Tabs and indents

  • Thread starter Thread starter zitalen
  • Start date Start date
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zitalen

I have worked with desk-top publishing programs for 20 years (mainly
FrameMaker and PageMaker) and I still can't get how PowerPoint's tabs and
indents work...
* How can I set a numerical value to a tab or indent? I want them to be
EXACTLY the same, and I don't want to use the snaps as they are too far apart?
* Why does a change I make to a line affect ALL lines in that placeholder? I
want an "hanging indent" on lines 2-4, but I don't want it in the header!!!
Do I need to have a separate placeholder for the header?

And another "pet-peeve" that hasn't anything to do with tabs or indents:
* How can I get PowerPoint to understand that if I format a line with size
16 points Futura, I want it to stay 16 points, and not 16+, that could be
anything!!??
and
* If a perfectly formatted line of text is copied into another placeholder,
WHY does the size (and often the type) change to something else???

Please save me from this frustration!! I am "cleaning up" a 63-page
presentation my boss made and it's taking hours. I know, I should take a
class in PowerPoint, but it feels so frustrating when I've been working with
dtp so long. I SHOULD know how to fix this!!
:)

Lena, Sweden
 
Zitalen,
"How can I set a numerical value to a tab or indent? I want them to be
EXACTLY the same"
Unlike in Word you cannot set a numerical value to a tab.
"and I don't want to use the snaps as they are too far apart?"
If the grey snaps are too far apart, click and drag one of them in the
direction you want and release the mouse button, if you dragged to the right
all markers will be further apart if you dragged to the left all the markers
will be closer.
Better is to set the tabs yourself by choosing the tab selector at the
beginning of the ruler, and then clicking in the ruler where you want the
tab stop to be placed.

"Why does a change I make to a line affect ALL lines in that placeholder?"
I know it's frustrating but there is nothing you can do about that. PPT 2007
has this problem solved, there you can use tabs and indents in exactly the
same way you would in Word, and they behave the same way.
"If a perfectly formatted line of text is copied into another placeholder,
WHY does the size (and often the type) change to something else???"
Normally pasted text takes on the formatting of the placeholder you put it
in, but upon pasting you will see a tiny icon called paste options, when you
click on it you can choose to keep the original formatting if you want.

If your text is in standard placeholders you can change the formatting in
the master of your presentation. View - master - slide master - select the
placeholder and format it the way you want. Close master view and text in
placeholders should be updated.
Luc Sanders
MVP - Powerpoint
 
Hi again Lena H!

I can't cure all your frustrations but one thing that helps a little is
knowing that putting a finger on Ctrl turns off the 'snap' and also allows
the carets to be moved to places they otherwise won't go! (for hanging
indents)

You can only (as far as I know) get numerical values with vba code. It would
look something like this:

Sub setindent()
With ActivePresentation.Slides(1).Shapes(2).TextFrame.Ruler.Levels(1)
..LeftMargin = 10
..FirstMargin = 40
End With
End Sub

--
Amazing PPT Hints, Tips and Tutorials

http://www.PPTAlchemy.co.uk
http://www.technologytrish.co.uk
email john AT technologytrish.co.uk
 
Thank you Luc for your answers.

About tabs: I know I can choose myself, but there's a "snap" and I can only
chose every half cm. If I want one tab at 0,5 and another at 1,25 it can't be
done. I could ctrl-drag and get rid of the snap, but at it is a presentation
where every page is a continuation of the last (one new line added together
with a picture), it's very important that the tabs are in the same place.
Otherwise that difference will be the first thing that catches the eye...

About pasting into another placeholder: If the text I cut is Futura 16 p and
the text I am replacing in the placeholder is exactly the same (even the same
color), the result is Futura 24 p.... Very irritating.
Where's the icon? Just tested what you wrote and I can't see an icon that
would allow me to keep my formatting.

Standard placeholders... don't even know what that is. Guess it's time to
sign up for a class :)

Thanks again
Lena
 
Hi John!!
As I wrote to Luc, I knew about ctrl-dragging the carets (new word for me).
But they wont end up the same all the time.

And as I have written before, VBA is totally out of my knowledge. I haven't
the faintest idea of what to do with what you wrote. I guess I will go to a
beginners class first :)

Lena
 
It's checked (and was before too). Still can't see it. Where is it on the
screen? Close to the placeholder, or in the menu?

Lena
 
FOUND IT!

Thanks!

Lena

zitalen said:
It's checked (and was before too). Still can't see it. Where is it on the
screen? Close to the placeholder, or in the menu?

Lena
Click to expand...
 
Hi Zitalen,
When you used the word snap I thought that you meant the little grey markers
on the ruler which are at regular intervals and not the carats at the
beginning of the ruler.
But I see John has you covered on that (indentation) part.
Luc Sanders
MVP - PowerPoint
 
ZItalen,
Glad you found it, but more importantly does it solve your problem?
Luc Sanders
MVP - PowerPoint
 
Yes, it solved one of my problems. Not as frustrated anymore, I know now that
I am not stupid, some things just can't be done.

Thanks again for all your help.

lena
 
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