Today at the Troy Public Library's Technology Desk, I had a patron ask me the following question:
"Is there any quick way to extract images used in a PowerPoint presentation?"
I knew that I could copy each image individually into a program like Paint or Paint.NET and then re-save each image, but that seemed very tedious and time consuming for the patron, so I searched for an alternative. I eventually came across this post from labnol.blogspot.com.
The advice is simple: save the PowerPoint presentation as a web page (.htm, .html file), and PowerPoint will extract the images for you. Not only does PowerPoint extract the images to gif, .jpg, or .png files, but it also creates some additional web page related files. You can safely delete these excess files by organizing the files by type in Windows Explorer.
Do you have any other PowerPoint hints? Let us know by leaving a comment.
Showing posts with label Powerpoint. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Powerpoint. Show all posts
October 8, 2010
December 29, 2009
Share PowerPoint Presentations Easily Online with Slideshare.net
Recently, I found myself needing to share a PowerPoint presentation with a large group of people. I was hoping to find a site like Youtube, but with the ability to upload PowerPoint presentations (.ppt and .pptx) instead of videos. I found Slideshare, a website dedicated to uploading and sharing PowerPoint presentations.
To upload your presentation, you must first create a free Slideshare account here. After confirming your account, you are able to start uploading.
What is especially nice about Slideshare is that, like Youtube, it allows you to embed your slideshow in any web page. You also have the ability to make the slideshow private, if you wish. Here is a slideshow by Francisco Grajales III on Social Media, that I embedded into this post as an example of the sharing capabilities of Slideshare.
Slideshare is free to use and is a great resource for those looking for an easier way to share PowerPoint presentations.
One caveat: When I originally tested a PowerPoint presentation, it cut off pieces of text near the top and bottom of the slides. So be sure to give your presentation a decent size margin before uploading.
To upload your presentation, you must first create a free Slideshare account here. After confirming your account, you are able to start uploading.
What is especially nice about Slideshare is that, like Youtube, it allows you to embed your slideshow in any web page. You also have the ability to make the slideshow private, if you wish. Here is a slideshow by Francisco Grajales III on Social Media, that I embedded into this post as an example of the sharing capabilities of Slideshare.
One caveat: When I originally tested a PowerPoint presentation, it cut off pieces of text near the top and bottom of the slides. So be sure to give your presentation a decent size margin before uploading.
July 25, 2009
Office 2007 Training from Scratch
Are you looking to learn Office 2007 from scratch? The Microsoft Office website has an excellent resource for learning Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint. Geared to the true beginner, this training walks you through Office 2007 programs step-by-step.
April 28, 2009
Microsoft Office 2007 Service Pack 2 Released
Users of Microsoft Office 2007 should check their Windows Update to receive the new Service Pack 2 that was released on April 28.
The new service pack has a long list of improvements to the Microsoft Office suite of products. For the complete list, check out this link (Excel file).
Some of the highlights of this release are as follows:
- Speed improvements to Microsoft Outlook
- The "Save as PDF" option has been implemented throughout the entire Office suite
- Support has been added for the ODF format (Open Document Format)
- Various bugs have been fixed
If you can't wait to grab Service Pack 2, go to this link to pick up the download.
January 20, 2009
Inserting Youtube Videos Into PowerPoint
Over at Digital Inspiration, they did a fantastic write-up on how to embed YouTube videos into PowerPoint presentations.
One method discussed in the article uses a "YouTube Wizard" plugin which can be found here. After downloading and installing the plugin, check out the brief video on how to use it, courtesy of Digital Inspiration.
To see the rest of the methods, feel free to check out their full post.
December 17, 2008
Best of Office Online: 2008
Microsoft has released a list showing their most popular Office Online resources for 2008. Categories include templates, clip art, training courses, and columns. This list includes resources for both Office 2003 and Office 2007.
September 30, 2008
Mouse-less Navigation in Office 2007
Keyboard shortcuts are one of my favorite things about Microsoft Office. I've always preferred using the keyboard shortcuts over the mouse; I don't have to take my hands off the keyboard that way, and my speed increases.
So, I was thrilled when I saw the great new keyboard shortcut layout in Office 2007. This feature overlays the keyboard shortcuts on top of your Office 2007 ribbon.
To activate the layout, hit the Alt key. The shortcut labels will be overlayed on the ribbon. Then, you can navigate simply by hitting the appropriate label on the keyboard. Navigation between the various tabs and functions becomes as easy as pressing the letters assigned!
To de-activate the shorcut overlay, just hit the Alt key a second time.
This overlay will show up in all Microsoft 2007 Office products that have the ribbon interface.
So, I was thrilled when I saw the great new keyboard shortcut layout in Office 2007. This feature overlays the keyboard shortcuts on top of your Office 2007 ribbon.
To activate the layout, hit the Alt key. The shortcut labels will be overlayed on the ribbon. Then, you can navigate simply by hitting the appropriate label on the keyboard. Navigation between the various tabs and functions becomes as easy as pressing the letters assigned!
click for a larger view
This overlay will show up in all Microsoft 2007 Office products that have the ribbon interface.
September 27, 2008
Change the Color Scheme in Microsoft Office 2007
Feeling blue? How about silver?
Well, now you can change your color scheme in any Microsoft Office 2007 software to blue, silver, or black, using the Options command. (For this post, I will demonstrate in Word.)
First, click on the Office button in the top left corner, and then click on Word Options at the bottom of the pop-up menu.
Make sure you are under the Popular heading (on the left). Then look for Color Scheme. Click on the drop-down arrow next to the choices and select the color you want (blue, silver, and black).
Click on OK at the bottom of the menu. Your new color scheme will appear immediately.
Well, now you can change your color scheme in any Microsoft Office 2007 software to blue, silver, or black, using the Options command. (For this post, I will demonstrate in Word.)
First, click on the Office button in the top left corner, and then click on Word Options at the bottom of the pop-up menu.
Make sure you are under the Popular heading (on the left). Then look for Color Scheme. Click on the drop-down arrow next to the choices and select the color you want (blue, silver, and black).
Click on OK at the bottom of the menu. Your new color scheme will appear immediately.
(For more tips on Microsoft Word and other Office products, enter the program name into the dialog box at the top left of this blog page, and click on Search Blog. You'll see what other tips the Tech Desk has to offer.)
September 16, 2008
The Power of the Microsoft Office 2007 Clipboard
The clipboard in Microsoft Office 2007 is one of the most under-utilized functions in the entire suite of Office programs. Many of us use the basic copy and paste, but we neglect the other power features of this tool. Today I will cover some of these power features and their uses.
Copy Multiple Items Into Your Clipboard
Much to nearly everyone's surprise, the clipboard can hold more then one clip at a time! To see for yourself, open up your favorite Office 2007 program (Word and Excel work best) and click on the Show Office Clipboard Pane button in the Clipboard grouping. Now, begin copying text from anything you like. I copied some things from Firefox, a favorite browser among the Technology staff here at the Library. You'll notice a small pop-up in the bottom right corner of your screen:
You'll notice that the clipboard says "3 of 24:" I've copied information into 3 of my 24 clipboard available slots. Go back into the Office program you have open, and you'll be able to see the items in your clipboard (right).
You'll notice that each piece of information includes either a mini-thumbnail, for images, or the first few words, for text, in the clipboard. Now, click on an item in the clipboard and it will instantly be pasted into your file.
The Paste Special Command
The paste special command is one of my favorites in MS Office. Frequently when searching the internet I come across text that I want to copy that has multiple types of formatting. When I paste the text into a Word Document I get a jumble of various word formatting that looks terrible.
Here is where the paste special command can help. Click on the drop down arrow under Paste and choose Paste Special. Now choose your selection. In this this example, I would choose unformatted text. Voila! You have clean, unformatted text added to your document.
These are just a few of the main features of this helpful clipboard tool.
Copy Multiple Items Into Your Clipboard
Much to nearly everyone's surprise, the clipboard can hold more then one clip at a time! To see for yourself, open up your favorite Office 2007 program (Word and Excel work best) and click on the Show Office Clipboard Pane button in the Clipboard grouping. Now, begin copying text from anything you like. I copied some things from Firefox, a favorite browser among the Technology staff here at the Library. You'll notice a small pop-up in the bottom right corner of your screen:
You'll notice that the clipboard says "3 of 24:" I've copied information into 3 of my 24 clipboard available slots. Go back into the Office program you have open, and you'll be able to see the items in your clipboard (right). You'll notice that each piece of information includes either a mini-thumbnail, for images, or the first few words, for text, in the clipboard. Now, click on an item in the clipboard and it will instantly be pasted into your file.
The Paste Special Command
The paste special command is one of my favorites in MS Office. Frequently when searching the internet I come across text that I want to copy that has multiple types of formatting. When I paste the text into a Word Document I get a jumble of various word formatting that looks terrible.
Here is where the paste special command can help. Click on the drop down arrow under Paste and choose Paste Special. Now choose your selection. In this this example, I would choose unformatted text. Voila! You have clean, unformatted text added to your document.
These are just a few of the main features of this helpful clipboard tool.
September 9, 2008
Get Back Your Classic Microsoft Office Dropdown Menus with the Toolbar Add-In
Do you miss the classic Office 97-2003 toolbar in Office 2007? Do you want the familiar dropdown menus back?
Well, you just might be in luck. Computer geek Shah Shailesh has released the classic Office toolbar as an add-in for Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and Access. The installation is simple: download the add-in, extract the file and run it. You'll instantly see a new add-in tab added to the top of the Office 2007 ribbon. Click the add-in tab and you'll be presented with the classic Office 97-2003 dropdown menus.
While you are there, check out the other cool add-ins Shah Shailesh has available.
August 26, 2008
Remove the Annoying Mini Toolbar in Microsoft Office 2007
Bad mini toolbar!
Have you been typing in Microsoft Word 2007, only to see a miniature toolbar randomly pop up and obstruct your viewing and typing?
That mini toolbar is a new feature in Office 2007. Many people, including myself, find it to be quite a nuisance.
To get rid of that toolbar, and free yourself from its ghost-like appearances, click on the Office button in the top left of your Word screen, go to Word Options, and un-check the Show Mini Toolbar on Selection option located under the Popular tab. Then click Ok and you're set -- no more annoying mini toolbar!
And, if you later decide you miss the toolbar you can always bring it back by rechecking the box.
And, if you later decide you miss the toolbar you can always bring it back by rechecking the box.
Note: The mini toolbar will show up in all Microsoft Office 2007 programs: Excel, Outlook, Powerpoint, etc. You will have to disable it through the same method above in each program, under Options located at the bottom of the Microsoft Button menu.
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