Advanced Program Options in PowerPoint 2016 for Windows

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.