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PowerPoint provides extremely useful resources called templates that automatically construct the foundation and framework of your presentation. If you can’t quite find one that’s just right for you, you can create your own. Here’s how to do it.

To create a custom PowerPoint template, you’ll first need to open a blank presentation. You can do so by clicking the “File” tab and then selecting “New” in the left pane.

A large library of templates will appear, but since that’s not what we’re looking for, go ahead and select the “Blank Presentation” option.

Next, you need to choose the slide orientation and size . In the “Customize” group of the “Design” tab, select the “Slide Size” button. A small drop-down menu will appear. Here, click the “Customize Slide Size” option.

The “Slide Size” dialog box will appear. Here, you can (1) adjust the slide height and width or simply select a predefined option from the drop-down menu, and (2) select the slide orientation.

The rest of the template creation will be done in PowerPoint’s Slide Master . The Slide Master allows you to customize a presentation's fonts, headings, and colors in one place, applying the selections to all of your slides. This allows you to maintain consistency throughout the template, as well as eliminating the need to make changes to each individual slide.

Related: How to Change the Default Font in PowerPoint

To access the slide master, click on the "View" tab and then select “Slide Master” in the “Master Views” group.

The Slide Master will appear in the left pane. The Slide Master is the top thumbnail that appears in the pane. Each sub-thumbnail represents each slide layout available in your theme. Edits you make to the Slide Master will affect each slide layout.

This is where the magic happens. First, you can select a unique theme for what will be your PowerPoint template. To do so, select “Themes” in the “Edit Theme” group of the “Slide Master” tab.

A drop-down menu will appear, presenting a large library of themes to choose from. Each theme comes with its own fonts and effects. Browse through the collection and select the one you like.

You can also choose a background style for the theme you chose. Select “Background Styles” in the “Background” group and then select the style you like from the drop-down menu.

If you want to customize the placeholders in the slides, you can do so by selecting one of the options from the “Insert Placeholder” menu. You can find this option in the “Master Layout” group.

Once you’ve selected the slide where you want to insert a placeholder from the pane on left and the type of placeholder you want to insert from the menu, click and drag your cursor to draw the placeholder box.

Repeat this process until you’re happy with the placeholders in your template. Once you’re finished with this, all that’s left to do is save your custom template.

To save the PowerPoint presentation (.pptx) as a template (.potx), click the “File” tab and then the "Save As" button.

In the “Other Locations” group, select the “Browse" option.

The “Save As” dialog box will then appear. Select the box next to “Save as Type” and then choose “PowerPoint Template” from the list of options.

When you select the PowerPoint Template file type, PowerPoint redirects you to the “Custom Office Templates” folder. This is where you’ll want to save your template. Click the “Save” button.

Your template will now be saved and is ready to be used. To find your template next time you open PowerPoint, click the “File” tab and select the “New” button. Next, select the “Custom” tab and then select the “Custom Office Templates" option.

You’ll now see your custom template. Select it to start using your custom PowerPoint template.

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How to Make a PowerPoint Template

Last Updated: April 11, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Darlene Antonelli, MA . Darlene Antonelli is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. Darlene has experience teaching college courses, writing technology-related articles, and working hands-on in the technology field. She earned an MA in Writing from Rowan University in 2012 and wrote her thesis on online communities and the personalities curated in such communities. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 587,941 times. Learn more...

If you want to maintain consistency throughout your organization's PowerPoint presentations, a template is what you'll want to use. This wikiHow teaches you how to create a custom PowerPoint template in Microsoft PowerPoint. You can do this on both Windows and Mac versions of PowerPoint.

Quick Steps to Creating a PowerPoint Template

To create a PowerPoint template, start by designing your presentation however you wish. In the Slide Master tab, you can use the Insert Placeholder button to add a placeholder for items that will be edited later, like images or text. Then, save your presentation as a standard PowerPoint file.

• On Mac, simply opening PowerPoint might open a new presentation depending on your settings. If it does, skip this step.

• On Mac, this option is on the top menu bar. [1] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source

• On Mac, first click Master , then click Slide Master .

• Once you select a slide, you can pick a theme from the "Themes" drop-down that's located above the slide master panel. You can also apply backgrounds by clicking Background styles. You can also click Format Background... in the drop-down menu to customize color options like base color, gradient, and brightness.

• Content - Inserts a written content outline. On a Mac, you have a "Vertical" option for Content as well.
• Text - Inserts a text box. On a Mac, you have a "Vertical" option for Text as well.
• Picture - Inserts a section for a picture.
• Chart - Inserts a section for a chart.
• Table - Inserts a section for a table.
• Smart Art - Inserts a section for smart art items.
• Media - Inserts a section for a video.
• Online Image - Inserts a section from which you can add an online image.

• You may have to perform additional steps before the item is added to your template. For example, clicking Online Image will prompt you to search for an image and click Insert .

• Windows: Click File > Save As , select a location and enter a name for your template. Click the Save as type drop-down box, click PowerPoint Template , and then click Save . [2] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source
• Mac: Click File > Save as Template , enter a file name, and click Save .

Community Q&A

• You can upload your templates to Microsoft OneDrive if you want to store them in the cloud. You should be able to access them from the PowerPoint template menu. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

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• ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/create-a-template-86a1d089-5ae2-4d53-9042-1191bce57deb#OfficeVersion=macOS
• ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/create-and-save-a-powerpoint-template-ee4429ad-2a74-4100-82f7-50f8169c8aca

About This Article

1. Open PowerPoint. 2. Click Blank Presentation . 3. Click the Design tab. 4. Click Slide Size , Custom Slide Size , and then choose the page orientation and dimensions. 5. Click the View tab. 6. Click Slide Master . 7. Select a slide format to edit. 8. Click Insert Placeholder . 9. Drag and drop a placeholder to a slide. 10. Select a template font. 11. Save your template. Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Make a PowerPoint Template (Tutorial with Pictures!)

PowerPoint templates are the hidden gem of top designers worldwide. That's why incorporating templates within your team is a wise choice! 

They not only save you a lot of time but also help convey your brand identity across internal departments and stakeholders .

In this guide, you will learn how to make a PowerPoint template from scratch, which will also help you know how to edit an existing one. 

In summary, you'll learn about:

• What exactly is a PowerPoint Template , and what is its difference from a PowerPoint Theme ?
• Is there a Quick Method for creating a PowerPoint Template?
• How to create a Custom PowerPoint Template from scratch?
• How to get a Branded PowerPoint Template with a fast turnaround?
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about PowerPoint Templates

Let's begin with the basics – or jump to your favorite section using the list above.

What are PowerPoint Templates?

PowerPoint templates are a group of slides with predefined layouts, colors, fonts, and themes that will optimize your creative process when designing presentation decks. 

A good PowerPoint template contains nice layouts, great background styles, and unique color combinations. It also has strategically positioned placeholders, allowing for seamless insertion of text, images, videos, charts, or tables.

Without a doubt, PowerPoint templates are an excellent tool for quickly creating professional slides!

PowerPoint Template vs. PowerPoint Theme

You may have heard the terms "theme" and "template" being used interchangeably, but they don't have the same meaning in this software. 

Let's learn about the real difference between a PowerPoint template and a PowerPoint theme:

• A PowerPoint template is a set of ready-made PowerPoint slides that contain layouts, themes, graphs, charts, and even content. Its extension is .potx.
• A PowerPoint theme is a pre-set of fonts, colors, and visual effects you apply to your slides. Its extension is .thmx .

So, in summary, a template provides a pre-set structure where you only need to insert your content. Meanwhile, a theme allows you to change the overall visual appearance of your presentation with just a click.

Naturally, you can apply any theme to an existing PowerPoint template  or presentation. When it comes to design, your imagination is the only limit!

The Quick Method: Using an Existing PowerPoint Template

In a rush? You don't have enough time to build a PowerPoint template?

If so, you should use an existing PowerPoint template from the software itself or download a free PowerPoint template from Templates by 24Slides.

We can tell you that both are high-quality resources and easy to customize.  

Regarding the PowerPoint templates by 24Slides, we have elaborate two types of templates:

Presentation Deck Templates

They have a standard presentation structure .

It starts with a cover slide and a table of contents. Then, it gives you space to introduce yourself or your team with an "About Us" slide.

Also, you'll find slides with some diagrams and charts to organize your information. Check out this example:

Individual Slides Templates

These templates do not follow a step-by-step structure. So feel free to use each slide independently . 

Most of the time, they're about the same topic and differ primarily in the layout design. Here is an example:

One of the greatest pros about templates is that you don't need expert knowledge to customize them , as PowerPoint is very intuitive software.

Keep in mind that you have the freedom to adapt our PowerPoint templates for personal or commercial projects! 

Step-by-Step Guide: How to create a Custom PowerPoint Template from scratch? 

Now, if you need an impactful template fully customized to your needs , you should create a PowerPoint template from scratch. 

With a custom template in PowerPoint, you have complete control over the final design of your slides. 

That being said, let's explore together how to make a PowerPoint template in six simple steps! 

• Important : We recommend learning how to use Slide Master in PowerPoint . The key idea is that any element added to the Slide Master will be reflected across all subsequent slides.

Step 1: Set your Slides Size

Adjusting slide sizes is really easy on a blank PowerPoint presentation –just three clicks, and you're done!

To set or change your slide size in PowerPoint, you only need to: 

• Go to the Design tab . 
• Click on the Slide Size button .
• Select the size you need for your presentation deck. If you choose "Standard (4:3)" or "Widescreen (16:9)," your slides will automatically change.

How do you Resize a Slide with Custom Measurements? 

By default, the slides are sized for a widescreen presentation. This happens because most desktop screens have a 16:9 aspect ratio .

Good news! If you require it, you can customize the size of your slides in PowerPoint . You only need to:  

• Press "Custom Slide Size," and a pop-up will appear.
• To change the size of your slides, type the new measurement in the boxes or use the arrows from the "Width" and "Height" sections. 

• If you are unsure about the specific Width and Height your slides require , click "Slides sized for" and select the most appropriate measurement for your PowerPoint template.

Step 2: Open the Slide Master View

Here's where a special PowerPoint feature comes in: Slide Master . 

You wouldn't be able to learn how to make a PowerPoint template without this feature, so pay close attention! 

• Go to the View tab .
• Press the button "Slide Master" (see image).
• The Slide Master tab will appear, and you will be able to access new features in PowerPoint.

The first slide is called the " Slide Master ," and any changes you make there will be reflected in the following slides ( Layout Slides ).

Let's delve into a concrete example! The next image shows the effectiveness of using Slide Master for creating templates or presentations in PowerPoint.

Step 3: Customize your Slide Master

Now that you opened the Slide Master view, it's time to learn how to customize this tool.

Here are some important changes you can apply to your Slide Master in PowerPoint:

Edit the Placeholders on your Slide Master

Let's start with the easiest part: the placeholders of your Slide Master.

• Go to the Slide Master tab .
• Click on the " Master Layout " button. 

• A dialog box will appear with the different types of placeholders available in the software. There, you can check the placeholders you need to create a PowerPoint template.

Apply a PowerPoint Theme to your Slide Master

You are free to choose any default PowerPoint theme or a custom theme you already have for your project. 

• If you like PowerPoint aesthetics , you'll see these options when clicking the Themes button.
• If you have a custom theme saved on your computer , you only need to click "Browse for Themes."

Set Up a Custom Color Palette on your Slide Master

By default, PowerPoint offers some built-in color palettes, but you can also use your own set of colors. 

This approach is especially useful when your template is designed for a project with its own brand identity.  

• Go to "Colors" in the Slide Master tab.
• Click "Customize Colors" to set your own color palette in Slide Master.

• A new pop-up will appear with 12 sections to fill out. 
• Remember to name and save your final color palette in PowerPoint .

Choose a Custom Font Set for your Slide Master

In this process of creating your own PowerPoint template, you also need to know how to set up a font pack in this software. 

Let's check how to do it: 

• Go to "Fonts" in the Slide Master tab.

• Click on " Customize Fonts " to open a dialog box. There, you can set up your new Heading and Body fonts.
• Create a name for this font set and click on "Save."

Here you can see how the Layout Slides change when employing the Slide Master functionality in PowerPoint:

• PRO TIP: If you want a more eye-catching result, install your own fonts in PowerPoint . Follow all the steps in our blog!

Customize the Background of your Slide Master

If you don't like PowerPoint themes or feel like "something is missing," you can customize your background style.

Let's learn how to do it:

• Make sure you're on the Slide Master tab .
• Stay on the first slide (Slide Master slide).
• Select "Background Styles" > " Format Background ."
• A panel will open on the right side of the screen. There, you can customize your background with a solid color, a gradient, or even add a picture.

Add your Company Logo to your Slide Master

If you want to enhance brand consistency and improve brand awareness among your audience, it is advisable to incorporate your logo into the PowerPoint template.

It's very easy to do it – simply follow these instructions: 

• Go to the Insert tab > Pictures > This device.
• Select your company logo image with a transparent background (PNG is the most common format).
• Place the logo on your Master Slides, and voilá!

Step 4: Design your Layout Slides

When you finish designing your Slide Master, you should know a little more about the following slides, known as "Layout Slides."

Designing layouts in PowerPoint facilitates the task of adding information to your presentation deck. Without a doubt, having different pre-set layouts saves a lot of your time!

Also, in case you share this master resource with different teams, you'll be able to adapt it to their needs. That way, your PowerPoint template will be more user-friendly!

Customize the Placeholders on your Layout Slides

Here are all the types of placeholders you can incorporate into your Layout Slides: 

• Online Image

To edit these placeholders, you only need to:

• Click on the placeholder you want to edit.
• A new Format tab will appear. Depending on each type of placeholder, the PowerPoint settings would be different. 
• Finally, change the aesthetics of each placeholder as you want! 

We recommend adding placeholders in strategic areas on your Layout Slides. Try and see which setting fits better for your project! 

Hide Background Graphics on a Layout Slide

Remember how we added a logo in the Master Slide throughout the entire presentation deck? 

Well, if you want to remove the logo or any other background graphics from specific Layout Slides , here's what you need to do:

• Click on the Layout Slide you want to edit.
• Go to the Slide Master ribbon.
• Check the box that says "Hide Background Graphics" (see image).
• If you want to apply this to multiple slides, hold down the "Ctrl" key and select the slides you want to replicate this change.

Hide Title or Footers on a Layout Slide

Beyond hiding background graphics in the Layout Slides, you can also opt to hide the title or any footers.

Let's check how to do it:

• Go to the Slide Master tab.
• Uncheck the options "Title" and "Footers," as required (see image). 
• Unlike the previous functionality, these changes are made manually on each slide.

Create a New Layout Slide

What if you want different settings for only one Layout Slide? Well, you can break the rules a bit. 

Let's say you desire to incorporate a different background color from your Master Slide, and you'd rather use a white Stencil font for the headings –but just for a particular Layout Slide. 

Luckily for us, PowerPoint is flexible enough to make this happen . Here's what you need to do:

• Click on the layout you want to edit. In this example, we will change the Title Slide Layout (the layout immediately below the Master Slide). 

• To change the color of the background , right-click on the slide and select "Format Background."
• To edit the font style and color , highlight the text and the Shape Format tab will appear. There, you can customize it with the tools Text Fill, Text Outline, and Text Effects. 

Here's how the final Layout Slide looks like:

Step 5: Apply the Layout Slides to your PowerPoint Template

We are nearing the end of this guide on how to make a PowerPoint Template.

Now, it's time to apply the layout designs previously created to your template . Remember that you have the freedom to choose the order!

• Close the Master View by going to Slide Master > Close Master View.
• Right-click on the slide you want to edit (you can either create a new slide or edit an existing one).
• Select the "Layout" option, and a new list of layouts will appear (here you will see all the layouts created in the previous step!).
• Choose the layout that best suits your needs!

Step 6: Save your Custom PowerPoint Template

Once you're happy with the aesthetics of your slides, it's time to save your PowerPoint template: 

• Go to the File tab .
• Click on "Save As" > "Browse."
• Then, select "Save as Type."
• Choose "PowerPoint Template" (see image).
• Change the name of the file if needed. 
• Click on "Save," and that's it! 

There you go! You have created a custom PowerPoint template ready to be used for any project. 

We hope you like this tutorial on how to make a PowerPoint template from scratch. You're free to share it with everyone you want! 

Get a Branded PowerPoint Template with a fast turnaround

What if I tell you there's a quicker option to have your PowerPoint template on-brand ? And it has nothing to do with fiddling with PowerPoint's shapes and graphics yourself.

Nowadays, more and more big companies worldwide outsource their design tasks and get professional slides that significantly impact their audience.

If you're looking for a custom PowerPoint template, or want to elevate your business presentations, book a call with us !  

Customer Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about PowerPoint Templates

1. how to delete a layout slide from slide master.

To delete a Layout Slide from Slide Master, simply:

• Right-click on the Layout Slide you want to delete.
• Select the "Delete Layout" option, and that's it! 

As you can see in the image below, you can insert, duplicate, delete, and rename a layout in this PowerPoint feature.

2. How to apply a PowerPoint Template to an existing Presentation?

To apply a template to a new presentation deck, you must know how to save the file as a theme:

• Choose the template you prefer (with the design and color palette you like the most!).
• Go to View tab > Slide Master > Themes .
• Press "Save Current Theme."
• Name it and save it on your device (see image).
• Open the PowerPoint presentation you want to edit.
• Go to Design tab > Themes > Browse for Themes.
• Choose the PowerPoint theme you just saved, and that's it!

• Note: Remember that theme and template do not mean the same in PowerPoint.

3. How to make your own PowerPoint Template with a Picture?

Thanks to the latest PowerPoint updates, you can create a template from scratch with any image.

To achieve this, follow these steps:

• Choose and save some images to add to your PowerPoint template.
• Create a new PowerPoint presentation and place yourself on the first slide.
• Go to Insert tab > Picture > This device (you can also try images from Office or Bing).
• Find the image you saved in the first step and insert it into your presentation.
• Go to the Design tab and press the PowerPoint Designer tool . The software will give you many design ideas for your template.
• Add the number of slides your PowerPoint template needs by pressing the "Enter" key on the first slide.
• Choose the layouts that best suit each slide, and voila, you finally have a unique PowerPoint template!  

Found this guide helpful? Check out more content like this: 

• PowerPoint 101: The Ultimate Guide for Beginners
• How to Make a PowerPoint Slideshow that Runs Automatically?   
• How to Make a Picture Transparent in PowerPoint?
• How to Rebrand a PowerPoint Template after a Brand Refresh
• How to Refresh Your Brand? Discover Our Strategic Approach

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Use a personal template to create a new PowerPoint presentation

If you want to use a template you've saved for your next presentation, here's how.

On the File tab, click New .

Select Personal or Custom . (The name varies, depending on circumstance.)

Tip:  If you don't see Personal or Custom then you probably don't have any templates stored in your templates folder.  Create and save one, or use the steps in the next section to copy a template to that folder.

Double-click your template and a new presentation will open with your template applied to it.

Got a custom template you want to use in PowerPoint?

Did you receive a template, via download, email, or other method, that you'd like to add to PowerPoint? Copy or save your template (.potx) file to the Templates folder at: 

C:\Users\< UserName> \Documents\Custom Office Templates\

Important:  Replace <UserName> with your username.

Import existing slides into your new presentation

Open the file that contains the existing slides.

Click the thumbnail pane and then select the slides you want:

Select all slides: Ctrl+A

Select a subset of the slides: Ctrl+click

Copy the slides (Ctrl+C).

Switch to the new file, right-click the thumbnail pane, and under Paste Options select Use Destination Theme :

All the copied slides are inserted in the new presentation.

Set your template as a default option

You can mark your personal template to be an option on the default Featured tab. Here’s how:

Repeat the first two steps from the first procedure above. 

Right-click your template and select Pin to List . 

Create and save a PowerPoint template

Where are my custom templates?

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