How to Use Microsoft PowerPoint Animations and Transitions for Creative Presentations
PowerPoint Animations are special visual effects added to a text or an object in Microsoft PowerPoint. You have to click the object and select the animations tab. They bring your text or object to life.
A transition is a visual effect that occurs when you move from one slide to the next in PowerPoint. A transition can be as simple as a fading to the next slide or a cut.
Animations and transitions engage your audience more than any element. They make the presentation energetic and purposeful, as if you were having a direct conversation with your audience. Through this, the audience entertainingly absorbs ideas.
How to add PowerPoint animations
It’s easy to add animations to PowerPoint. Ensure to insert text or objects into slides before beginning this process.
Step 1. Select the object you want to animate. It could be a block of text, media file, chart, or a shape. Then click the animations menu. If you expand the menu, you will see stars. Each star represents an animation effect.
Step 2: Select the animations effect you want to add to your object. In this case, we chose the bounce animation, which made our text move up and down.
You will know if your object has an animation effect when a box appears with a number on it. For this example, “How to Use Microsoft PowerPoint Animations and Transitions” was enumerated.
Step 3: You can use the timing option for your animation. It helps control the pacing of the objects on the slide.
Start – An animated object will appear as soon as one clicks the slide or with and after the previous animation.
Duration – You can decide how long to play the animation on the slide.
Delay – Extend the time to begin the animation.
To play the animations on the slide, select the preview icon found on the far left-hand corner.
Finally, that’s how you add animation to your presentation. Feel free to use these whenever you want to create a dramatic effect for all your slides.
Now:
Let’s take a close look at the animation effects.
Everything you need to know about animation effects
Microsoft PowerPoint has lots of animation effects to style up your presentation. These effects can help bring your content to life.
When you select the animations menu, you will see a full list of these effects.
Entrance – Here, the stars appear green. This effect will cause the object to enter the slide – for example, bounce, shape, wheel, etc.
Emphasis – Here, the stars yellow. This effect will emphasize specific objects in the slide. For instance, spin an object clockwise or anticlockwise. Also, slightly darken objects, then revert them to their original color, etc.
Exit – Here, the stars appear red. This effect will cause objects to leave the slide. For example, the wheel effect will make the object rotate around a central hub before gradually fading from the slide.
Motion paths – This effect allows an object to move in a certain direction. It could be along a straight line or in a circle.
Sequence your animations
After adding animations to objects on your PowerPoint presentation, you can change the order in which the animation enters or exit the slide.
From the animations menu, you should see the animation pane on the top right corner. Use the drag and drop feature to move the animation in the order you like.
How to Add Transitions to Microsoft PowerPoint
Step 1: Select the slide that you want to modify.
Step 2: Select the transitions menu and scroll to find the one you like. For example, we chose a split transition for this slide.
If you want to remove the transition from the slide, choose none.
If you see a star next to the slide section, it means that you added a transition.
Step 3: To add sound, select the drop-down menu in the timing section. You will hear the sound when you preview the transition.
Step 4: Adjust the timing of the transition by selecting duration.
Step 5: To play the transition you created, select preview.
Designing a PowerPoint presentation is time-consuming. Fortunately, there are free PowerPoint templates you can use anytime. All you have to do is find the theme that works for you, and you’re good to go.
Everything you need to know about transitions
There are three types of transition. You can see these when you expand the transition menu.
Subtle – They are not obvious or easy to notice.
Exciting – They cause great interest or excitement
Dynamic content – Energetic transitions that only affect the text or images.
Wrap Up
After following this tutorial, you’re sure to know how to use animations and transitions in Microsoft PowerPoint. It will make your presentation engaging and entertaining for your audience.
More free PowerPoint resources from Simon Sez IT:
OR… Take a look at the full PowerPoint Courses available on Simon Sez IT.
Deborah Ashby
Deborah Ashby is a TAP Accredited IT Trainer, specializing in the design, delivery, and facilitation of Microsoft courses both online and in the classroom.She has over 11 years of IT Training Experience and 24 years in the IT Industry. To date, she's trained over 10,000 people in the UK and overseas at companies such as HMRC, the Metropolitan Police, Parliament, SKY, Microsoft, Kew Gardens, Norton Rose Fulbright LLP.She's a qualified MOS Master for 2010, 2013, and 2016 editions of Microsoft Office and is COLF and TAP Accredited and a member of The British Learning Institute.
