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Learn about the Symbols tab within the Media Browser in PowerPoint 2011 for Mac.
Author: Geetesh Bajaj
Product/Version: PowerPoint 2011 for Mac
OS: Mac OS X
The Symbols tab of the Media Browser provides access to all the symbols for keyboard characters, foreign languages, registered and copyright symbols, currency, etc. These symbols typically need to be inserted with a combination of keystrokes, and getting to add them to your slides with a single-click access can be a boon. Figure 1, below, shows the Symbols tab of the Media Browser in PowerPoint 2011 for Mac.
Figure 1: Symbols tab within the Media Browser
The options within the Symbols tab of Media Browser are explained below, as marked in Figure 1, above:
Click to bring up a drop-down list, as shown in Figure 2, below. Within this list, you can filter the symbols shown by choosing pre-selected categories such as Currency, Fractions, etc.
Figure 2: Categories drop-down list
Displays the Symbols depending upon the category you choose in the drop-down list.
Placed towards the right of the Media Browser window, this may not be visible when there are a few symbols. If there are more symbols than what the Preview pane can display, the vertical scroll bar allows you to scroll the window and view more symbols. Click one of the double-headed arrows at the bottom of the vertical scroll bar or drag the handle box in the vertical scroll bar to move up or down several symbols at a time.
Drag the slider to resize the Symbol previews within the Preview pane.
Lists the number of symbols in your Preview pane. This value changes depending upon the category you are browsing.
There are two ways of inserting a symbol into your presentation slide:
First, simply click a symbol, and it will be inserted as text into your slide at the insertion cursor's position, as shown in Figure 3, below.
Figure 3: Symbols inserted at the cursor insertion position
The other way is by selecting the symbol you want to insert and drag it on the slide, as shown in Figure 4, below.
Figure 4: Symbol being dragged and inserted onto the slide area
Alternatively, you can also right-click (or Ctrl + click) on the selected symbol, and choose the Copy option from the resultant menu, as shown in Figure 5, below.
Figure 5: Copy the symbol
Then, right-click (or Ctrl + click) on the slide, and from the contextual menu. Then, choose the Paste option, or press Command + V, as shown in Figure 6, below.
Figure 6: Paste the symbol on the slide
The Symbols Tab provides quick access to a variety of commonly used symbols, including keyboard characters, foreign language characters, and special symbols like copyright and trademark signs. This feature allows users to easily insert these symbols into their presentations without needing to remember complex keyboard shortcuts.
If certain symbols appear as empty boxes or incorrect characters, it may be due to font compatibility issues. Ensure that the font used in your presentation supports the specific symbol. If not, consider changing the font of the symbol to one that includes the desired character set.
Yes, for a more extensive selection of symbols, go to the Insert tab in PowerPoint. Click on Symbol to open the Symbol dialog box. From here, you can browse and insert a wide range of symbols beyond those available in the Media Browser. This approach allows you to enhance your presentations with a diverse array of special characters and symbols.
01 05 31 - Interface Overview: Media Browser - Symbols Tab in PowerPoint (Glossary Page)
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