Highlight text and use your mouse as a laser pointer – two good ways to draw your audience’s attention to something on a slide. Watch this video to learn more.
Highlight your text
The typical method for highlighting text with color is not available in PowerPoint 2013. However, there is another great way to accomplish this using the Glow text effect.
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Select the text on the slide.
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Under DRAWING TOOLS, click the FORMAT tab.
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Click Text Effects > Glow, and choose a Glow Variation.
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To increase the glow, click Text Effects > Glow > Glow Options, and increase the number in the Size box in the Format Shape pane on the right.
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In a slide show, sometimes, you want to highlight or point to a word or paragraph for emphasis.
For example, here, we have highlighted our company’s mission statement with a yellow glow.
Another thing you might do to call out text is turn the mouse pointer into a laser pointer and underscore important points as you speak.
Let’s look at how to use both methods for text, starting with a glow color.
Unlike in Word, in PowerPoint, there is no Text Highlight Color button. Instead, you highlight the text by adding a glow color.
Here is the text that we want to highlight. To add the glow color, first I’ll select the text by dragging with the mouse.
When I select the text, the DRAWING TOOLS FORMAT tab appears. I’ll click it.
The FORMAT tab has a group called WordArt Styles for formatting text with colors, glows, and other effects.
Look for Text Effects here, and click it.
The effect we want is Glow. When I point to it, a gallery of glow effects appears.
And when I point to an effect, it previews on the text.
For the strongest yellow glow, I’ll choose this one, called Gold, 18 pt. glow.
The text now has a yellow glow as a highlight.
I can increase the glow, if I want. I’ll select the text again, click Text Effects, point to Glow, and click Glow Options.
Next to Size, I’ll click the up arrow and increase the glow to 50 points.
The increased glow creates a more blended highlight, and the glow is easier to see.
We are finished with the Format Shape pane, so I’ll click the X to close it.
And now, let’s click Slide Show to see the glow highlight in that view.
Now, to use the laser pointer to call out the text while you present it, press and hold Ctrl and also press and hold the left mouse button. That activates the Laser Pointer.
As I mention each company value, such as 'Medicine for all', I can emphasize it with the pointer.
When I let up the mouse button, the mouse pointer returns.
But, the laser pointer reappears when I press and hold the mouse button, as long as I press Ctrl.
Up next: Change the font style for a presentation.
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