Make The Grade: How To Easily Create A Gradient Background!

A gradient background adds depth and visual drama to your PowerPoint slides. This effect offers a blend from dark to light--or from one color to another.

We'll build a gradient background in the Slide Master of a new deck. Work done in the Slide Master appears on every slide in your presentation.

Ready?

1. Open your PowerPoint deck--or create a NEW deck.

2. In SLIDE VIEW, go to the upper menu. Then choose VIEW > MASTER > SLIDE MASTER

3. Once you're in Slide Master, go to the upper menu again. Choose FORMAT > BACKGROUND

4. The Background palette will now appear on your screen. Click on the pull-down color menu. Choose FILL EFFECTS.

5. The Fill Effects palette should appear on your screen. Find the COLORS section of the palette. Click on the radio button that reads ONE COLOR.

6. A new pull-down color menu will appear. It should read COLOR 1. Use this menu to choose a color. We chose a nic eblue for this example. 

7. Find the SHADING STYLES section of the palette. Click HORIZONTAL. Choose the first example, which is light at the top and dark at the bottom. We've found that this one works the best for most slide backgrounds. (Feel free to experiment with any of the 24 shading styles on the palette.)

8. Now, find the slider bar beneath the COLOR 1 pull-down menu. Use the slider bar to adjust the contrast to your liking. (In our example, the setting is about two notches left of center). Click OK.

9. In the BACKGROUND palette now on your screen, click APPLY.

10. Your Background should now appear on the slide. In the upper menu, go to VIEW > NORMAL to get out of Slide Master mode.

Congratulations--you've gradiated! Now you're ready to start work on your new show!

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