Presenting Excel data using PowerPoint
Microsoft Powerpoint is a useful tool for presenting information to a live audience.
This can be done either using a projector or printed handouts. An advantage of compiling your information in this program is that it steers you
towards a clear, uncluttered presentation with a consistent formatting and
appearance. It is most suitable for a high level, summarised analysis of
figures.
Copying and Pasting from Excel
There is nothing complicated or difficult about placing information from
Excel in a presentation. Simply highlight and select the required range of cells
or a chart object in Excel, copy it and then paste it onto a PowerPoint slide.
- The pasted objects are positioned directly on the slide background -
placeholders are not necessary. The objects can be positioned and resized.
- Excel objects can be linked so that any subsequent change to the source
Excel worksheet will be reflected in the pasted table. This is useful for
regular reports which contain a standard list of contents. To create the
link, copy the Excel details as normal and then in PowerPoint select [Home]
Clipboard | Paste | Paste Special | Paste Link | Microsoft excel object.
- If you wish to add some explanatory narrative and there is not an
available placeholder on your slide, select [Insert]
Text | Text Box |.
- If the worksheet gridlines are visible in Excel, they might be reproduced
when pasted in PowerPoint. It depends on the type of paste action. To switch them off, in Excel select
[File] Options | Advanced | Display options for this
worksheet | Show Gridlines |.
- There is a PowerPoint option for a slide layout containing text and a
chart object. This is not suitable for pasting an existing Excel
chart and is only necessary if you wish to use Microsoft Chart for building
a new graph from scratch.
- Don't use large complex tables on your slides because they will be
difficult to read. Any long financial statements with many lines should be
distributed as a separate handout.
- The background and colouring of original Excel charts affects how they appear when
they are pasted. For transparent backgrounds,in Excel format the chart area
and set the backgroud fill to automatic.
- If you have problems with positioning and viewing text, photos or pasted
objects on top of other elements on a slide, select [Format]
Arrange | and then choose the
order of a selected item by bringing it forwards or sending it backwards
behind other objects.
|
|