Effects
Date Created:
Last Updated: February 6th 2010
09/12/2011 01:35 PM
Learn PowerPoint 2011 for Mac: Apply Soft-Edges to Shapes
We have already explored all the Shape Effects that show up in the Shape Effects gallery of PowerPoint 2011 for Mac. In addition, PowerPoint 2011 also provides you with an extra effect called Soft Edges that is not directly accessible from the Shape Effects gallery. To get to Soft Edges, you will have to choose the Glow effects options as we will show you later in this tutorial. The Soft Edges effect adds an eaten-up, feathered edge to any selected shape. Soft edges work best with larger shapes, especially if you use some of the larger soft edge variations available.
08/31/2011 11:07 PM
Learn PowerPoint 2011 for Mac: 3-D Rotation Options
The 3-D options to rotate or bevel shapes in PowerPoint 2011 are surprisingly powerful -- in fact they are good enough to be compared to a basic 3-D program! As part of this series of tutorials, you have already learned how you can use most of the Shape Effects available in PowerPoint 2011. This tutorial builds upon the options explained in the Apply 3-D Rotation to a Shape tutorial.
08/29/2011 09:32 PM
Learn PowerPoint 2011 for Mac: Apply 3-D Rotation Effects
If you haven't seen all our other tutorials on Shape Effects available in PowerPoint 2011, then this page is self sufficient on its own. On the other hand, if you have been following all our tutorials in this series, you know that we have covered all the Shape Effects apart from 3-D Rotation and Soft Edges. In this tutorial, you will learn to add a 3-D Rotation effect to your shapes. This will make them look three dimensional and prominent.
08/25/2011 11:38 PM
Learn PowerPoint 2011 for Mac: Bevel (3-D Format) Options
Bevel options for shapes in PowerPoint 2011 are aplenty. Most of the time, the Bevel preset effects may work for you as explored in our Apply Bevel Effects to Shapes in PowerPoint 2011 for Mac tutorial. Yet, those presets are merely the tip of the iceberg -- PowerPoint's advanced Bevel effect options provide customizations for contour, contour color, depth, depth color, and materials used in the Bevel effects. And if all that 3-D terminology had you in a dizzy, don't worry -- this simple tutorial explains every option within the 3-D gamut as far as Bevels are concerned. Do note that advanced Bevel options are available in the 3-D Format area within PowerPoint -- so for reasons of sanity, just imagine that Bevel and 3-D Format are the same attribute with two different names -- we use both terms interchangeably in this tutorial!
08/23/2011 10:18 PM
Learn PowerPoint 2011 for Mac: Apply Bevel Effects
While PowerPoint does provide a plethora of Shape Effects, there's something about the Bevel effect that makes it stand apart. Once applied, the Bevel effect can make your shape look embossed, like a button, or even a pillow -- the different output variations occur since there are many Bevel presets available in PowerPoint 2011 for the Mac. Play with all the presets, and some Bevel presets will make your shapes will look as if they can pop out of the slide -- fortunately, there are plenty of Bevel effect presets that are more restrained and understated!
08/21/2011 09:41 PM
Learn PowerPoint 2011 for Mac: Advanced Glow Effect Options
Glow effects are quite different from other PowerPoint effects -- they add a nice halo around a selected shape or most other slide objects. Once you apply a glow effect to any shape in PowerPoint 2011, you may find that the defaults just do not work for you. Especially since the default glow options are limited only to Theme Colors -- so if you want to make some changes, probably change the glow color, its spread or transparency, etc. -- then this tutorial will teach you how you can access the advanced Glow Options in PowerPoint 2011, which make all those changes doable.
08/17/2011 09:39 PM
Learn PowerPoint 2011 for Mac: Apply Glow Effects
PowerPoint 2011 for Mac includes the same Shape Effects that are part of PowerPoint 2007 and 2011 on Windows -- we have already explored how you can apply Shadow and Reflection effects to selected shapes in PowerPoint 2011. In this tutorial, we move to the next effect, Glow that adds a hazed color perimeter outside the shape area -- yes, this is an Outer Glow and not an Inner Glow effect.
08/16/2011 09:40 PM
Learn PowerPoint 2011 for Mac: Advanced Reflection Effect Options
Reflections can look so cool -- and since they show the same fill and outline attributes of what they reflect, they can end up being so distracting for your audiences! However, most of PowerPoint's reflection presets that you learned to apply in our Reflection Effects for Shapes in PowerPoint 2011 are a little too attractive. The good news is that you can tone down the effect a little -- or if you want you can also get more adventurous and have your slides bounce off their projected screens! Whatever your scenario may be, you can edit the reflection properties to suit your creative freedom -- for instance, you can change the transparency or distance of the reflection, as you will learn in this tutorial.
08/15/2011 09:31 PM
Learn PowerPoint 2011 for Mac: Apply Reflection Effects to Shapes
Effects are a cool feature in PowerPoint that lets your shapes stand out. No longer you have to be content with flat shapes that appear to be depressed within the slide itself. Having said that, moderation is the key -- do not go overboard with the effects! In our series on Shape Effects in PowerPoint 2011, you have already explored how you can apply a Shadow Effect to any selected shape. In this tutorial, you will learn how you can quickly add reflection to a shape. So what's the difference between a shadow and a reflection? A shadow is typically of one color, normally gray and is influenced by the direction of a light source. Reflection is also dependent on light but it shows all the colors of the original object in a blurred way -- as in the reflection on water or glass.
08/15/2011 04:11 AM
Learn PowerPoint 2011 for Mac: Advanced Shadow Effect Options
Adding a shadow to a shape can give it more depth and you probably get that perfect shadow the first time you use PowerPoint's default shadow options, as already explained in our Apply Shadow effects to Shapes tutorial. However, there are times when you want that shadow to be a wee bit longer, or just a little less pronounced. Fortunately, that's possible and quite easy to achieve.