theme backgrounds

[jdesantis]

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

I am creating a slide show and want different theme backgrounds for each slide. Every time I apply a new background ALL the slide change to the new background. How do I change each slide theme background individually? I used the palette, but that doesn't give theme background options. I also tried the control/click on mouse theory a try, but even after clicking on apply (not apply all), every slide in the slide show continued to be changed to the chosen background. I want each slide to have a different background theme. How can I can that done? Thanks for the help.

 

[Jeff Chapman]

Try the following steps to create your own custom theme
and then apply it only to certain slides.

To create a custom theme:

1. Open a new presentation, and go to the Slide Master.
(View - Master - Slide Master).
2. Click on the layout on the slide layout pane at left
corresponding to the template that you want to change.
If you don't do this, you'll be editing the default
content layout for that presentation.
3. Adjust the background color/pictures, placeholder text
style and anything else you want to make the slide
template look as desired.
4. Do a File - Save As...
and select Office Theme (.thmx) as a format.
Make sure that the file is saving in the
[User]/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Office/
User Templates/My Themes folder.

To recall your custom theme for a specific slide:

1. Open a new presentation. Insert a few blank slides.
Note the Elements Gallery bar around the top of the
screen, above your slide.
If the Slide Themes aren't expanded, expand them by
clicking on the Slide Themes tab.
2. Click "Custom Themes". The themes you've created should
show up here.
3. In Normal view with the Slide Sorter pane at left open,
do a Command+Click to select the slides that you want
to apply new themes to.
4. Click on the thumbnail in the Elements Gallery
corresponding to the custom theme that you want to apply.

Keep in mind that if you haven't applied custom backgrounds,
fonts and so on to a certain layout WITHIN a certain theme,
and then you try to apply your custom theme to a slide that
uses that particular layout, you may not see any changes.
This might be what's throwing you off.

With this technique, I was able to apply custom or
built-in themes to any slide. Try it and let us know how it
works for you.

Jeff

 

[Jeff Chapman]

One more thing - if you want specific control
over the background of a certain slide,
in Normal view click on Format - Slide Background,
adjust the background picture and fill settings in
the dialog, and then click on the Apply button
(do NOT click on Apply to All, unless you want
the background to be applied to every slide).

Hope this helps you out.

Jeff