Create specific slide layouts in custom theme

[Ixca]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)

I have a presentation I would love to use as a custom theme. The presentation includes a cover slide, text slide, agenda slide, etc, that I have so far been using as a template for all my presentations. I would love to add this presentation as a theme, and then just click on "slide layout" and select the needed slides to jot in and fill up with content as I need to. However, when I try to add this presentation as a "custom theme", saving it as thmx file under "my themes", when I try to use it, the slides available under "slide layout" are NOT the slides I saved in the presentation, they appear to be some powerpoint template just pasted on top of my theme's background.
How can I create a theme that includes a whole bunch of template slides I can just pick from the "slide layout" tab? Also, how can I ensure when someone else using ppt for Windows (not Mac) opens the presentation, that the slides will not move around?
Sorry if I'm not being very technical in the description of my problem, I'm not sure what kind of detail would be valuable to help solve this issue.

Thanks

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)

I have a presentation I would love to use as a custom theme. The presentation includes a cover slide, text slide, agenda slide, etc, that I have so far been using as a template for all my presentations. I would love to add this presentation as a theme, and then just click on "slide layout" and select the needed slides to jot in and fill up with content as I need to. However, when I try to add this presentation as a "custom theme", saving it as thmx file under "my themes", when I try to use it, the slides available under "slide layout" are NOT the slides I saved in the presentation, they appear to be some powerpoint template just pasted on top of my theme's background.
How can I create a theme that includes a whole bunch of template slides I can just pick from the "slide layout" tab? Also, how can I ensure when someone else using ppt for Windows (not Mac) opens the presentation, that the slides will not move around?
Sorry if I'm not being very technical in the description of my problem, I'm not sure what kind of detail would be valuable to help solve this issue.

Thanks

Hi,

First, I want to reassure you that everything that you want to do can be
done.

Now, I hope I use the terminology correctly .

A Theme is a color scheme, font family, and can contain master slides
and slide layouts. These are saved in the My Themes folder and have
..thmx file extensions.

Themes saved in the My Templates folder are available in Project Gallery
(use the File menu and choose Project Gallery) and Elements Gallery.

Themes saved in subfolders of the My Templates folder are available in
the Project Gallery, Elements Gallery and Formatting Palette.

Learning about master slides and slide layouts is an important aspect of
creating Themes.

In PowerPoint Help there are two on-line courses that you can take for
free. I recommend that you take both courses:
Customize your presentation with slide layouts
Design great looking documents with themes.


A Template is a complete presentation, generally saved in the My
Templates folder. When you open a template, you get an exact copy of the
presentation as it was saved, but with a new file name so that you don't
overwrite the template when you save the copy. Templates have the file
extension .potx.

I'm not sure what you mean by making sure that the slides don't move
around. Windows PowerPoint users can move slides around freely, as can
Mac users.

-Jim