Using StarImpress A brief introduction
What is Impress? Impress is the open source (free) alternative to PowerPoint You can Impress for the same things you would do in PowerPoint Create a lesson with handouts Great for end of year programs Certificates Seating Chart Graduations, weddings, retirements, birthdays Great for showcasing photos There are differences and similarities For basic presentations, the main difference you will notice is that menu choices may be located in different locations You can easily create a.pdf file Clip art is not as full featured as Microsoft FontWorks (WordArt) not as full featured Nice design templates
What we will cover Using a template (wizard) Working with text and text boxes Creating new slides Using Slide Sorter View Working with objects Using Design Templates Running your slide show Setting up your slide show with transitions Printing your presentation Saving your slide show
This will be the first screen you see when opening Impress Choose From Template to see present presentations We will start with Empty Presentation Click Next
Select slide design Education Backgrounds Presentations These can also be accessed in the slide design template area Click Next
Here is an example of New Employee design. Here is an example of a Presentation Background Celestial Select your output medium For our example we will use New Employee Click Next
Choose an effect and speed for your slide transition Presentation type: Default You click to move thru slides Automatic Set timings for transitions Click Create
Fill in your information Click Next
Choose the slides you would like to include. Check box to create a summary slide, if needed. Click Create
Summary Slide A summary slide is a review-type slide that is created by taking the title from each slide and making it a bullet point A summary slide is the last slide in your presentation
This is your first screen. Notice that the slides you need have been created along with main points. You may edit as needed
If you had chose Empty with a background choice
Insert a new slide Click the Slide icon in the toolbar to add a new slide Or Insert, Slide You can also duplicate a slide by clicking Insert, Duplicate slide
Slide Layouts The default will be to insert a new slide that matches the layout of whatever slide you were clicked on. This window will also open when you insert a new slide This allows you to change the layout of the selected slide Scroll down to see several different layout options
To use this pane to insert a new slide, just right click on your selection, then choose Insert slide Or it will change the layout of your currently selected slide
Slide viewing modes You can use the tabs above the slide or the View menu Normal displays full slide with left hand pane of rest of slides Outline - Shows slide information as an outline Slide Sorter - shows miniature picture of each complete slide. A good choice if need to change order of slides Slide Show - Runs your completed presentation Notes Page shows your slide and a text box for speaker notes Handout Page - shows options for printed handouts
Handout View 5 layouts available
Moving slides You can change the order of the slides on your presentation while in Normal, Outline or Slide Sorter view. In Slide Sorter View, your slides will display in miniature as shown: To move a slide, simply click on the slide and holding down the left mouse button, drag to new location. A black line appears between the slides to show where the new slide will be when mouse is released
Deleting slides You can delete slides in any view mode. Click on the slide to delete Press <Delete> key or <Backspace> OR Click on the slide to delete Choose Edit in menu bar Click on Delete Slide
Working with Text Text must be selected like any other object/text before modifying Once text has been selected you can select portions or blocks of text within the box by clicking and holding the left mouse button and dragging over the text to be selected. To select one word - double click on any character in the word Select a sentence - click 3 times anywhere in the sentence Select all the text in box - Click in the text box and select your text. If you click on the slashed border in Impress - it does NOT turn into dots (like PowerPoint). The border goes away but the corner handles remain. This is the same as highlighting everything in the text box, EXCEPT your formatting toolbar will be hidden and you will see a toolbar to format the text box. You will need to use Format, Character to change your font.
Example of selecting text by highlighting You can see the Formatting toolbar is available You can also click the Character icon to open the formatting window
Example of clicking on ///// border Notice that the ///// border is gone, the green handles remain, and the formatting toolbar has been replaced with the Line and Filling toolbar Use Format, Character to change font But you won t have to highlight the text
Working with bulleted lists Once you indent with bullets, it can be frustrating to try to get back to your main bullets Just use the Demote (increase indent) or Promote (decrease indent) icons in the toolbar You can also use the Move Up and Move Down arrows to re-order your bullet points Promote Demote Move Up Move Down
Adding a Text Box Text boxes add text to a slide in addition to a title,text or graphic placeholder Click Text button on Drawing toolbar Put your cursor on the slide - it will change to a skinny plus sign with a small I to the right of it. Hold Left mouse button and drag a box to contain text. Begin typing in the box that is shown. After text is entered you can resize box as needed. Note that the additional text boxes will not have the same formatting as the design template you have chosen. You will need to manually change this.
Using Shapes Shapes shown in the Drawing toolbar are drawn the same way as a text box Click on the shape icon When you place your cursor and get a skinny plus sign Hold down your left mouse and draw your shape Line Arrow Rect. Ellipse Text Curve Connector Basic Shapes Symbol Shapes Block Flowcharts Callout Arrows Click the arrow next to the icon to see the choices available The freeform line is found under Curve. This is the same as the scribble tool in PowerPoint. Stars
Working with Objects (textboxes, shapes, etc.) To work with an object, you must first select it To select, Click once on the object. When object has been selected, it will appear with handles(small aqua-shaded squares) surrounding the object. Textboxes will have green squares When a text object is selected, it is also surrounded by a shadowed selection box with handles. To select all objects on a slide: Click on Edit in menu Click on Select All Un-selected Selected
Text in shapes When you draw a shape, you can enter text as a part of that shape Draw Shape Click on it to select Start typing Text is automatically centered
Group/Ungroup Format, Group, Group This will move all objects as one item Format, Group, Ungroup This will make each object individual again Format, Group, Enter Group Allows you to select one item in a group for editing
Deleting & Undeleting Objects Select object or text Click [Delete] or [Backspace] If you accidentally delete you can Undo Use Undo button located on toolbar just below Slide show on menu bar Undo default setting is 100 actions You can also see a list of actions by clicking on the small black arrow next to each button Undo Redo
Moving Objects Select object(handles will surround object) If you have many objects close together - you may need to click on the edge of the object to select Moving Text box - move pointer over border until it turns to a four pointed arrow. Click once to make sure box is selected and not just text Hold down left mouse button and drag to new location Object - move pointer over object until it turns to a four pointed arrow - hold down left mouse button and drag to new location To deselect - click [ESC] or click on blank area of slide
Resizing Objects Select object Position pointer over one of square handles Pointer will change to a 2 sided arrow(as shown above) Hold down left mouse button and drag to resize You can resize both objects and text boxes To deselect - Click [Esc] or click in blank area of slide
Using Design Templates A design template includes preset graphics, layout and fonts Impress has a VERY nice selection of design templates Access by expanding the Master Layout choice on the right hand task pane Click View, Task Pane if you don t see this on the right A Slide Design pane will open on the right By right clicking on a design, you can apply to all slides or selected slides
Design templates are best applied before you begin your presentation BUT Design templates can be changed at any time Remember that changing a design from an existing design will affect your layout/text, etc. Especially if you have added your own textboxes and other objects. A formal presentation has the best impact when the same design is used throughout
Selecting your own background If you start with a blank design, you can select your own background Format, Page, Background Click on the dropdown to select Make your color selections You will be asked if you want to apply to all slides Click No to apply only to the slide you are working on Click Yes to apply to all slides Bitmap would be the same as Textures in PowerPoint and Impress has some great choices! Gradient does NOT allow you to choose your own colors
Giving a Slide Show In running a slide show there are many features you can use: Adding a transition effect to each slide Adding sound with each transition Setting a time on advancing each slide Running your show If you used the wizard - you were asked about transitions and timings You can add/revise those choices now
Slide Transition Pane Display the desired slide in Slide or Normal view. Click Slide Transition on the RH side Or click Slide Show, Slide Transition Choose your transition Choose your speed Choose your sound if desired Apply To All to set for all slides Or - move to the next slide to set a different transition for each slide This is the same window you use to set your slides to advance manually or automatically
Scroll down to see more choices Set your slide show to advance on mouse click or after x seconds Click here to apply to all slides in your show Click on black drop down arrow to see more choices
Changing Slide Show Options When you run your show for the first time, each slide is set to advance manually, unless you have added timings to the slides. From Slide Show menu you can set the slide show to run continuously.
Default A full screen slide is shown. Window Slide show runs in the StarOffice program window. Auto Restarts the slide show after the pause interval you specify. A pause slide is displayed between the final slide and the start slide. Press the Esc key to stop the show.. Duration of pause Enter the duration of the pause before the slide show is repeated. If you enter zero, the show restarts immediately without showing a pause slide. Show logo Displays the StarOffice logo on the pause slide. The logo cannot be exchanged. Auto would be the choice you would want for your presentation to run continuously
Running your Slide Show To run your completed slide show: Make sure you are on the first slide of your presentation! Or your slide show will start on whatever slide you had selected. Click Slide Show on the menu bar, then Slide Show To advance to the next slide, click the left mouse button(unless timings have already been added To go backwards, click the right mouse button To end show - Hit the Esc key on your keyboard
Printing your presentation There are several options in printing your presentation as a handout Slides full page of each slide best choice for overheads Handouts 1, 2, 3, 4 or 6 per page; horizontal or vertical Notes Page ½ sheet slide, ½ sheet notes Outline View Printing default is Grayscale, but can change to pure black and white or color You can print 1 slide, a range of slides or all slides Unfortunately, Star does not make printing handouts easy. IF PRINTING HANDOUTS - YOU MUST CHECK THE HANDOUT BOX!
File, Print, Options
If you make no changes to this page - you will get 1 large slide per page If you want handouts - remove the check from Drawing!!! And you MUST select Handouts! Leaving the Drawing box selected will get you 1 slide per page!!!
Choosing Handouts Click the Handouts tab above your slide Choose the number of slides you want per page
Arranging handout slides 3 per page with lines for notes If you want your 3 slides to be lined up vertically Change your paper to Portrait Click on the slides and drag them into position If you want them to have lines to the right for notes (like the option PowerPoint has on the 3 per page) You will need to use the line tool and draw these in yourself. Only draw the first group of lines Before After
Arranging your lines To make them even (on the left or right) after you have drawn them Drag to select all the lines You will see green handles Rest your cursor on one of the lines and right click Left click on Alignment Choose Left, Right or Center To distribute the lines evenly (line spacing) Drag to select all the lines Rest your cursor on one of the lines and right click Left click on Distribution Selection Vertical and Center Select the lines Copy Paste to the other slides
Printing 2 slides per page If you want to print your handouts 2 per page (like the handout you are looking at now) Handouts tab Page, Format, Portrait Click the handout layout for 2 slides Drag to stack one above the other It appears that you cannot make the slides larger They may not print as large as this handout you are using now You may be able to click on the Normal tab and then back on the Handouts tab When I did this, my slides were larger I also noticed that my 1st slide was at the bottom instead of the top I could not find any settings to change this
Page numbers on handouts If you want page numbers on your handouts, you must add a text box where you want the page number Draw your text box Insert, Fields, Page Number
Printing finally Now you are ready to print File, Print, Options Remove check from Drawing Add check for Handouts Click OK If printing specific pages - remember page count refers to slides, not pieces of paper!
Saving your presentation & closing PowerPoint After you have completed your presentation make sure you save to hard drive or other media Click File on menu bar Save As I recommend after saving your Impress file To save as a PowerPoint file if you are going to open this file in PowerPoint at a later date. Name your file and enter in window for File Name Use numbers or letters DO NOT USE SYMBOLS Then click Save to save your presentation