Missing bullets

[Subbu Sivaramakrishnan]

Please pardon me if this question has been asked a million
times before. I did a search and didn't find any, but I
could have missed them.

The problem I am having is that I have used some bullets
in my PPT presentation (from the fancy color Picture
option bullets that PowerPoint provides). When I load my
presentation in another computer that does not have these
bullets in its library, the bullets are either totally
missing from the slides or are substituted by nonsensical
ones (such as No-Smoking signs!).

The slides I am making are for a publisher. The slides
will be distributed to hundreds of professors who adopt
the particular textbook for which I am making the slides.
How do I embed the bullets in the presentation so that no
matter which computer the file is opened in the bullets
appear as I want them to? I am not sure embedding is
possible or is the solution.

Thanks a lot in advance for your response.

Subbu

 

[Robert Lerner]

Without considering any other possibilities, I'd investigate a real simply
one by asking what version of PowerPoint are using and what version of
PowerPoint are all the other folks using? (Always state that for faster
help.)

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

The problem I am having is that I have used some bullets

in my PPT presentation (from the fancy color Picture
option bullets that PowerPoint provides). When I load my
presentation in another computer that does not have these
bullets in its library, the bullets are either totally
missing from the slides or are substituted by nonsensical
ones (such as No-Smoking signs!).

Are you positive the other computer has PowerPoint 2000 or higher? Previous
versions don't support picture bullets at all and would, in fact, replace
the bullet with a fairly arbitrary symbol instead.

 

[Subbu Sivaramakrishnan]

Both Steve and Robert have asked the question about the
version of PPT I am using and the one that others are
using. Obviously, this is an (and probably the) issue. I
am using PowerPoint 2000. My slides will be distributed by
the publisher to universities across the US and Canada. I
don't know what others are using or will use. I do know
that at least one person could not view the bullets on his
computer. I could not view the bullets on a PC that had
Office 97. Considering that others could use lower or
higher versions of PPT, is there some way I can ensure my
bullets do appear when they load the presentation? Or, is
the only alternative to use simple bullets that the lowest
version of PPT could view?

Subbu

 

[Robert Lerner]

Do NOT use picture bullets. Only version 2000 and up will display them.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

don't know what others are using or will use. I do know

that at least one person could not view the bullets on his
computer. I could not view the bullets on a PC that had
Office 97.

Office 97 doesn't support picture bullets, so that makes sense.

Considering that others could use lower or
higher versions of PPT, is there some way I can ensure my
bullets do appear when they load the presentation? Or, is
the only alternative to use simple bullets that the lowest
version of PPT could view?

I'd use only text bullets, not pictures.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Ah. Almost forgot:

http://www.microsoft.com/typography/fonts/default.asp

Lots of good info on what fonts are included with which operating
systems/office versions.

Judging by this:

http://www.microsoft.com/typography/fonts/font.asp?FID=16&FNAME=Wingdings&FV
ER=2.55

WingDings should be a pretty safe choice for your bullet fonts.

--

Steve Rindsberg PPT MVP
PPTLive ( http://www.pptlive.com ) Featured Speaker
PPTools: http://www.pptools.com
PPT FAQ: http://www.pptfaq.com

 

[Robert Lerner]

Also, be sure to embed the fonts.

 

[Subbu Sivaramakrishnan]

Steve and Robert, thanks for your prompt responses. I
really appreciate it.

Back to the job of converting nearly 300 slides that have
picture bullets to text bullets.... :-(

Subbu

 

[Robert Lerner]

Are you saying you cannot change the bullets with simply changing the master
slide? If you used placeholders for your body text (bullets), you can just
change that one place and be done. If not, maybe a macro?

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Back to the job of converting nearly 300 slides that have

picture bullets to text bullets.... :-(

Blech.

All in one presentation?

By the way, this might be of use:

Set the character PowerPoint 97 and the Viewer use in place of picture
bullets
http://www.rdpslides.com/pptfaq/FAQ00294.htm

 

[Robert Lerner]

Well, I think we've all been there and through those experiences learned to
appreciate placeholders more. ;-)

Keep in mind, too, that although you use placeholders for text, the text
formatting and even placeholder positioning can be altered from slide to
slide... different from the master. Then at any time you can reapply the
master to regain constant control over all the slides from the master.