Drawing a perfectly straight line and correctly aligning objects can make a big difference in a slideshow. When you build presentation slides in PowerPoint, you have a handy tool to help you do these sorts of things. You guessed it, it’s a ruler!
So, how do you display, slide, or rotate the ruler in PowerPoint? That’s what we’re here to show you, but that’s not all. We’ll also explain how a different tool called Plus AI can help you create engaging slideshows that are ready to present in just minutes!
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Slide and rotate the drawing ruler in PowerPoint
In PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 and PowerPoint 2019, both on Windows, you can use a Ruler to draw straight lines. This displays as an onscreen, on-slide ruler that you can slide or rotate.
- Go to the Draw tab and select Ruler in the Stencils section of the ribbon.
- When the ruler displays on the slide, click and drag it in any direction.
- To change the angle of the ruler, use your mouse scroll wheel. This increases or decreases the angle in small increments.
- To draw a line along the ruler, select one of the Drawing Tools on the same tab and drag to draw the line along the ruler’s edge. You should see the line “snap” to the ruler.
When you finish with the ruler, simply deselect it on the Draw tab. If you forget, don’t worry; the ruler does not display when you present the slideshow.
Display the horizontal and vertical rulers in PowerPoint
If you prefer the other ruler option, have a different version of PowerPoint, or use it on Mac, you may be able to take advantage of the horizontal and vertical rulers instead.
Go to the View tab and check the box for Ruler in the Show section of the ribbon.
You’ll see the rulers display on both the horizontal and vertical edges outside the slide. As you move your cursor, you’ll see the red dotted indicators of its location on both rulers.
These rulers can help you align objects like shapes, images, and text boxes on a slide. You can also use the horizontal ruler to adjust your text or do things like create a hanging indent for a paragraph.
You can hide these rulers by unchecking the box on the View tab, and like the drawing ruler above, these do not display when you present your slideshow.
Vertical ruler missing?
By default, you should see both the horizontal and vertical rulers. If you only see the one along the top, follow these steps to show the ruler along the side.
Show the vertical ruler on Windows
- Go to File and select Options.
- Choose Advanced on the left.
- Check the box for Show vertical ruler in the Display section.
- Click OK.
Show the vertical ruler on Mac
- Select PowerPoint > Preferences in the menu bar.
- Choose View.
- Check the box for Show vertical ruler.
- Use the X on the top left to close these settings.
After you make your change in the settings on Windows or Mac, you may have to uncheck Ruler on the View tab and then recheck it for the vertical ruler to display.
Save time with Plus AI for PowerPoint
Using rulers to draw or align objects takes time and patience. So, when you need to make up that time building the rest of your slideshow, check out Plus AI.
Plus AI for PowerPoint is an add-in that helps you create and edit presentations. Using artificial intelligence, the extension composes content, includes images, and provides designs that compliment your presentation needs.
For an existing slideshow, you can let Plus AI help you insert a new slide, rewrite content, or remix a slide layout. With a simple prompt explaining what you’d like, you can complete your presentation in just minutes!
Visit the Plus AI website to learn more about the features, review the templates, see example presentations, and start your free trial!
Conclusion
Taking advantage of built-in tools and add-ins when you use PowerPoint can mean the difference between a professional-looking presentation and a below average slide deck. Make sure you check out the ruler for your objects and Plus AI for your slideshows. They can both lead you to successful presentations!
FAQs
How do I add ruler guides in PowerPoint?
To display and add a guide in PowerPoint, go to the View tab and check the box for Guides. Right-click, move to Guides, and pick Add Vertical Guide or Add Horizontal Guide.
What’s the difference between a ruler and a gridline?
In PowerPoint, a ruler appears as either an onscreen ruler which resembles a physical one or measurements across the top and side of the workspace. The gridlines are dotted lines forming a grid of squares on your slide. You can use either one or both to draw or align items on a PowerPoint slide.
How to make a gridline?
You can display gridlines just like the ruler in PowerPoint. Go to the View tab and check the box for Gridlines in the Show section of the ribbon.
