The Advanced tab of the PowerPoint Options dialog box contains advanced, and some not-so-advanced options
related to the appearance and working of the PowerPoint interface. Changes to these options can result in a very different and more efficient
workflow. The PowerPoint Options dialog box can be accessed as explained in our
Backstage View: Program Options in PowerPoint 2016 for
Windows tutorial.
In this tutorial, we will explore the various options within the Advanced tab of the PowerPoint Options dialog
box. Follow these steps to understand better:
- Launch PowerPoint 2016 and access the
PowerPoint Options dialog box, as shown in
Figure 1. Make sure that the Advanced tab is selected (highlighted in red within
Figure 1).

Figure 1: Advanced tab of the PowerPoint Options dialog box
- Use the scrollbar (highlighted in blue within Figure 1) to view all options within the
PowerPoint Options dialog box. These options are explained below:
Editing Options

Figure 2: Editing Options
- When selecting, automatically select entire word: Selecting this check box enables the selection of the entire word
when you click a word. If this check box is not selected, an individual character in a word will be selected when you click a word.
- Allow text to be dragged and dropped: If this check box is selected, you can move or copy text within a presentation or
from Office PowerPoint 2016 to another Microsoft Office program by dragging the text. Deselect this check box to prevent dragging text to another Microsoft
Office program.
- Do not automatically hyperlink screenshot: If this check box is selected, PowerPoint (and also Word, Excel, and Outlook) does not
automatically bind hyperlinks to screenshots inserted from browser windows.
- Maximum number of undos: In this box, enter the maximum number of most recent commands that you can nullify using the
Undo command. The Undo command within the
Quick Access Toolbar allows you to undo one or more of the recent
changes that you made to your presentation.
Cut, copy, and paste

Figure 3: Cut, copy, and paste options
- Use smart cut and paste: When selected, this option causes PowerPoint to adjust the spacing of words and objects that
you paste into your presentation. Smart cut and paste ensures that pasted content does not run up against other words or objects that appear before or after the
content that you paste. Deselect this check box if you want to cancel this automatic spacing.
- Show Paste Options buttons when content is pasted: Select this check box to show the Paste Options button,
as shown in Figure 4, below. Do note that the Paste Options button shows contextual choices, and what you see in
Figure 4 is only representative. The Paste Options button appears alongside text that you paste, allowing you to
quickly choose between keeping the source formatting or pasting text only. Clear this check box to hide the Paste Options buttons.

Figure 4: Paste Options button
Pen
- Use pen to select and interact with content by default: Selecting this check box (see Figure 5) avaoids the
automatic linking mode when Office detects your active pen or stylus.

Figure 5: Use pen to select and interact with content by default check box
Image Size and Quality
- Do note that these options are not program-specific; rather they are only valid for an open presentation. You can choose which presentation these
options apply to by clicking the drop-down list highlighted in red within Figure 6.

Figure 6: Image Size and Quality options
- Discard editing data: Deletes data which is used to restore edited pictures to their original state. PowerPoint typically saves
deleted areas of cropped pictures, and these can be restored using the
Reset Picture option. However, if you select the
Discard editing data check box, you will no longer be able to retrieve the deleted parts of cropped pictures.
- Do not compress images in file: Selecting this check-box provides maximum picture quality but may result in very large
file sizes. If this check-box is unchecked, picture resolution will restrict to the number of pixels per inch specified in the
Set default target output to option, explained next.
- Default resolution: Specify the pixels per inch for the pictures. This option is explained in our
Set Document Resolution in PowerPoint 2016 for Windows
tutorial.
Chart

Figure 7: Chart options
- Properties follow chart data point for all new presentations: Selecting this check box enables custom formatting and
causes chart data labels to follow data points as they move or change in the chart. This setting applies to all presentations.
- Properties follow chart data point for current presentation: Similar to the above option, but applies just to the active
presentation selected within the Current presentation selection box.
Display

Figure 8: Display options
- Show this number of Recent Documents: Specify the number of recently opened or edited presentations that you want to
be in the Recent Documents list.
- Quickly access this number of Recent Presentations: Select this check box and also specify the number of recently opened
or edited presentations that you want to see in the quick-access list that appears at the bottom of the File menu, below the
Options command.
- Show this number of unpinned Recent Folders: A quick-access list of recent folders appears on the Recent
tab in the Open dialog, when you select a particular source, such as This PC. Specify here the number of folders you want to
see there.
- Show shortcut keys in ScreenTips: Select this check box to show the keyboard shortcuts in all ScreenTips. If this check-box is
unchecked, it will hide the keyboard shortcuts in all ScreenTips. We already explored options for ScreenTip style in our
General Program Options in PowerPoint 2016 for Windows tutorial.
- Show vertical ruler: When selected, this check-box causes the vertical ruler to show, and when unchecked, it hides the vertical
ruler. Learn more in our Rulers in PowerPoint 2016 for Windows tutorial.
- Disable hardware graphics acceleration: Selecting this check-box disables hardware graphics acceleration.
- Disable Slide Show hardware graphics acceleration: Try selecting this check box if transitions between slides are not happening
properly in Slide Show view.
- Automatically extend display when presenting on a laptop or tablet: Deselect this check box to turn off using presenter view and
vice versa.
- Show presence flags for selected items: When this check box is selected, if you are working on a shared presentation with
others, if you select an object that someone else is editing, a small flag appears indicating who is currently editing that object.
- Open all documents using this view: Click within the box shown highlighted in red within
Figure 8, above to open a drop-down list, as shown in Figure 9. From this drop-down list, select the view that you
want to default for all presentations you open in PowerPoint. You can learn about these views in our
Views in PowerPoint 2016 for Windows tutorial.

Figure 9: View options for opening all documents
Slide Show

Figure 10: Slide Show options
- Show menu on right mouse click: Select this check box to show a contextual menu when you right-click a slide in
Slide Show view, or deselct to prevent this menu.
- Show popup toolbar: Select this check box to show a toolbar at the bottom of a full-screen presentation that allows you
to navigate between slides and apply annotations to your presentation.
- Prompt to keep ink annotations when exiting: Selecting this check box prompts to save your changes when you annotate on slides
during a presentation. Learn more in our
Using the Pen and Highlighter Tools in Slide Show View in PowerPoint 2016
for Windows tutorial.
- End with black slide: When selected, insert a black slide at the end of your presentation. If you uncheck this check box,
the last thing your audience sees is the last slide in your presentation.
Print

Figure 11: Print options
- Print in background: Selecting this check box allows you to work in PowerPoint while printing your presentation, even though
printing can slow the response time in PowerPoint.
- Print TrueType fonts as graphics Allows you to turn your fonts into vector graphics so that your fonts will be printed
clearly and at any size (or scale).
- Print inserted objects at printer resolution: If you want quality printouts of inserted objects, such as pie charts or tables,
select this check-box.
- High quality: Causes improvements in your print jobs such as increased resolution, blended transparent graphics, or printed soft
shadows. By selecting this check-box, you get the best possible output, however, printing may take longer.
- Align transparent graphics at printer resolution: Ensures that your transparent content lines up properly with all other
content. By selecting this option, PowerPoint uses the printer's resolution to print, which can slow down performance if the printer has a very high
resolution.
When printing this document

Figure 12: When printing this document
- When printing this document In this list, select the presentation that you want to apply settings to, and then select one of the
following one of these two radio buttons:
- Use the most recently used print settings: Click this radio button to print the presentation according to the options that
you used previously in the Print dialog box.
- Use the following print settings: Make new print settings for the presentation by clicking this radio button first. And
then, do the following:
- Print what: Choose from this list what you want to print.
- Color/grayscale: In this list, select the setting that you want, whether you want to print in color, grayscale, or black
and white.
- Print hidden slides: Select this check-box to print hidden slides.
- Scale to fit paper: Uncheck this check-box to print the default font and object sizes on the default paper size. Select this
check-box to scale the contents of a slide, handout, or notes page to fit the paper size that you are printing on.
- Frame slides: Adds a border-like frame around each slide, when selected.
General

Figure 13: General options
- Provide feedback with sound: Select this check-box to hear a sound when an error appears. To use this feature, your computer must
have a sound card, microphone, and speakers.
Show add-in user interface errors: Select this check box to show errors in
your user interface customization code.