PowerPoint 2013 (Part 2)

Keyboard shortcuts for MS PowerPoint

PowerPoint shortcut keys help users to use the functions of PowerPoint with more efficiency. It allow users to keep hands on the keyboard and do tasks faster.

Some of the most common keyboard shortcuts used in MS PowerPoint are as follows:

Purpose	Keyboard shortcuts
Start the slide show	F5
End the slide show	Esc
Go to the Home tab	Alt + H
Go to the previous slide	Page up or Left arrow key
Go to the next slide	Page Down or Right arrow key
Make selected text bold	Ctrl + B
Make the selected text Italic	Ctrl + I
Make the selected text underline	Ctrl + U
Increase the font size for selected text	Ctrl + Shift + >
Decrease the font size for selected text	Ctrl + Shift + <
Undo the last action	Ctrl + Z
Redo	Ctrl + Y
Save a presentation	Ctrl + S
Open a presentation	Ctrl + O
Close PowerPoint	Alt + F4 or Alt + F, X
Change the zoom for the slide	Alt + W, Q
Copy the selected text, object, or slide	Ctrl + C
Cut the selected text, object, or slide	Ctrl + X
Paste the cut or copied text, object, or slide	Ctrl + V
Insert a picture	Alt + N, P
Insert a shape	Alt + H, S and then H
Select a theme	Alt + G, L
Select a slide layout	Alt + H, L

Use access keys when you can see the Key Tips

In PowerPoint 2013 and later, you can use Key Tips to get to things on the ribbon. You can display Key Tips, which are the letters used to access commands, and then use them to navigate in the ribbon.

1. Press Alt. The Key Tips appear in small squares by each ribbon command.
2. To select a command, press the letter shown in the square Key Tip that appears by it. For example, press F to open the File Tab; H to open the Home Tab; N to open the Insert Tab, and so on.

Depending on which letter you press, you may be shown additional Key Tips. 

For example, if you press Alt+F, Backstage view opens on the Info page, which has a different set of Key Tips. 

Work with shapes, pictures, boxes, objects, and WordArt

Insert a shape

1. To select Shapes, press Alt+N, S, and then H.
2. Use the arrow keys to move through the categories of shapes, and select the shape you want.
3. Press Ctrl+Enter to insert the shape.

Insert a text box

1. Press Alt+N, X.
2. Press Ctrl+Enter to insert the text box.

Insert an object

1. To select Object, press Alt+N, and J .
2. To move the focus to the Object type list, press Tab.
3. Press Ctrl+Enter to insert the object.

Insert WordArt

1. To select WordArt, press Alt+N, W .
2. Use the arrow keys to select the WordArt style you want, and press Enter.
3. Type your text.

Select a shape

Note: If your cursor is within text, press Esc before using this shortcut.

• To select a single shape, press the Tab key to cycle forward (or Shift+Tab to cycle backward) through the objects until sizing handles appear on the object you want.

Group or ungroup shapes, pictures, and WordArt objects

• To group shapes, pictures, or WordArt objects, select the items that you want to group, and press Ctrl+G.
• To ungroup a group, select the group, and press Ctrl+Shift+G.

Copy the attributes of a shape

1. Select the shape with the attributes you want to copy.

Note: If you select a shape with text, you copy the look and style of the text in addition to the attributes of the shape.

2. To copy the object attributes, press Ctrl+Shift+C.
3. To select the object you want to copy the attributes to, press the Tab key or Shift+Tab .
4. To paste the attributes of the shape to the selected object, press Ctrl+Shift+V.

Align paragraphs

Purpose	Keyboad Shortcuts
Center a paragraph.	Ctrl+E
Justify a paragraph.	Ctrl+J
Left align a paragraph.	Ctrl+L
Right align a paragraph.	Ctrl+R

Move around in and work in tables

Purpose	Keyboard Shortcuts
Move to the next cell.	Tab
Move to the preceding cell.	Shift+Tab
Move to the next row.	Down Arrow
Move to the preceding row.	Up Arrow
Insert a tab in a cell.	Ctrl+Tab
Start a new paragraph.	Enter
Add a new row at the bottom of the table.	Tab in the bottom right table cell.