PowerPoint: Set Shape Defaults

There are over 100 shapes that you can add to your Microsoft PowerPoint presentation. Background cColor, borders, size, shadowing and other attributes are available to customize shapes. Save time by saving your customizations as default for all new shapes!

1. Insert a shape into your presentation using the Drawing Toolbar or Insert menu.
2. To customize the shape, right-click the shape and select Format Shape to view the Format dialog box. In 2007/2010, the Drawing contextual tab displays in the ribbon, with the Format tab within. Click on the Format tab to display customization options.
3. To set shape defaults, select the shape that displays desired default formatting. Select Set as Default Shape from the right-click menu or from the Drawing Toolbar.

*Defaults can also be set for text boxes. For example, you can change the fill color, weight of lines that make up the border or the fonts used in a text box. Select Set as Default Text Box.

The new defaults apply only to the current presentation. To use the new defaults in other presentations, save the current theme in PowerPoint 2007 and then use that theme in other presentations. Alternately, you can save your presentation as a template.