PowerPoint Pearls: Creating a Custom Slide Show

Let's say that you typically present on the same topic but tweak each show for the specific audience. Instead of having multiple copies of a very similar presentation, you can create custom slide shows. You'll have only one file to maintain and one file to retain.

Here's how to create a custom slide show

1. Click on Slide Show, Custom Shows… The Custom Shows window will appear.
2. Click on the New… button. The Define Custom Slide Show window will appear.
3. Double click on the names of the slides that you would like to include in this custom show. When you have finished selecting the slides, give the show a meaningful name (perhaps to reflect the audience) and click OK.
4. Click the Close button. The custom show is contained within the original PowerPoint file.

Launching your custom show is slightly different, so be sure to practice accessing it.

Access a custom slide show

1. Click on Slide Show, Custom Shows… The Custom Shows window will appear.
2. Click on the name of the custom show that you wish to deliver.
3. Click on the Show button.

Caveat. To reconstruct a file of custom shows using multiple existing shows may be too time consuming. I suggest using Custom Shows for creating any new presentations.