A master is a set of layouts and backgrounds. A layout is a slide with preset placeholders for objects such as titles, subtitles, bulleted lists, text, data charts, and organization charts. Each layout has a page format and color scheme that is consistent with the other layouts and backgrounds that are part of a master. A background can include a border, a gradient background, and other related images. Corel Presentations provides a selection of masters to work with in the Master Gallery.
In this section, you'll learn about
applying masters to slides
applying backgrounds and layouts to slides
creating slide show layouts and backgrounds
editing, renaming, and deleting the background layer of slides
applying different colors and fills to the background layer of slides
editing, renaming, and deleting the layout layer of slides
adding new masters to the Master Gallery
Applying masters to slides
Corel Presentations provides a collection of masters in the Master Gallery. Each master is a set of professionally designed slide backgrounds and layouts that include preset objects, such as titles, bulleted lists, and charts. Choosing a preset layout allows you to concentrate on the content of the slide show, rather than on the format.
The following image shows the Master Gallery.
The masters in the Master Gallery are grouped into categories. You can use a master provided with Corel Presentations in the Master Gallery.
You can also import a master from another location on your computer.
To use a master in the Master Gallery
1 Click Format Master Gallery.
2 Choose a slide show category from the Category list box.
3 Click a master on the Selected style palette.
Tip
You can also choose a master from the Master Gallery by clicking the Master Gallery button on the toolbar.
To import a master from another location
1 Click Format Master Gallery.
2 Click Browse.
3 Choose the drive and folder where the master is stored.
4 Choose a filename.
5 Click Insert.
Applying backgrounds and layouts to slides
When you add a new slide to a slide show, you can apply preset backgrounds and layouts from the Background Gallery and the Layout Gallery. For example, if you want a slideshow with a grayscale or black-and-white look, you can choose one of the printout masters available in the Master Gallery category list.
To apply a background to a slide
1 Click Format Background Gallery.
2 Click the Appearance tab.
3 In the Backgrounds area, choose a background category from the Category list box.
4 Click a background on the Background palette.
If you want to apply the background to all slides in the slide show, enable the Apply selected background to all slides in slide show check box.
Note
You can add up to 30 different backgrounds to a slide show.
Tip
You can also apply a background that is not in the Category list box by clicking the Browse button and choosing the drive and folder where the background is stored. For example, you can apply clipart as a background.
To apply a layout to a slide
1 Click Format Layout Gallery.
2 Click the Appearance tab.
3 Click a layout on the Layouts palette.
Note
You can add up to 30 different layouts to a slide show.
Tip
You can also apply a layout to a slide by opening the Select layout picker and clicking a layout.
Creating slide show layouts and backgrounds
Creating new slide show layouts and backgrounds is an alternative to applying preset formats. The layout layer of a slide can consist of titles, subtitles, bulleted lists, data charts, and organization charts.
To create a slide show layout
1 Click Edit Layout layer.
2 Click Insert New layout.
3 Type a layout name in the Name box.
4 Click OK.
5 Insert any objects into the layout.
Note
When you insert a text object, such as a text box or a text line, into a slide show layout, you must type placeholder text in it.
To create a slide show background
1 Click Edit Background layer.
2 Click Insert New background.
3 Type a background name in the Name box.
4 Click OK.
5 Insert any objects into the background.
Editing, renaming, and deleting the background layer of slides
You can customize any of the masters from the Master Gallery by editing the background layers, which determine the overall color and size of slides. You can also rename and delete a background layer.
To edit the background layer of a slide
1 Click Edit Background layer.
2 Click Format Background Gallery.
3 Choose a background category from the Category list box.
4 Click a background on the palette.
If you want to change the background layer without affecting the objects within it, enable the Keep current graphic objects with the new background check box.
To rename the background layer of a slide
1 Click Edit Background layer.
2 Click Edit Rename background.
3 Type a background name in the Name box.
To delete the background layer of a slide
1 Click Edit Background layer.
2 Click Edit Delete background.
Applying different colors and fills to the background layer of slides
Create a different look for the background layer of slides by changing the color or adding fills. You can apply a pattern, gradient, texture, or picture fill to a background layer. In addition, you can change the settings of gradient and picture fills.
To change the background layer color of a slide
1 Click Edit Background layer.
2 Click File Page setup.
3 Click the Fill tab.
4 Open the Foreground picker, and click a color.
5 Open the Background picker, and click a color.
To fill the background layer of a slide with a pattern
1 Click Edit Background layer.
2 Click File Page setup.
3 Click the Fill tab.
4 In the Fill style area, click Pattern.
5 Click a fill on the palette.
You can also
Fill the background layer of a slide with a gradient In the Fill style area, click Gradient, and click a fill on the palette.
Fill the background layer of a slide with a texture In the Fill style area, click Texture, choose a category from the Category list box, and click a fill on the palette.
Fill the background layer of a slide with a picture In the Fill style area, click Picture, choose a category from the Category list box, and click a fill on the palette.
To change gradient settings
1 Click Edit Background layer.
2 Click File Page setup.
3 Click the Fill tab.
4 In the Fill Style area, click Gradient.
5 Click Gradient settings.
6 In the Gradient settings dialog box, choose one of the following gradient types from the Gradient type list box:
Linear-blends the color bands around curved lines
Circular-blends the color around curved lines
Rectangular-blends the color around straight lines
7 Type a value in the Angle box.
8 In the Gradient color position area, type values in the Horizontal offset box and the Vertical offset box.
9 In the Blending area, enable one of the following options:
Auto-step blending-assigns the number of blending steps between the selected colors
Fixed-blends between two colors by the number of steps you specify in the box
To change picture settings
1 Click Edit Background layer.
2 Click File Page setup.
3 Click the Fill tab.
4 In the Fill style area, click Picture.
5 Click Picture settings.
6 In the Picture settings dialog box, enable one of the following options:
Tile-repeats the bitmap until the background is filled
Brick horizontal-repeats the bitmap in offset horizontal rows
Brick vertical-repeats the bitmap in offset vertical columns
Stretch/shrink to fit area-stretches or shrinks the bitmap; the bitmap might not retain its original proportions
Scale to fit area-makes the bitmap smaller or larger to fit to an area, keeping the original proportions
Editing, renaming, and deleting the layout layer of slides
The layout layer of a slide determines the placement of title, subtitle, and chart placeholders. You can edit the contents of a layout layer, rename the layout layer, and assign a specific background to a specific kind of layout. As well, you can reapply a layout. You can also delete a layout layer.
To edit the layout layer of a slide
1 Click Edit Layout layer.
2 Click a tab at the bottom of the slide show window.
3 Edit the contents of the layout layer.
To rename the layout layer of a slide
1 Click Edit Layout layer.
2 Click Edit Rename layout.
3 Type a name in the Name box.
To assign a background to a layout
1 Click Edit Layout layer.
2 Click Format Assign background.
3 In the Layout is using background area, choose a layout.
4 Choose a background from the Available backgrounds list box.
To reapply a layout
1 Click Edit Layout layer.
2 Click Format Reapply layout.
Note
You can reapply a layout only in the slide layer.
To delete a layout layer from a slide
1 Click Edit Layout layer.
2 Click Edit Delete layout.
Adding new masters to the Master Gallery
Once you have changed the background and layout layers of a slide, you can save your changes as a new master and add it to the Master Gallery. The next time you create a slide show, the master will display in the Master Gallery under the category you specify.
To add a master to the Master Gallery
1 Click File Save as.
2 Choose X:\Program Files\Corel\Wordperfect Office 11\Programs\Masters from the Save in list box, where X represents the drive on which Corel Presentations is stored.
3 Double-click one of the following Master category folders:
35mm
Business
Color
Design
Nature
Printout
Theme
4 Choose one of the following file formats from the File type list box:
Presentations Master 3.0
Presentations Master 7/8/9/10/11
5 Type a filename in the Filename box.
Note
You can overwrite an existing master; however, you will need to reinstall Corel Presentations in order to retrieve the original master.
Reference: Working with the Master Gallery
Layouts are preset page designs with backgrounds that you can apply to slides. The preset layouts included in Corel Presentations are listed in the following table.
Use a To
Title layout Introduce your subject or to serve as a divider between subjects.
Bulleted list layout Summarize and reinforce major points.
Text layout Display sentences or paragraphs of text on a slide.
Organization chart layout Show the structure of positions and span of control in a business, department, agency, group, division, or office.
Data chart layout Display percentages, trends, market shares, and relational information.
Combination layout Display a bulleted list and a data chart on a slide.
