Microsoft PowerPoint:  Using the Grid and Guides

Guides and the grid can make it easier for you to align objects, because they give you a visual cue in relation to the objects and the slide. To them on, go to the View menu (or the Draw menu on the Drawing toolbar) and select Grid and Guides…

Use the grid to help align objects more precisely, particularly in relation to each other. The grid will overlay your slide and is visible only when editing. Guides and grids are not visible in a presentation and they do not print.

The grid includes an option called snap-to, which aligns objects to the nearest intersection of the grid or to another object as you draw or move objects. The snap-to option is turned on by default and works even when the grid is not visible. If like this feature and want to leave it turned on, but want to override the snap-to feature temporarily, hold [Alt] when moving or resizing an object.

Use one or more guides to arrange objects evenly. Guides are adjustable by dragging. You can create additional guides by simply holding down [Ctrl] while dragging on an existing guide. To get rid of guides, just drag them off the edge of the slide.

If you have any questions regarding this tip or need help implementing it in your own projects, contact Ranelle Maltas, Application Support Associate, at 472-0585 or e-mail at rmaltas2@unl.edu.