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Text Pane For SmartArt Graphics in PowerPoint 2010

Author: Geetesh Bajaj

Product/Version: PowerPoint 2010

Date Created: December 24th 2010
Last Updated: December 24th 2010

Excerpt/Capsule: Learn about how the Text Pane can help you in adding text to your SmartArt graphics in PowerPoint 2010.

In a previous tutorial, we showed how you can convert your normal bulleted text to a SmartArt graphic with just a click or two -- however you'll soon discover that it is neither easy nor intuitive to edit, add, or delete text within a shape inside a SmartArt graphic. Fortunately, all the text edits can be easily performed within the convenient Text Pane of the SmartArt graphic. In this tutorial, we'll help you explore options for working within the Text Pane for SmartArt graphics in PowerPoint 2010:

Showing and Hiding the Text Pane

When a Smart Art graphic is inserted on the slide, you may or may not see the Text Pane. If you don't see the Text Pane, select the SmartArt graphic to make the bi-directional arrow button (highlighted in red in Figure 1) accessible. Then, click this bi-directional arrow button to show or hide the Text Pane.


Figure 1: The bi-directional arrow on SmartArt graphic

This will make the Text Pane visible on the left side of the SmartArt graphic, as shown in Figure 2 below.


Figure 2: The SmartArt graphic's Text Pane

Working within the Text Pane

Within the Text Pane start typing to add the text, as shown in Figure 3. Whatever is typed in the Text Pane is also added on the SmartArt graphic. You can also find that the bottom part of the Text Pane displays information about the SmartArt graphic variant you are working with.


Figure 3: Add text in Text Pane

To create a new line of bulleted text in the Text Pane, just press the Enter/Return on you keyboard. Type text for the new bullet, and you'll see that your SmartArt graphic has a new shape representing the new bullet, as you can see in Figure 4.


Figure 4: New bullet in Text Pane creates a new shape in SmartArt graphic

You can also format the text in the Text Pane by first selecting the individual text within the Text Pane. Then, carefully right-click to view the contextual menu and mini toolbar, shown in Figure 5. Note that the mini toolbar allows you to change the font, font size, color, etc. within the Text Pane (and also within the Smart Art graphic).


Figure 5: Context menu options of Text Pane

The contextual menu allows you to change the hierarchy of the selected text to previous or next bullet levels. You do that by clicking either the Promote or Demote options in the contextual menu (refer again to Figure 5) -- do note that the Promote or Demote options may be grayed out in some instances -- their availability in the contextual menu depends on what type of SmartArt graphic variant you are working with.

As we explained above, depending upon the SmartArt graphic variant being used you might find that the Promote and/or Demote options are grayed out. For example you cannot add a new bullet level, or even a demoted level to the Basic Matrix SmartArt graphic once you hit the limit of 4 first level bullets (see Figure 6).


Figure 6: Basic Matrix doesn't allows to add 5th level bullet

Some SmartArt graphic variants though let you add more bullets / shapes and are not as constrained as the Basic Matrix variant -- the Diverging Radial for instance lets you add many more bullets / shapes to an existing SmartArt graphic (see Figure 7).

              
Figures 7: Add more bullets / shapes to the Diverging Radial SmartArt graphic

See Also:

Text Pane For SmartArt Graphics in PowerPoint 2016 for Windows
Text Pane For SmartArt Graphics in PowerPoint 2013 for Windows
Text Pane For SmartArt Graphics in PowerPoint 2011 for Mac
Text Pane For SmartArt Graphics in PowerPoint 2007 for Windows