How to Add a New Slide and Change the Layout in PowerPoint
Every slide in PowerPoint is built on a layout — a set of ready-made boxes for a title, text, pictures or a chart. Choose the right layout when you add a slide and most of the arranging is done for you. Pick the wrong one and you'll spend ten minutes dragging boxes about.
Quick reference
| What you want | How |
|---|---|
| New slide (same layout) | Ctrl + M |
| New slide (choose a layout) | Home → New Slide ▾ |
| Change an existing slide's layout | Home → Layout |
| Duplicate a slide | Ctrl + D |
| Undo your fiddling | Home → Reset |
1. Add a new slide
1. In the thumbnail pane on the left, click the slide you want the new one to go after.
2. Press Ctrl + M, or click Home → New Slide.
2. Press Ctrl + M, or click Home → New Slide.
The new slide uses the same layout as the one you were on (unless you were on the title slide, in which case you get Title and Content).
2. Choose a different layout as you add it
Click the small arrow under New Slide and a gallery of layouts opens. The common ones are:
• Title Slide — the opening slide.
• Title and Content — a heading plus a box for bullets, a picture, a chart or a table.
• Two Content — two boxes side by side.
• Comparison — two columns with their own headings.
• Title Only — a heading and a blank area for you to arrange freely.
• Blank — nothing at all.
• Picture with Caption — a big photo and a short description.
• Title and Content — a heading plus a box for bullets, a picture, a chart or a table.
• Two Content — two boxes side by side.
• Comparison — two columns with their own headings.
• Title Only — a heading and a blank area for you to arrange freely.
• Blank — nothing at all.
• Picture with Caption — a big photo and a short description.
3. Change the layout of a slide you've already made
Right-click the slide thumbnail → Layout, or go to Home → Layout, and pick a new one. Your text and pictures move into the new layout's boxes.
4. Use the content icons
In the middle of an empty content box are six little icons: table, chart, SmartArt, picture, online picture and video. Click one and PowerPoint inserts that object sized to fit the box. It's far quicker than the Insert tab.
5. Reset a slide that's gone wrong
Moved a title into a corner and can't get it back? Click Home → Reset and every box snaps back to where the layout says it should be, while keeping your text.
6. Duplicate instead of starting again
If the next slide will look much like this one, click the thumbnail and press Ctrl + D. Then just change the words.
Troubleshooting
My new slide has the wrong layout. Pick another from Home → Layout. The content stays.
The layout I want isn't in the list. Layouts come from the theme. Switch to a different theme on the Design tab, or add your own layout in View → Slide Master.
I deleted the title box and can't type a title. Click Home → Reset to bring it back.
Wrapping up
Ctrl + M for a new slide, Home → Layout to change one, and Reset when things go wonky. Pick the layout that matches what's going on the slide and PowerPoint does the lining-up for you.
