Master, Layouts, and Slides
Front-facing slides that adhere to the formatting of corresponding Layouts or use blank Layouts
Admittedly, my criteria are a little rigid — they aim to facilitate your work in the long run. You can absolutely build a template file that works for you even if there are some kinks in it (according to my golden rules).
If you remember from the BtD #001-#004, setting your decks up following the rules means when it comes time to change your fonts, colors, placeholders, etc., one or two modifications will make the change(s) globally. This is a huge advantage as you create more presentations and collateral with PowerPoint.
.POTX Files
By definition, a template includes a .potx file extension. Any presentation can be saved with this extension making it a template file. What this means is that when you create a new presentation using the .potx file you’ll be working with a copy of the file. The original .potx file will remain untouched.
Practical Application
To take these ideas out of the abstract and illustrate the difference between themes and templates, let’s consider three files, each utilizing the same theme. Open them by clicking on the image and take a look at the layouts (View → Slide Master) and front-facing slides.
Presentation 1: One slide, a blank Title Slide without content.
Presentation 2: Eighteen slides, each corresponding to a layout, without content.
Presentation 3: Eighteen slides, each corresponding to a layout, with content.
Note: None of the three files would be considered a “Template” in the sense that they are not .potx files. You can also see that in Presentation 1 there are 18 Layouts available, but you wouldn’t know unless you looked. Many of Microsoft’s templates contain hidden gems if you know where to find them.
Pros and Cons of Templates
Pros:
↳ Time-saving: No need to create slides from scratch.
↳ Ensures consistency: Avoids rogue fonts or clashing colors.
↳ Boosts productivity: Focus more on content and less on design.
Cons:
↲ Limited design flexibility: Predefined designs may restrict creativity.
↲ Overuse risk: Your audience may have seen popular templates, reducing impact.
↲ Making changes to templates might seem daunting: in reality it’s a real timesaver.
Figure 1
Where to Save Templates
You decide where your Custom Templates are stored.
- Follow: File → Options → Save.
- Choose the default folder or select a different one (Fig. 1)
An Experiment (if you’re game)
Open Presentation 2 and save it as a Template (follow steps 2-4 below):
Figure 2
Create Your Slide Deck.
Save As Template (File → Save As);
select the .potx file type.
Accept the default folder.
Save and close the file.
Create a new presentation following the instructions below.
In most cases when you receive a template, you’ll want to customize it with the colors and fonts that match your brand palette and typography. If the template I offered doesn’t suit your branding, you can keep it to test functionality or delete it using the instructions provided below.
Options
There are three actions you can take with your saved template:
Create: Start a new presentation using the template.
Modify: Adjust the template as needed.
Delete: Remove the template permanently if no longer needed.
Figure 3a
Creating a New Presentation
Select File → New.
Select Custom → Custom Office Templates (folder) (see figure 3b).
Select your template.
Once you’ve added your content, save the presentation.
The new file extension will be .pptx.
The .potx file will remain preserved.
Modifying Custom Templates
Figure 3b
Select File → Open.
Select Folders (see figure 3b)
Select the Custom Office Templates folder (see figure 3b).
Select the template file.
Modify and Save changes.
Deleting Custom Templates
Figure 4
Select File → Open.
Select Folders (see figure 3b)
Select the Custom Office Templates folder (see figure 3b).
Right click on the template file.
Select Delete (this action is permanent).
One Final Note: Adapt, Don't Adopt
Templates are starting points, not the endgame. Feel free to adapt them to your needs. Do they resonate with you or your brand? If not, find one that does, then tweak it to create an environment that best tells your story.
Thanks for exploring the dynamic world of PowerPoint Templates with me. If you made it to the end, congratulations! You now know more about PowerPoint templates than most.
Join me next time as we dive into the elements of design! With the foundational tools in hand, the journey ahead promises to be a lot of fun.
Thank you for being here 🤍