PowerPoint Secrets of the Shift Key
In PowerPoint, the [Shift] key is used not only to make any letter a
capital letter, but also for other different purposes, most of which will
help you when drawing or dealing with graphics.
1. [Shift]+[Enter] - How to create a new line without creating a new
paragraph
Let's see the first use, valid also in MS Word.
When you are typing text using either the Outline View, the Slide View
or the Normal View modes (in PPT 97 you do not have the Normal View mode),
at any time you can press [Enter] and get a new paragraph. In the Outline
View you can even get a new slide or a new bullet just by pressing the
[Enter] key.
Let's imagine you are typing your bulleted list, and you already have 3
bullets. Any time you press [Enter] when you have finished typing your
text, you obtain a new bullet. How can you avoid it? How can you just wrap
the line without getting a new bullet?
You can do this by simply pressing [Shift]+[Enter]. This keyboard
combination works with Word as well. Any time you want to break the line
and wrap your text WITHOUT getting a new bullet (that is, without getting
a new paragraph, but keeping the text at the same level of importance),
you need to hold down the [Shift] key while pressing the [Enter] key.
Try this out in MS Word turning on the "Show formatting"
feature and you will see that even the symbol between [Enter] and
[Shift]+[Enter] is different!
2. [Shift]+Drag - How to move items while keeping them aligned
Do you know how to re-position any drawing you have created (e.g. a
square or a circle) in your slide? You click on it and drag it (that is,
you move your mouse holding down the left button) and release it anywhere
you like on the slide.
Well, this method is good when you have to move an object and you do
not need to be precise, since it is not easy to release the mouse button
exactly where you want.
The [Shift] key can be used to help you keep the object on the same
line while you drag it. Try to drag the object holding down the [Shift]
key, and you will see that you can only move it either horizontally or
vertically. However, either method will not be able to change the line
from its original position.
This trick is great when you want to position one object on the
opposite side of slide while making sure that it is on the same exact line
as it was before you moved it.
3. [Shift]+Drag - How to resize proportionally
If you draw an object (any object, a circle, a square, a triangle), you
can eventually resize it by selecting it and then clicking on one of the
control points that surround it.
What is the difference between using the control points on the 4 sides
or the ones on the 4 corners? If you use the control points on the
corners, you are able to modify the two dimensions at the same time, thus
saving time.
Imagine you have created a drawing that needs to be resized. You should
be aware that if you want to modify its size by dragging its corner
control points, you may take the risk of also modifying the proportion
between the two dimensions. What you will get at the end of this action
will probably be a different object than the original one: an object with
a different shape (e.g. a rectangle instead of a square!)
How can you resize an object with certainty that you will not modify
its proportions (in other words, locking the ratio between its
dimensions)?
You can easily do it by holding down the [Shift] key while dragging
your shape to resize it.
Just keep in mind that this technique works if you use one of the four
control points in the corners, not the ones found on the sides.
4. [Shift]+Drag - How to draw perfectly symmetrical shapes
I have shown you how to resize an object without distorting its
proportions. You should also know how to create a perfect object, like a
perfect square or a perfect circle. It is suggested that you get in the
good habit of resizing objects by dragging them from their bottom right
control points.
By clicking on the "rectangle" or the "oval" tools
on the Drawing toolbar, you can draw your objects. However it is difficult
to be sure that the rectangle you have just created is really a perfect
square or that the oval you have drawn is the circle you wanted.
Now that you know some tricks about the [Shift] key, you can easily
guess that it is going to be used here as well.
As a matter of fact, holding down the [Shift] key while dragging with
your mouse to create a rectangle or an oval will help you obtain a perfect
square or a perfect circle. Just remember to release the mouse button
before the [Shift] key.
Does it work with other AutoShapes? Yes, indeed. Try it with the
triangle, the star, the hexagon and so on, and you will be surprised by
the results.
What else can I add? Well, what about the line tool? Do you want to try
to hold down the [Shift] key while you draw a line or a connector? What
happens? Is it keeping your line straight? Certainly! Now you also know
how to create perfect lines which will be straightly aligned, parallel or
perpendicular.
5. [Shift]+Click - How to select multiple objects
Imagine you have designed three rectangles and two circles. Imagine you
want to fill them all with the same red color and you want to modify their
line color and style.
Do you have to apply these colors one by one for each of the 5 objects
you have?
Have you ever wanted to know how to select multiple objects?
Well, it's easy! All you need to do is hold down the [Shift] key while
clicking on the objects!
By doing so, you can select as many objects as you like, and then, once
they are all selected, you can decide what to do with them (you can delete
them in one click, you can format them, you can move them and so on), thus
saving you precious time.
What if you click on one object you did not want to select? Do you have
to start again deselecting them and then selecting them all again?
Try to [Shift] click on an object that is already selected, and see
what happens... Does it get deselected? Yes. That is the way to do it. By
[Shift] clicking on a selected object, you just deselect it.
This feature is very useful when you want to select the majority of
your objects and just leave a few of them unselected. In this case, the
fastest way is to press [Ctrl]+A to select all the objects, and then to
[Shift] click only on the ones you want to deselect. Isn't it easy?
6. [Shift] + click - Shortcut access to the Master Slide
Text boxes and text placeholders (the ones that say: "Click to add
title", "Click to add text") have two different ways of
being selected.
You may have realized that when you click on them, they become
surrounded by a thick border. You will also see a blinking cursor in the
middle of the text. That type of selection is the "editing
mode", and it will let you modify (change, add or delete) the text.
You cannot format your text or move the text box when you are in that
editing mode.
To format your text, you need to click on the border once again. You
will see the thickness of the border change and the blinking cursor
disappear. Now the text box or the placeholder is completely selected. You
can now move them (either by dragging them or by using the arrow keys) and
format them. However, you cannot add or remove text. To edit your text you
need to click again inside the box.
Keep in mind the two different ways of selecting a text box.
To save time and completely select a text box so that you can format
and move it, you can [Shift] click on it. By doing so, you will have
selected it directly in the "formatting" mode, avoiding to have
to click again on the border.
This also works with the shapes you draw, like rectangles and circles.
Any of these shapes can be typed on. When you have typed on a drawing, and
you click on it, you enter the "editing" mode. In this mode, you
cannot format or modify it. You need to click again on the border. If you
want to avoid this "editing" mode, just hold down the [Shift]
key while clicking on top of the object.
7. [Shift] click on "Slide View" mode
Any advanced user or PowerPoint should be familiar with the use of the
"Slide Master" and all its features.
If you use the Slide Master for your presentation, any time you want to
modify something, you need to display again the Slide Master:
"View" >> "Master" >> "Slide
Master".
It is not the fastest way of getting into the Slide Master.
Let me share a trick with you that can save you time.
When you want to access the Slide Master from any other view mode
(except the Slide Show mode), click on the Slide View mode icon while
pressing the [Shift] key.
[Shift] clicking on the Slide View mode icon will bring you directly
into the Slide Master.
You can read this article in the original issue of MasterView.
