How to create or format a default presentation in PowerPoint 2002 and PowerPoint 2003

This article describes how to establish a set of default formats that you can use for new presentations. The file that you create will be used as the basis for new presentations, unless you already have a presentation open. In this case, you can use either the default format or the format of the active presentation.

Create a Design Template

To establish a set of default formats that you can use for new presentations, create a new design template. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Start Microsoft PowerPoint, and then open a new presentation.
2. Set the various defaults that you want to be use for each new presentation. You can set the following items as defaults:
   • Slide size.
   • Slide orientation.
   • Color scheme.
   • Colors for fill, line, shadow, pattern contrast, and text.
   • Text styles.
   • Object attributes (opaque, framed, filled, shadowed, sized to text, pattern, line style, and arrowhead).
   • Defaults for text, label, or word processing objects (indents, tabs, and line spacing) on the Slide Master, Notes Master, and Handout Page.
   • Printer settings for slides, notes, and handouts.
   • Initial view (slides, notes, Slide Master, Title Master, Notes Master, Handout Page, Title Sorter, or Slide Sorter).
3. On the File menu, click Save As.
4. In the Save as type list, click Design Template.
5. Name the file Blank.pot, and then click Save.

This file will now be used as the basis for all new presentations.

Note If no file location has been set for the Microsoft Office XP Workgroup Templates, the template will be saved to the following folder: For example: profiles path is the location of the profile for the user currently that is logged in and using Windows. If you are running Microsoft Windows 98, and User Profiles are not turned on, the default folder is:

For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: