PowerPoint is the most popular presentation tool for businesses and schools, with billions of users around the world.
Companies often pay designers and consultants millions of dollars to create custom PowerPoint templates in order to present a professional, cohesive brand identity where every slide looks great and follows brand guidelines.
But what is the easiest way to create a new custom PowerPoint template if you are starting from scratch? Here are three methods for creating your own custom PowerPoint template.
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Method 1: Use Plus AI to generate a custom PowerPoint template
The fastest and easiest way to create a custom PowerPoint template is to let AI do it for you. You can upload your brand colors, your logo, and your fonts into Plus AI, and it will automatically create a new presentation template with dozens of different slide types and layouts.
Once you’re done, you can use your template to create new presentations, transform old slides into your new custom template, or insert slides one at a time into existing PowerPoint decks.
Note: If you are looking for the best AI presentation makers to make a custom presentation template, make sure you find one with native PowerPoint compatibility so that you don’t have to worry about formatting issues or potential roadblocks when sharing your presentation.
Method 2: Use the Slide Master menu
The next way to create a custom PowerPoint template is to manually edit the Slide Master in PowerPoint and create the layouts, designs, colors, and fonts that fit your brand style guide.
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to edit your PowerPoint Slide Master:
- Open a PowerPoint file and click “View.”
- Click “Slide Master” in the “Master Views” section.
- Set your overall theme colors.
- Set the colors of objects with your theme colors on the Slide Masters. Note: Just picking colors in the Slide Master menu will not change your custom template. You need to set specific objects to your theme colors to see the actual slides change.
- Decide on your fonts and font sizes. Click on the “highest” level slide in your hierarchy to change your font size selections and then change the fonts in the title box and body box based on what you would like to see.
- Decide on your slide layouts and add new ones as necessary. The left sidebar will show you all of the different layouts you currently have in your template. If you’d like to add a new layout, click on the New Slide button and design the layout you’d like to add.
- Once you’re done making edits, click Slide Master and “Close Master View” to save your edits and apply them to your presentation.
- If you’d like to save your new theme and share it or reuse it, click “Design” -> “Save Current Theme”
Now you’ve created a custom theme in PowerPoint! Of course, you can make this template as basic or as complicated as you’d like, and you will probably need to make many more detailed modifications to the base template to create something that looks “professional” and “on brand.”
Method 3: Hire a professional designer
Last but not least, you can always hire a professional designer or design agency to create a new template for you. This is likely the most expensive option, and it will probably take the longest, but you can also get the best results by working with a professional designer.
As you work with a designer, they will help you think through questions like, “what is the goal of my typical presentation,” “what types of slides do I need most frequently,” and “how can I use slides to tell the story of my brand.”
Of course, you can always start with a solution like Plus AI to get a basic template and then consider using a professional designer in the future.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Is there a quick way to create a new PowerPoint template?
Yes, try using an AI PowerPoint maker like Plus AI, which uses AI to quickly generate a new PowerPoint template based on your design guidelines.
How do I create a new PowerPoint template?
To start creating a new PowerPoint template, open PowerPoint, click View -> Slide Master and then start editing the “master” slides with new layouts and colors.
Why can’t I apply my PowerPoint template to my existing slides?
It’s easy to get stuck with various types of formatting issues when you are trying to work between multiple PowerPoint templates. The best way to get around these issues is to just redo your slide by hand in the right template.
Another option is to use an AI tool like Plus AI that can intelligently “remix” or reformat slides into your desired template.
How can I get more templates for PowerPoint?
To find more PowerPoint templates, click Design, then click the arrow next to the slide previews. You should see a dropdown list with many more options for template types.
How do I install a custom template in PowerPoint?
To find more PowerPoint templates, click Design, click the arrow next to the slide previews, and click “Browse for themes.” This allows you to select a new PowerPoint template and add it to your PowerPoint app.
Conclusion
While the process for creating a new PowerPoint template is relatively straightforward, it can be time-consuming and leave you with less time to actually make your presentation. If you want a head start on your next deck, try using one of our free presentation templates and check out our guide on how to prepare a last-minute presentation!
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