Inserting SmartArt
Author: Geetesh Bajaj
Product/Version: PowerPoint 2007
Date Created: September 24th 2009
Last Updated: September 24th 2009
Excerpt/Capsule: Learn how to insert SmartArt graphics in PowerPont 2007.
SmartArt is the name of the new diagram component within PowerPoint 2007. This tutorial shows you how you can insert SmartArt graphics within PowerPoint 2007. If you are new to this, do take a look at the What is SmartArt? and SmartArt Samples pages.
Follow these steps to insert a new SmartArt graphic in PowerPoint 2007:
- Create a new presentation in PowerPoint, or open an existing presentation.
- When you insert a new slide in PowerPoint, it uses the default Title Slide layout.
Note: Learn more about inserting a new slide in PowerPoint 2007 here...
- Click the Layout button/option in the Home tab of the
Ribbon to bring up the Layout gallery as shown in Figure
1.
Select any of the layouts that include a content placeholder (the small palette like collection of multicolored buttons visible on some of the slide layouts shown in Figure 1).
Figure 1: Choose a slide layout
- If your slide layout has a content placeholder, click the Insert SmartArt graphic
button among the six buttons in the content placeholder
that you can see
in
the
slide within Figure 2.
Figure 2: Content Placeholder
Alternatively, if you want to insert a SmartArt in an existing slide that has no content placeholder, just select the Insert tab of the Ribbon, and click the SmartArt button, as shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3: Insert SmartArt
- Either of these options opens the Choose a SmartArt graphic dialog box
that you can see in Figure
4.
Figure 4: Choose a SmartArt graphic
The left pane lists the types of SmartArt graphics available -- the middle area displays SmartArt graphic variants within the selected type, and the area towards the right shows a preview of the selected SmartArt graphic along with a brief description.
- Select any of the SmartArt graphic variants you want to insert, and click OK.
- This will place the selected SmartArt graphic on the slide as
shown
in Figure 5.
Figure 5: Inserted SmartArt graphic
- As soon as the SmartArt graphic is placed on the slide a text pane also appears (refer to Figure 5 above).
Note: The Text pane shows when you select the SmartArt graphic.
- Any text content added or edited within the text pane shows up within the SmartArt graphic as well.
- Save your presentation.
Related Link: My book Cutting Edge PowerPoint 2007 For Dummies covers many aspects of PowerPoint 2007. A free chapter excerpt PowerPointing with the Best of Them is available on this site.
