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Best microsd cards of 2024, microsoft 365 isn't just office apps: don't overlook these perks, quick links, add speaker notes in powerpoint, use speaker notes during a powerpoint presentation.

Adding speaker notes to a PowerPoint presentation provides reference material for the speaker when they're presenting a slideshow, allowing them to stay on track without forgetting key message points. Here’s how to add and use speaker notes.

To add speaker notes in PowerPoint, you’ll first need to be in the Normal view. If you’re not already there, you can switch to Normal view by going to the “View” tab and then selecting “Normal” in the “Presentation Views” group.

Normal Presesntation View

Next, in the pane on left, select the slide where you'd like to add speaker notes.

Select slide to add notes in pane

Next, click the “Notes” button at the bottom of the window.

Notes button

A small box reading “Tap to Add Notes” will appear beneath the slide. For Mac users, this will say “Click to Add Notes.”

Tap to add notes

Now, simply type the speaker notes for that slide. Repeat this process for each slide you'd like to add notes to.

There are two ways to use speaker notes during a presentation: by presenting on a secondary monitor or by printing out the speaker notes .

Using a Secondary Monitor

It’s safe to assume that most presentations will be presented on a secondary monitor. If this is the case for you, there’s not a whole lot you really need to do.

Related: How to Add an Extra Monitor to Your Laptop

The first thing you need to do is change the view to Slide Show. You can do this by selecting the Slide Show icon at the bottom-right corner of the window.

Slideshow view

In this view, the audience will see only the slides as you’re going through the presentation. However, on your primary monitor, you’ll see the current slide, a preview of the upcoming slide, and your speaker notes for the current slide.

Speaker notes

This is a convenient way to have a virtual copy of the speaker notes while you’re giving a presentation, but it never hurts to have a hard copy.

Printing the Speaker Notes

To print the speaker notes of your presentation, first select the “File” tab in the Ribbon.

Select file tab

Related: How to Print Multiple PowerPoint Slides to Each Piece of Paper

In the pane on left, select the “Print" button.

Print in left-hand pane

In the “Settings” group, select the option that says “Full Page Slides.”

Full page slides

A drop-down menu will appear. Here, select “Notes Pages” in the “Print Layout” group.

Notes Pages

Finally, click “Print.”

Print

You’ll now have a physical copy of your speaker notes.

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How to Add Notes to PowerPoint Presentations: A Comprehensive Guide

Sara Wanasek

Sara Wanasek

How to Add Notes to PowerPoint Presentations: A Comprehensive Guide

Presenting a slideshow can be a daunting task, especially when you’re speaking to a large audience. Thankfully, most presentation software comes equipped with the ability to add notes to your slides, making it easier for you to stay on track and deliver a seamless presentation – no full memorization needed.

In this blog, we will explore two different ways that you can to add notes to PowerPoint:

  • Presentation notes that you prepare in advance and only you can see or
  • Adding live notes to your presentation for your audience to see

By leveraging these techniques, you’ll be able to engage your audience effectively and deliver memorable presentations. Let’s dive in.

How to Add Presenter Notes in PowerPoint

Presenter Notes in PowerPoint are notes that you can view on your screen while you are presenting. Your audience will not see these notes, just you, so you can stay on track, remember important points, and deliver your information clearly and easily. Presenters, here’s everything you need to know to add notes to PowerPoint.

Add Notes in Edit Mode

Notes can be added to any slide in PowerPoint. Follow these steps:

  • Start by clicking on the Notes button located beneath each slide. If you don’t see it, click on the View tab at the top of the screen and then click on Notes Page.
  • Begin typing your notes for that slide, providing additional details, reminders, or cues to guide your presentation.
  • Repeat the process for each slide you want to add notes to.

Once you’ve added your notes, you’re ready to deliver your presentation with confidence!

add notes to powerpoint

Present with Notes

Now that your notes are added to your presentation, let’s learn how to use them during the presentation. Do note that to present with the Presenter Notes, you will need to be connected to another screen or projector.

  • First, select the Slide Show tab in the PowerPoint ribbon
  • In the Set Up section, click the check box for Presenter View
  • Enter Presentation Mode! You should see your presentation on one screen (such as your projector) and your notes displayed on the other screen (such as your laptop).

⚠️ If the Presenter view appears on the wrong screen, you can swap this by clicking on the Display Setting on top of the Presenter view screen.

presenter notes in powerpoint

As you move through your slides, your notes will automatically advance with the slides, keeping you right on track.

Print Notes

If you prefer a physical copy of your notes to present with or want to share it with your audience, you can print them from PowerPoint.

To do this go into File → Print → and under Settings , choose Notes Pages . Now, you can Print .

Presenting with notes in your PowerPoint presentation helps you stay on track, maintain confidence, engage your audience, adapt to unexpected situations, and appear professional and organized, ultimately leading to a smoother, more impactful delivery. But what if you want to further explain a concept with notes and annotations during your presentation? You can with annotation tools! →

Add Notes During a Presentation

Need to add notes to aid your presentation and help your audience understand, follow along, and stay engaged? Presenter tools such as annotations are great tools to help your presentation delivery and pace. By interacting with your slide information throughout your presentation, you can encourage active learning and audience participation in the presentation. There are a few ways you can add notes to PowerPoint:

Add Notes to Any Slide

During your presentation, you can add notes in two main ways:

1.You can use PowerPoint’s built-in simple pen and highlighter to add notes to your slide. This is found in the bottom left corner of the screen click on the pen and choose your color to begin drawing.

2. For sightly more advanced pen tools, text boxes, and shapes, you can use the free PowerPoint add-in ClassPoint, to add notes to PowerPoint sides . Once downloaded, ClassPoint , an audience engagement tool, will add a toolbar at the bottom of your presentation screen with these additional annotation & presentation tools .

This gives you different thickness options and color options for the pens , highlighters , shapes , and text boxes on your slide.

Insert Whiteboard Slides

Did you know you can even add a blank whiteboard slide into your PowerPoint presentation while you are presenting? With ClassPoint, it’s true!

Perfect for when you run out of space, want to brainstorm, or have fresh details to convey to the audience.

To add a whiteboard slide to your presentation, click on the Whiteboard icon on the ClassPoint toolbar. From there, choose a template provided, or add your own whiteboard background design . This slide will be opened & inserted right into your presentation and you can begin adding your notes. All annotations added will be saved once you exit out of the presentation mode.

Add disappearing laser ink

With ClassPoint’s presentation toolbar, you can also use the laser pointer to write with disappearing ink!

Although this will not save to your slide, it is a great way to help your audience follow along and make connections to your slide information.

Share Notes

Just like when you printed your Speaker Notes above, you can also share all the notes you added to your PowerPoint slides. Print your presentation, or share it with your audience via a QR code.

Click on the Share PDF icon on the ClassPoint tab in the PowerPoint ribbon. Select to include the whiteboard and annotations that you made and click Generate . A QR code will appear that your audience can scan to access your PowerPoint slides and see all the notes you have added!

presenting ppt with notes

Overall, adding annotations to your PowerPoint presentation is a great way to enhance your message, engage your audience, and make your presentation more effective. So if you haven’t tried it before, why not give it a go and see the difference it can make to your next presentation?

Adding notes to your presentation is a simple but effective way to elevate your overall performance. Whether you’re adding notes in edit mode or during your presentation, PowerPoint offers a variety of tools to help make your presentation a success. Start implementing these strategies with ClassPoint, and watch as your presentations become more engaging and impactful than ever before!

About Sara Wanasek

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How to Add Speaker Notes in PowerPoint (Tutorial)

Lia

Speaker notes in PowerPoint can be a lifesaver for presenters who need a quick reference during their talk. Instead of struggling to remember key points or losing your place during a presentation, you can have your notes right in front of you.

Whether you're a seasoned presenter or new to public speaking, this tutorial will help you feel more confident and prepared for your next presentation. With insights and practical tips from our in-house presentation designers , you'll have all the tools you need for success.

Let's dive in and explore how to add speaker notes in PowerPoint, taking your presentations to the next level!

presenting ppt with notes

In this tutorial, we’ll cover the following topics :

  • Starting with the basics: How to add speaker notes in PowerPoint
  • Ready to Captivate Your Audience? Let’s see how to view speaker notes while presenting
  • From PCs to Macs, learn how to print speaker notes in PowerPoint
  • Get answers to your FAQs and unlock tips for better presentations

Let’s start with the basics - or feel free to skip to your preferred section using the list above.

Adding speaker notes in PowerPoint

Adding notes to PPT is a reasonably straightforward process, regardless of your operating system. Here's how to add notes in PowerPoint:

  • Select a slide you want to add notes to.
  • View the Notes pane located beneath each slide. If it's not visible, you can make it appear by clicking Notes on the bottom taskbar.
  • You will see a blank space with the prompt "Click to add notes." That's where you can enter your speaker notes.

presenting ppt with notes

Pro tip: Add Notes Via Notes Page view

Are you looking to give an impeccably organized presentation? Feronika Wulandari , design manager from 24 Slides, has a pro tip for you!

"For presentations that will be copied or distributed to the audience as a reference later, it is crucial to provide detailed speaker notes. Merely looking at our presentation slides may leave the audience struggling to grasp the context.”

If you're aiming for an impeccably organized and informative presentation, Feronika's advice is invaluable. Take your presentations to the next level by utilizing the powerful Notes Page view in PowerPoint . This feature allows you to incorporate comprehensive speaker notes into your slides, ensuring your audience can fully grasp the context after the presentation.

In the Notes Page view, you have complete control over the content of your speaker notes. Customize the font size, and enrich the notes with images, shapes, charts, and more. You can even tailor the background color to suit your preferences or corporate branding. As Feronika says:

“In the notes view, we can include ample text to facilitate the audience's understanding of the presentation's context. It also is an excellent tool for attaching references and citations, particularly for content-heavy presentations like scientific ones.”

Ready to try it out? Here's how you access the Notes Page view:

  • Click View .
  • Look for the Presentation Views section .
  • Select Notes Page .

presenting ppt with notes

If you want even more control over how you want your notes to look, you can check out the Notes Master . This is how you can try it out:

  • Look for the Master Views section .
  • Select Notes Master.

presenting ppt with notes

Here you can choose the design and layout of the notes page and select options for your page setup. This is what the Notes Master looks like:

presenting ppt with notes

Now that you know how to add notes to PowerPoint, let's see how to present PowerPoint with notes.

Ready for your next presentation? Check out how to see speaker notes while presenting

To prepare for your next presentation, follow these steps so you can have your notes on hand without your audience being able to see them. First, click on the Slide Show tab , and select the box Use Presenter View . This is what the Presenter View in PPT looks like:

presenting ppt with notes

To access the presenter view, start your slideshow and then click on the left button of your mouse. From the options that appear, select Show Presenter View .

And last, learn how to print notes in PowerPoint

Printing PowerPoint presenter notes can be done in different ways, depending on your operating system. Let's look at each one of them.

How to print Speaker Notes (PowerPoint - Windows)

  • Click File in the top left corner.
  • Choose Notes Pages from the Settings dropdown menu.
  • Adjust any other printer settings.
  • Click Print .

presenting ppt with notes

How to print Speaker Notes (PowerPoint - macOS)

  • Click File .

presenting ppt with notes

3. Click Show Details .

presenting ppt with notes

4. Select Notes from the Layout dropdown menu.

5. Adjust any other printer settings.

6. Click Print .

presenting ppt with notes

You may also want to know: How to print notes without slides?

If you want to print speaker notes only, this is what you should do:

  • Go to the View tab and click Notes Page . On each page, you’ll see a thumbnail of the slide and the notes it has.

presenting ppt with notes

2. Select the thumbnail on each page and press delete . Repeat this step for each notes page.

presenting ppt with notes

3. Finally, go to the File tab and click Print. Now, repeat the note-printing process shown in the section above.

presenting ppt with notes

How to print PowerPoint slides with notes: Multiple per page

If you want to print multiple slides on the same page, including the notes, follow these steps: 1. Open the File menu, select Export , and click on Create Handouts.

presenting ppt with notes

2. Select Notes next to slides , and click OK.

presenting ppt with notes

This will begin the export to Word, where you can finish printing your slides and notes as a document.

presenting ppt with notes

Customer Frequently Asked Questions

What are speaker notes in powerpoint.

Speaker notes on PowerPoint presentations are a feature that allows presenters to add additional information that won't appear in the presentation slides.

PowerPoint notes can be used to provide additional context and details about the content on the slide, such as statistics or critical messages. They can also help emphasize specific points without cluttering their slides with too much information. They are a valuable tool for presenters to keep essential points at hand while giving a presentation.

These are some examples of speaker notes in PowerPoint:

presenting ppt with notes

Benefits of using speaker notes in PowerPoint

Why add speaker notes to PowerPoint? Learning how to use notes can be a game-changer , it can benefit you in many ways.

Speaker notes on PowerPoint can help you recall important points and key messages as you give a presentation. They also provide a security blanket, giving you the confidence to deliver your speech without worrying about forgetting something.

Remember, not worrying about memorization can help you prioritize inflection and tone and make you look more professional and connected with your audience.

How do I edit slide Notes?

A good thing to remember is that you can edit your speaker notes anytime you want. So, if there is a last-minute change or a new detail you would like to consider, you can follow these steps:

  • Select the slide where you want to edit notes.

presenting ppt with notes

You will be able to see the Notes written in the Notes Pane . Click inside it so you can edit de content. Click outside the Notes Pane to save your changes.

What is the use of Notes Page view?

The Notes Page view is a PowerPoint feature that can help you upgrade your note-taking experience . Rather than presenting your notes in a simple text format, this feature presents them as individual pages with diverse layouts, colors, and formatting options for you to explore and customize.

If you would like to check out this feature, check out our Notes Page View section .

What is the advantage of the Notes Page view?

So, why is this feature impressive? Well, the Notes Page view offers several advantages that simplify the management of your notes:

  • Organization: When it comes to giving presentations, being organized is essential. You can't afford to waste time deciphering your notes. With the Notes Page view, you effortlessly organize them into distinct pages, sections, or categories, allowing you to find what you need quickly.
  • Personalization: The Notes Page view also puts you in complete control. It lets you customize the appearance and layout of your notes according to your preferences. You can explore a wide array of templates, themes, and styles, making your note-taking experience unique.

What is the difference between Slide Sorter view and Notes Page view?

The Slide Sorter view and Notes Page view are two different viewing options in PowerPoint .

presenting ppt with notes

The Slide Sorter view in PowerPoint provides a condensed and sequential display of all the slides in your presentation. It presents miniature versions of each slide in a grid layout, allowing you to manage the order and structure of your presentation easily.

This view is beneficial when you need to reorganize your content or gain a quick understanding of your entire presentation at a glance.

presenting ppt with notes

On the other hand, the Notes Page view allows you to see your slides along with any accompanying speaker notes . It is ideal for creating and reviewing speaker notes, providing a dedicated area to jot down the additional information you want to reference during your presentation.

You can customize and format your notes as needed, making them a valuable resource for guiding your delivery or providing more in-depth explanations.

presenting ppt with notes

Get outstanding presentations that make you stand out from the crowd!

If you want to improve your presentation skills and give a more professional image to your business, this tutorial can help. However, the design for your presentation is crucial, and that's where our presentation design solutions come in.

At 24Slides , we transform presentations from "good" to "extraordinary," saving you time and effort. Say goodbye to long working hours on PowerPoint and let our design experts amaze you overnight!

presenting ppt with notes

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  • Master Slides 101: How to Create and Use Master Slides in PowerPoint
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Everything you need to know about using speaker notes in PowerPoint®

PowerPoint Speaker Use Notes Cover Image

Chariti Canny

Through preparing for our training , Slide Design , we realized there’s a feature that many presenters don’t realize plays a key role in slide design and speaker support: speaker notes in PowerPoint®.

To use your speaker notes in PowerPoint most effectively during your next talk, follow the tips below.

What are speaker notes in PowerPoint?

Speaker notes in PowerPoint help presenters recall important points, such as key messages or stats, as they give a presentation. The speaker note panel lives at the bottom of your screen in Normal view, although some users may have this section hidden.

Use the speaker notes to add more nuanced information about a slide’s graphics, or instructions for how to click through an animation. It can also be handy to add links to important files or just use this space as a general note taking section—like someone would use a scratch piece of paper.

What are the benefits of speaker notes in PowerPoint?

You are the storyteller, and your slides are your support, forming the atmosphere and emphasizing your key points. Because there’s a limit to how much information people can process at one time— they will either listen to you or read your slides —it’s important to show only information essential for your story.

Speaker notes in PowerPoint allow you to move nonessential text and stats off your slides so that your audience can fully absorb your message. Having the info in the speaker notes allows you to be ready should your audience ask questions about your data, or other points in your presentation that may require additional information.

Though speaker notes should be a somewhat simplified version of what you are saying, using them for the high-level points of your script will help you match your talk track to what’s happening on the slide behind you.

Spending a little time structuring speaker notes in PowerPoint can also be an easy way to turn your presentation into a dual-purpose file. Not only can you use your file to present, you can use it as a standalone document that can be effectively shared without you presenting. This more advanced feature is described below.

How do I add speaker notes in PowerPoint?

There are two ways to add speaker notes in PowerPoint.

Method One: Directly edit in slide editing mode (aka Normal View). Click the notes section of the window and begin typing. If the notes are hidden, click the Notes button found in options on the bottom right of the PowerPoint screen.

how to add speaker notes in PowerPoint - method one

Method Two: Edit your notes in Notes View. Click on the View tab in the ribbon and click Notes Page. Here you have more room on the screen to write your notes and adjust the font size and layout.

how to add speaker notes in PowerPoint - method two

How should you write speaker notes in PowerPoint?

We typically advise speakers not to write their script word-for-word in the speaker notes section, as this can tempt a presenter to break a connection with an audience, as well as begin to sound inauthentic.

The first bullet point of your speaker notes can convey that overarching idea, and your other points can support it. I call these speaking touchpoints, and often they are short words or phrases that will remind me of what I want to say.

If one of your supporting concepts involves telling an anecdote or story, you can trigger your memory by leaving a note to yourself in brackets. For example, you could type:

  • As a company, we’ve been through difficult times before
  • [Story: 2008 financial crisis]

It’s also important to keep these simple because the space to view them is limited. Though, there are times when a more elaborate note needs to be included. I’ve found that including a very important phrase in full is one of my favorite things about speaker notes. We often spend a lot of time crafting that pivotal moment, the pace of it, and the wording. Leave room to easily see it in presenter view.

Once, I sat through a presentation where the presenter stayed on one slide for quite some time. He was telling a long story that was coming back to resolve and tie together various points of information on the slide. To help himself stay on track, he wrote about six key speaking touchpoints in a list in the speaker notes, duplicated the slide (so it looked the same to the audience), then completed his next few speaking touchpoints for the slide. When he reached the bottom of the first six touchpoints he clicked the slide without missing a beat and continued the talk track. The audience had no idea that he just moved slides and he was able to use his notes, even though they were long.

The speaker notes are also an opportunity to include “stage directions.” These can be anything from reminding yourself to click and advance an animation, gesture to a co-speaker or member of the audience, or even take a breath and pause.

How do you project speaker notes in PowerPoint during a presentation?

PowerPoint is set up to show notes only to the speaker when a presentation is connected to another output, such as a monitor, a projector, a video conferencing app, etc. Just select the Slide Show tab and click Presenter View to enable a display that only you can see on your computer.

how to project speaker notes in PowerPoint

You’ll see your slides, speaker notes, and even a timer, but your audience will only see slides projected on a monitor or screen.

How else can I use my speaker notes in PowerPoint?

I mentioned that you can structure the notes pages to act as a standalone document that can be shared without you presenting. This is a more advanced way to use notes, but extremely valuable.

Let’s say your presentation wowed your audience so much that they requested copies of your slides so they can reference them later, or share with others. Because you created a presentation meant to be shown, not read, chances are that your file won’t make sense to someone who wasn’t in the room.

Visual Aids blog button colored

Unless, of course, they can read and make sense of your speaker notes. Speaker notes can be used to create beautiful presentation artifacts for your audiences. By giving people a physical reminder of your presentation content, they’ll keep thinking about your talk long after you give it, and they’ll more easily share your message with others.

David Allen, the author of the bestselling series Getting Things Done , leaves information behind after his talks to ensure that his audience remembers his key principles and methodologies.

After we created a cinematic presentation for David, we translated the rich, evocative images and layouts of his presentation into handouts that anyone could read and understand.

How can I use speaker notes in PowerPoint to create handouts?

Here’s how to do it:

1. Click on View in the ribbon and select Notes Page. You’ll see that the slide visual takes up the top half of the page and the text below the slide defaults to a bulleted list.

PowerPoint notes view to develop handouts

This basic note layout is extremely modifiable. Not only can the Notes Master be adjusted, but each Notes Page itself can have text, charts, quotes, and images added as separate and additional content to augment what’s on the surface slide.

2. ​To make changes that will impact the basic structure of all your notes pages, navigate to the Notes Master View: View tab > Master > Notes Master.

3. Make changes to the layout in the Notes Master, keeping in mind that changes here will be reflected on all the notes pages. In the image below, an example of a default Notes Master is shown at left, with a modified master page at right.

presentation handouts outline

You can scale your slide thumbnail to any size and place it anywhere on the master. Headers, footers, and the note placeholder can be moved into any position you’d like. You can add objects to the Notes Master, but remember that objects added in Notes Master will appear on every slide’s notes page. Thus, you must be strategic about what you add. To that point, adding a logo or some other universal image would make sense in the Notes Master.

4. Once the Notes Master has been restructured, return to Notes View: View tab > Notes Page.

5. For each page, add any custom graphics, data, text, or other items that relate to that slide. Remember, these will not appear on the slides; they only appear in these notes.

In the layouts we created for David Allen below, we placed a small image of the slide on the top left of the page and a graphic and quote at the top right.

presentation handouts

How do I print speaker notes in PowerPoint?

Perhaps you’d rather print out your notes instead of viewing them digitally on a monitor. Or maybe you’ve gone the extra step and customized your notes and now you’re ready to distribute them to your audience.

1. Click the File tab and select Print to open the print dialog.

2. Pull down the second menu within the Settings options. PowerPoint defaults to the Full Page Slides option, and you’ll need to switch it to Notes Pages option.

PowerPoint print options

Now you can print the file in Notes View to give a hard copy to your audience.

*Note: Image resolutions may be slightly less in printed or PDF Notes View. Text and shapes will remain the same.

By putting thought into how you prepare, use, and re-use your speaker notes, you ensure that your message resonates long after you and your audience leave the room.

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How to add notes to your Microsoft PowerPoint slides

When you present a slideshow, it’s likely that you have more to say than what displays on the slides. You may want to expand on the text you’ve included, or if the slide only contains visuals, explain them further.

Add speaker notes to a slide in PowerPoint

Hide notes while editing a slideshow, view speaker notes during a slideshow.

Luckily, Microsoft PowerPoint provides a built-in feature for speaker notes. This allows you to add notes to each slide and then see them in Presenter View when you start the show.

What You Need

Microsoft PowerPoint

Open your PowerPoint presentation and select the first slide where you want to add notes.

Step 1: Go to the View tab and choose either Normal or Outline View . This allows you to see your slide along with the note you plan to add.

If you’re wondering how to add a note in PowerPoint without changing the view, the short answer is: You can’t. But if you prefer not to use Normal or Outline View, you can check out the Notes Page view in the same section of the ribbon.

While still technically a “view,” this displays your slide and a text box for your note as a printed page, as shown below.

Step 2: Display the Notes panel below the slide if it’s not visible using one of the following:

  • Click the Notes button in the Status Bar at the bottom.
  • Move your cursor to the bottom of the window. When you see the two-sided arrow, drag up until the panel displays.

Step 3: When the panel is empty, you’ll see “Click to Add Notes” within it. Place your cursor in the box and type your note.

Step 4: You can apply simple formatting to your note using the tools on the Home tab or in the floating toolbar. This is handy if you want to add bullet points or emphasize the font with bold, italics, or an underline.

Step 5: If you have a lengthy note within the panel, you’ll see a scrollbar appear on the right so that you can move down and see the entire note. You can also drag up on the panel to enlarge it.

If you want your slide in full view as you're assembling or editing your slideshow, you can hide the presenter notes. This does not delete them; it merely moves the notes panel out of view.

Do one of the following to hide your notes:

  • Drag the notes panel downward until it no longer displays.

When it’s time to present your slideshow, you can use Presenter View to see your speaker notes. This allows you to view the notes for each slide on your monitor while presenting the slideshow on another. Your audience will not see your notes.

Step 1: Go to the Slide Show tab. On Windows, check the box for Use Presenter View in the Monitors section of the ribbon. On Mac, click the Presenter View button in the Start Slide Show section.

If you’ve already started the slideshow, you can still turn on Presenter View. Click the Three Dots in the Presenter Toolbar and choose Show Presenter View (Windows) or Use Presenter View (Mac).

Step 2: You’ll then see your notes display on the right side of the screen, with your slide on the left. As you advance each slide, the notes will display accordingly.

Step 3: The text for your note wraps automatically to the next line, and you have a scrollbar to move through those lengthy notes.

To adjust the font size for the notes, use the buttons below the notes panel.

Whether you want to add notes to PowerPoint to talk through your slideshow or simply as references while you assemble your slides, be sure to take advantage of this built-in feature.

For additional ways to work in Microsoft PowerPoint, check out how A.I. can help you create your slideshows .

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PowerPoint makes it easy to give a great presentation thanks to intuitive software that lets anyone craft an eye-catching deck. What's even better, however, is the option to use Presenter View. This lets you leave notes for yourself that can be viewed on your computer screen while everyone else is only seeing your presentation.

Home Blog PowerPoint Tutorials How to Add Speaker Notes in PowerPoint? A Quick Guide with Video Tutorials

How to Add Speaker Notes in PowerPoint? A Quick Guide with Video Tutorials

Guide to Presenting and Using Speaker Notes in PowerPoint

It can be hard to remember all the information you intend to discuss during a presentation. To avoid text-heavy slides and missing out on important information, some presenters use notes or flashcards. A more elegant method of presenting your slides is to use speaker notes in PowerPoint .

What are Speaker Notes in PowerPoint?

Speaker notes in PowerPoint are hidden notes in your PowerPoint slides that can be added to help you remember bits of information. Speaker notes are only visible to the presenter and can also be printed with slides for reference. You can use the printed version of speaker notes for yourself or the audience for later reading.

Speaker notes are visible to the presenter during Presenter View, which enables viewing the slide and notes side by side. This enables the presenter to show the audience only the slides, as he/she presents with the aid of notes visible on their screen.

How to add Speaker Notes in PowerPoint

What are the Benefits of using Speaker Notes?

Speaker notes can have a number of benefits and can enable you to not only appear more confident as you present but to also better organize your slides.

1. Speaker Notes Help Avoid Text-Heavy Slides

One of the benefits of using speaker notes is that you can avoid adding too much text to your slides and insert related points as Speaker Notes. This can provide your audience with a clutter-free view of your slides, as you use the notes to ensure you remember all the important bits of information during the presentation.

2. Speaker Notes can Help Replace Paper Notes

Flashcards or paper notes can look inelegant and can cause confusion if they get mixed up. Many presenters end up stuttering or scrambling their notes during a presentation due to this very problem. Presenters can avoid this hassle by simply using speaker notes in PowerPoint.

3. Speaker Notes can be Helpful in Recalling Information

Speaker notes can be helpful in remembering important information when you find it difficult to recall the information. In such a case the notes can be added as a precaution so that you can quickly recall that important piece of information when you have a hard time recalling something.

4. Speaker Notes can Enable You to Stay on Point

With a presentation with a bit of text and an elaborate theme, a presenter can easily lose focus. To stay on point, you can add speaker notes to set the right sequence for you to follow as you present your slides.

5. Speaker Notes can Help you Appear More Confident

The audience appreciates a presenter when he/she has the confidence to look them in the eye and speak their heart out. Presenters who scramble for notes or keep looking at their flashcards can appear less confident.

How to Add Notes to PowerPoint?

Adding speaker notes in PowerPoint is very simple. In this short tutorial we explain how to add notes to PowerPoint depending on your preferred platform.

How to Add Speaker Notes to PowerPoint for Windows?

Step 1. Select the Slide you want to add speaker notes to.

Step 2. Select Notes in the bottom right section of your screen.

Step 3. Add the notes you want below the PowerPoint slide.

How to Add Speaker Notes to PowerPoint for macOS?

How to Add Speaker Notes to PowerPoint for web?

PowerPoint in the web version lets you create Speaker Notes but does not let you view them when you are presenting.

Which option is used to create speaker notes in the PowerPoint Slide?

On the View tab of the ribbon, in the Show group, select Notes.

The pane appears across the bottom portion of the PowerPoint window, with the cursor blinking, ready for you to begin typing.

Also, you can add speaker notes in PowerPoint by clicking the Notes option at the bottom of the slide to open the notes pane. The option can be used to open or hide the pane anytime.

Expand Notes Pane: To expand the notes pane, hover your mouse to reveal the vertical scroll bar and drag to adjust the size of the pane according to need.

Adding Speaker notes to PowerPoint presentations

How to View Speaker Notes in PowerPoint while Presenting?

How to present with speaker notes? Now that you know how to add notes to PowerPoint, you can use this feature to deliver your presentation while visualizing the speaker notes as a presenter. Here we will see how to view speaker notes in PowerPoint in Presenter View.

Enable Presenter View: You can view Speaker Notes in PowerPoint in Presenter View . To make sure this option is enabled in PowerPoint, go to the Slide Show tab, and check Use Presenter View .

Speaker Notes enabled in PowerPoint Presenter View Mode

Select Monitor Settings: From the Slide Show tab, you can also select which monitor you want your presentation to appear on. This can help you ensure that the monitor selected for the speaker notes does not swap with the monitor screen intended for the audience. Usually, setting the monitor settings to Automatic should automatically show speaker notes on your laptop and the view with only your slides to the audience. However, checking these settings beforehand can help you avoid swapping the screens.

Speaker Notes text adjustment interface in PowerPoint

Adjust Text Size for Notes: When in Presenter View, you can also expand or reduce the size of the text using the buttons on the bottom right corner of the screen.

Adjusting Speaker Notes in PowerPoint

Navigate Slides: The arrow keys enable you to move between slides in Presenter View.

Annotate Slides: You can enable the Pen tool or highlighter to annotate slides during your presentation or use the Laser Pointer to focus on parts of your slide using an onscreen laser tool. These options are available via the Pen and Laser Pointer Tools option at the bottom of the Presenter View menu.

Zoom Slides: You can zoom in to a specific slide by selecting the Zoom option and then clicking on a specific section of the slide that you intend to zoom in.

Speaker Notes Zoom option

Switch to a Specific Slide: You can also jump to a specific slide via the See all slides option. This can help you instantly change your slide in a single click, without moving back and forth to find it.

Black or Unblack Slideshow: You can hide or unhide a slide by using the Black/Unblack Slideshow option.

Toggle Subtitles: In a previous post, we showed you how to enable subtitles and captions in PowerPoint . The subtitle button in Presenter View enables you to toggle the subtitles on or off.

Hide Presenter View: To turn off Presenter View anytime, you can select Hide Presenter View from the More slideshow options button.

How to print PowerPoint with Speaker Notes?

Print Speaker Notes in PowerPoint using different layouts

Print PowerPoint with Speaker Notes is very simple:

Printing Speaker Notes with Slide Thumbnails: You can print speaker notes directly in PowerPoint by going to File -> Print -> Settings -> Notes Pages.

Printing Speaker notes without Slide Thumbnails: If you would like to print the notes without thumbnails, go to View – > Notes Pages, delete the thumbnails for each slide, and then print your notes via File -> Print -> Settings -> Notes Pages.

Printing Speaker Notes in PowerPoint without Thumbnail

Creating and Printing Handouts using Speaker Notes in PowerPoint

You can create handouts from your speaker notes by exporting them to a Microsoft Word file or printing them directly from PowerPoint.

Select Notes to Export in PowerPoint

Export Handouts to Word

To export your handouts to Word, go to File -> Export -> Create Handouts .

This will provide you with the option to select whether you would like to export notes next to slides or export blank lines next to slides, notes below slides, blank lines below slides, or the outline only.

Speaker Notes Printing in Microsoft Word

Below is an example of handouts exported to Microsoft Word from PowerPoint. You can print these handouts from Word anytime via File -> Print.

Final Words

Speaker notes in PowerPoint can help presenters create uncluttered slides and present information without worrying about messy paper notes or missing out information because of an oversight. Speaker notes provide much needed support to cater to the needs of the modern presenter, with the added advantage of printing or providing handouts to the audience after the presentation, such as citations and links for further reading.

If it’s your first time presenting with speaker notes in PowerPoint, you should try to acquaint yourself with the necessary settings and features of speaker notes to avoid getting confused when using them for the first time. Sometimes, monitor settings can flip, especially amidst an online presentation via Zoom or other video calling apps. To prevent that from happening, you can have a mock call with a colleague to make sure speaker notes aren’t visible. To do that, you can rehearse your presentation by adjusting your screen share view while hiding speaker notes.

Discover our step-by-step guide on how to make a presentation .

presenting ppt with notes

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May 9, 2022

Edit your notes in Presenter view in PowerPoint

Victoria Tran

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Hey, Officer Insiders! My name is Victoria Tran, and I’m a Program Manager on the PowerPoint team. I’m thrilled to share that you can now edit notes in Presenter view in PowerPoint for Windows. No more switching to Editor view to type or change your notes, even during a presentation!

Edit notes in Presenter view

Accessing and editing your slide content whenever the need arises is a key part of the PowerPoint workflow. Whether you’re making an important edit to your speaker notes during a presentation rehearsal or jotting down feedback during your presentation, the ability to edit notes in Presenter view increases your productivity and eliminates the need to toggle between views.

We are excited to add this highly requested feature and expand the use of PowerPoint notes. In the future, we’ll continue to add support for editing notes in other views, such as Teleprompter view.

How it works

Ready to edit notes in Presenter view?

Screenshot of PowerPoint ribbon showing the buttons for starting a slide show.

NOTE:  You can also press the F6 key to select the Notes pane in Presenter view. When a white outline appears around the pane, press Enter and start typing to make any updates you want.

Known issues

Presenter view currently only allows basic formatting of notes, such as bold, italics, and underlining (via keyboard shortcuts). Formatting such as text color, highlighting, and other options aren’t yet available.

Tips and tricks

  • If you are using keyboard commands to navigate through your slides during a presentation, make sure the text insertion point is not showing in the Notes pane. If it is, the arrow keys will move the insertion point around in the pane instead of navigating the slides.
  • If you have two monitors, a full-screen slide will show on one monitor and Presenter view on the other monitor, featuring a view of the next slide, your speaker notes, a timer, and more. If you have just one monitor, you can press Alt + F5 to try out Presenter view.

Availability

We will be rolling the edit notes in Presenter view feature out to Office Insiders running Beta Channel Version 2204 (Build 15225.20000) or later.

Don’t have it yet? It’s probably us, not you.

Features are released over some time to ensure things are working smoothly. We highlight features that you may not have because they’re slowly releasing to larger numbers of Insiders. Sometimes we remove elements to further improve them based on your feedback. Though this is rare, we also reserve the option to pull a feature entirely out of the product, even if you, as an Insider, have had the opportunity to try it.

We want to hear from you! Please click Help > Feedback to submit your feedback about this feature.

Learn what  other information you should include in your feedback  to ensure it’s actionable and reaches the right people. We’re excited to hear from you!

Sign up for the Office Insider newsletter  and get the latest information about Insider features in your inbox once a month!

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How to Use Speaker Notes in PowerPoint

Speaker notes keep a presenter on track during a presentation

  • Brock University

What to Know

  • To add a note, go to Slide pane > select slide's thumbnail > enter notes into Notes pane.
  • To see notes during presentation, go to Slide Show > Use Presenter View .

Here's how to use and print PowerPoint notes, accompanied thumbnail versions of the appropriate slides, as a handy reference when making an oral presentation. Instructions in this article apply to PowerPoint 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010; PowerPoint for Microsoft 365, PowerPoint for Mac, and PowerPoint Online.

How to Add Notes in PowerPoint

Keep on track during your slideshow by adding speaker notes to each slide of your presentation. You don't need to write down everything you want to say, just add enough information to keep your speech flowing.

Go to View and select Normal . In PowerPoint Online, toggle the notes pane on and off by selecting View > Notes .

In the Slide pane, select the thumbnail of the slide you want to add a note.

Place the cursor in the Notes pane. The text in the Notes pane reads, Click to add notes .

If you don't see the Notes pane, go to View and select Notes . On a Mac, drag the bar below the slide upward to reveal the notes section.

Type or paste your notes into the Notes pane.

Save the changes to your presentation.

How to See Your Notes During a Presentation

If your computer is connected to another monitor or projector, you can enable Presenter View in PowerPoint 2016, 2013, and 2010.

Go to Slide Show and select Use Presenter View .

Select the monitor that you want to use to view your speaker notes in the Display Settings dialog box. Place a check next to This is my main monitor .

If available, select From Current Slide , Custom Slide Show , Present Online , or Broadcast Slide Show . Each of these views displays your slideshow notes during the presentation.

PowerPoint for Mac works a little differently than the Windows version. To see your notes during a presentation, go to Slide Show and select Presenter View .

PowerPoint Online is unable to open a presentation in Presenter View because it can't connect to an additional monitor.

Tips and More Information on PowerPoint Notes

Speaker notes are notes added to PowerPoint presentation slides as a reference for the presenter . Notes in a PowerPoint slide are hidden during the presentation and only visible to the one presenting the slides.

Presenter View works only if your computer is connected to another display. The purpose of Presenter View is to show something different on your screen than on the one your viewers are watching.

While in Presenter View, you'll see the current slide, the upcoming slide, and your notes. Presenter View includes a timer and a clock that shows if your presentation is running too short or too long.

To exit Presenter View, and end the presentation, select End Slide Show at the top of the screen. If you don't see that option, right-click the slideshow and select End Show .

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How to view Notes in PowerPoint with Presenter view

How to view notes in powerpoint presenter view, hemants@twc.

You are currently viewing Everything You Need to know About Notes in PowerPoint

Everything You Need to know About Notes in PowerPoint

  • Post author: Jacob Stauttener
  • Post published: October 11, 2021
  • Post category: Presentations
  • Post last modified: August 15, 2022
  • Reading time: 23 mins read

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Do you have a presentation to make and find yourself wondering how to add notes to PowerPoint?

Adding notes to your PowerPoint Presentation is a simple and effective way to make presenting easier. In this article, we will go over how you can add notes to PowerPoint, tips on using those notes, and how to print some fancy PowerPoint notes.

Now, let’s get right into it!

Why Would I Want Notes in my PowerPoint?

PowerPoint Slides are not meant to be your script. They are meant to enhance your message and help guide the attention of your audience. Generally, you want the audience’s focus to be on you and your spoken word – not your slides.

The temptation for many first starting with PowerPoint is to place all of the information they need to discuss on the slides. The problem with this is that the audience begins to read your slides and lose concentration on the words from your mouth. When the audience reads your slides ahead of you, they often lose their interest fast and their attention is split between your words and what is on the slide.

Why should I use notes in PowerPoint?

PowerPoint gives you a simple way to add notes to your slides that your audience never sees. These notes are there to help you so you never have to use your presentation deck as your script. Instead, you the notes section.

So, how do we add notes to PowerPoint?

How to Add Notes to PowerPoint

Microsoft made adding notes to PowerPoint extremely easy. All you have to do is go down to the bottom of the screen where it says “Click to add notes”. Once you click there, you can add in your notes for the presentation.

How to Add Notes to PowerPoint

I recommend that you use this for a point form. For my videos made from converted PowerPoint files, I like to write my full script there. I have also seen marketing, communications and presentation professionals use this space for stage and technical directions too.

What to do if you Don’t See the Notes Section

If you don’t see the notes section, there is a little tab at the bottom of the screen that you can click to make the notes appear.

How to find the notes section in PowerPoint when you don't see it.

I want to point out that the you can adjust the separating bars between sections. You can change the size of the notes area by hovering over the line and then clicking, holding and dragging that line to resize the area.

You can resize the window sections by clicking and dragging with your mouse

Different Views and Adding Notes

Speaking of different views, you don’t need to write out all your notes on the default slide design page (also known as the “Normal” View). You can also access these notes in the “Outline View” and the “Notes Page” too.

Looking at different views and Notes

Personally, I like editing my notes in the “Normal View”. Remember that you can resize your notes window by hovering over the bar above it. When you see the two sided arrow, click and drag to resize the window. That will give you ample room to edit your notes while viewing your slides. The “Notes Page” is also a good view for editing your notes.

How Should I Write Up my Notes in PowerPoint?

How you write up your notes for your presentation is completely up to you. My opinion is that the best method is to write out a series of point form notes that remind you of your salient points and to act as a guide to keep you on track. This way, you don’t get off track, cover everything you want and maximize your potential interaction with the audience.

To me, so long as you know the content, this is the best way to present to your audience as it allows flexibility in your delivery to cater to the room. It his harder to adjust to your delivery if your presentation is fully scripted out.

  • My opinion – point form notes are the best
  • State only your salient points
  • Use as a guide to stay on topic and to remember important points
  • There are also plenty of reasons to fully type out your presentation script

While I prefer bullet point scripts when I present, your support crews would likely prefer that you stick to a fully written script with stage directions. This helps the show go smoothly for larger events where you have people helping the presenter in the delivery of their message. When the presenter follows a full script completely it helps everyone involved in that delivery stay on track and not miss queues such as when to change the slide, join in the conversation, or adjust an AV setting (like lighting).

As mentioned earlier, you could add stage directions in the PowerPoint notes section for the presenter or tech crew. Let’s talk a little bit about that now.

Use Your Notes for Stage Directions Too

Using the Notes section of PowerPoint, you can add in reminders for yourself (and anyone helping) about stage and technical directions. Perhaps you have an external video that you want queued up or a secondary source shown for a live demo. You can add this there to keep everyone on track. If you have multiple presenters delivering different parts of the presentation to your audience, you can also use the Notes section to direct who will be presenting each part.

[Square Brackets] are a common way to differentiate the spoken script words from the presentation directions. Italics also work well .

Highlights will show up in your handouts “Notes Page”, but they don’t generally show in other modes of PowerPoint. I advise sticking to Square Brackets, Italics or whatever you find already works with you and your support staff.

Again, how you choose to write your script in PowerPoint notes is up to you. As a presenter, I prefer bullet points. When I use PowerPoint to create hobby videos, I like to use a full written script. While supporting presenters as a media technician, I prefer a fully scripted notes section with stage directions.

You will have to find what works best for you. Now, let’s chat about how to actually use the notes section of PowerPoint when it comes to Presenting, Recording and printing Handouts.

How to use PowerPoint Notes – Presenting, Recording and Handouts

Now that we have the notes in our presentation, how do we use them? Microsoft gave us three effective ways to use these notes. You can use them as your speaker notes while you present to an audience, notes while you record a presentation, and as part of a handout for your audience. Let’s go through how to do all three of these uses for PowerPoint notes.

How to Present with Speaker Notes

Just like adding notes, presenting with speaker notes is extremely easy. All you have to do is present in Presenter view with two screens. This second screen could be your home monitor, a TV at the office or a projector at a convention center.

To make sure that your presentation is set up to take advantage of presenter view, go to “Slide Show”. From there, make sure that “Use Presenter View” is selected. When you go to show the presentation, the computer will automatically set up one screen with the presenter’s view and the other with the full screen slides.

How to enter Presenter View in PowerPoint

You can change which screen the slides show on by changing the “Monitor”. The other will become your Presenter View screen.

A Quick Look at the Presenter View

This is a fantastic tool for both anyone who has to control a PowerPoint presentation in front of a live audience or anyone presenting to a virtual audience too. As a media technician I use this view all the time. It is great for following the scripts of the presenters and also works out great while running webcasts too. The only problem about this view is that you need two monitors to get the option to function.

The Presenter's View for Slides

The screen shot above shows a PowerPoint deck that I turned into a video for a YouTube channel. This is the presentation showing in “Presenter View”. The slide is on the left, the next slide is on the right and under it is my script (or the notes section).

When you go to record your slide deck, you can also still access your notes. Let me demonstrate below.

How to Record with Speaker Notes

To record a presentation, you go to “Slide Show” followed by “Record Slide Show”.

How to record a PowerPoint Show

There you will find the notes on a toggle button near the top middle of your screen.

How to find notes when recording a presentation in PowerPoint

I find this one annoying to use because it is so small, but its location forces you to look almost directly into your laptop’s webcam (as most laptops have it located at the top of the computer screen). If you are recording video with you content in PowerPoint, this is a huge bonus! I can’t think of a better place to put the script other than right under the camera for giving the audience the impression that you are talking to them when you are reading your script.

The notes section while recording

How to Print Speaker Notes with Slides in PowerPoint

Even though we live in a paperless society, we still need to make printouts and hand outs. You can make them electronically (as PDFs) or physically on paper. One great way to access your notes is through the Notes Page. You can find this by clicking on “View” and then “Notes Page.”

If you have any presenters that want a printed copy of the notes for the podium (or technical or communications staff that also need the notes), I recommend that you print off the slide deck’s “Notes Page”.

How find the Notes Page in PowerPoint

To print your notes, select “File” and then “Print”. Here you will find a drop down for the slide layout. It likely says “Full Page Slides” to start. Change this to “Notes Pages”. You will see an image of the printer page further down in the article when I show you how to make fancy handouts with this same view.

Below is how the printout will look by default. Personally I find this layout very straight forward to work with.

Printing the Notes Page in PowerPoint

“But wait, you mentioned I can turn this view into good looking handouts. How do I do that?”

Creating Impressive Handouts with Notes – Altering the Layout of Handout Notes in PowerPoint

Now let’s look at how to take the notes (or script) of your presentation and turn that into a nice handout to give to your audience.

As a tip, I like to back up my files before I mess around with the layouts, but that is up to you on whether you do that or not.

How create Handouts with PowerPoint

To print, I went to “File” and then “Print”. On the print screen, I make sure that I choose the “Notes Pages” under the settings.

Printing out the Notes Page in PowerPoint as a Fancy Handout

You can then print these handouts as PDF files or as physical copies.

Creating PowerPoint Handouts with Word

As with all things computers, there are usually multiple ways to doing things. Sometimes, those ways lead to different results but cover the same end goal. Here is another way to do handouts. This time, we utilize Microsoft Word.

You may want to back up your work before you go through with this just to be on the safe side.

How to create Handouts for PowerPoint Using Word

As a note, the function to export PowerPoint to Word takes a lot of memory. If you run into problems or see the message “PowerPoint couldn’t write to Microsoft Word,” restart your computer. Then run the Export with all other programs closed. If that still does not work, split the PowerPoint into two separate presentations. One with the first half of the slides and the other with the second half. Export both of those presentations and then combine them in Word.

Relevant Links…

In this post, I made reference a few times to my hobby videos On top of Tech Presenters, I run another website focused on tabletop gaming. That website also has a YouTube channel connected to it. I made all of my early videos on that channel using PowerPoint. Now I use video editors instead, but it is surprising how much you can do with PowerPoint.

If you are interested in video editors, check out my article “ The Best Free Video Editors Out There For the PC” . You can also find more PowerPoint Tips right here on Tech Presenters. One article that I would like to direct your attention to is “ The Hottest PowerPoint HotKeys for Presenters “. Be sure to check that article out for some HotKeys that could help you present better in front of an audience.

Turning back to this article, the PowerPoint files that I screen captured are from the videos listed below. I made them using PowerPoint and even wrote my scripts into the notes section of the program.

  • LED Lamp Review for Painting, Building and Photographing Miniatures – Lamp by GameCraft Miniatures
  • 28mm WW2 Soviet Train Station Review – MDF Terrain by Things from the Basement soon on Kickstarter
  • Monster Scenery Terrain Review – Broken Ground – Pre-painted terrain for miniature gaming and RPGs

On top of these videos, I also have a related Website called Must Contain Minis .

For those wondering, I am using Office 365 on Windows 10.

Now, let’s finish up this article.

Bringing it Together…

In this article, we went over how to add notes to PowerPoint. Not only that, but we went further and also discussed how to use the notes during presentations, for recording and for printing off handouts.

As a presentation support professional, I find coupling my slides with notes extremely handy. As a presenter, these notes help me stay on track and to make sure that I cover all of the important points that I wanted to make. Knowing how to use these notes, and how to get the most out of them, really helps in delivering the best presentations that you can.

Personally I like to keep back up files and older versions of my files in case I run into any problems. In general, I am pretty cautious in my approach and there is not harm in keeping multiple files. Just make sure that you name them well and work on the newest version. I figured I would leave that reminder here. If you are playing around with the layout of your notes page or messing around with what appears on them, it might be a good idea to keep a back up to go to in case things don’t work as intended.

Until next time, Happy Presenting Everyone!!!

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How to view your notes in the presentation mode

Usually, there are two different screens for the presentation. For example, one screen is your laptop and the second is the provided monitor, TV, projector, web application screen, etc.

Today is popular to give a presentation via the Internet. E.g., you can use a Web meeting application such as WebEx or GoToMeeting or present your PowerPoint presentation online using the Office Presentation Service , to show your presentation to the audience on the additional screen.

For this purpose, PowerPoint provides the Presenter view , a special view of the presentation that is available on systems with more than one monitor (presentation screen):

Presenter View in PowerPoint 2016

To start your presentation with the Presenter view , see some features of the Presenter view .

In the Presenter View screen, there are the following elements:

On the left side:

Timer in PowerPoint 2016

The timer can help you keep track of how long your presentation has dragged on. You can click on the pause button for some cases or even restart the timer.

Current slide in PowerPoint 2016

On the right side:

  • On the top, the next slide is shown (see how to create your own slide show ),
  • On the bottom, the notes of the current slide.

You can reorganize the Presenter view by moving the divider lines to see more notes, or make the slide bigger:

Presenter View in PowerPoint 2016

The text should wrap automatically, and a vertical scroll bar appears if necessary. You can also change the size of the text in the Notes pane by using the two buttons at the lower left corner of the Notes pane:

Font increase in Presenter View in PowerPoint 2016

See more about different features of Presenter view in how to make slide show easier and more informative using Presenter view .

See also this tip in French: Comment afficher vos notes dans le mode de présentation .

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How to view your notes in the presentation mode

Some features of the Presenter view

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How to View Notes in PowerPoint While Presenting With One Monitor

A laptop with a single monitor

Presenting a PowerPoint is a great way to engage and inform an audience, but it can be challenging to keep track of your notes while you’re presenting. Fortunately, PowerPoint includes a feature that allows you to view your speaker notes on one monitor while your audience sees the presentation on another. This makes it much easier to stay on track and deliver your message effectively. In this guide, we’ll take a detailed look at how to view notes in PowerPoint while presenting with one monitor, as well as some tips for getting the most out of this feature.

Table of Contents

Why Viewing Notes While Presenting is Important

When giving a presentation, it’s important to have access to your notes to stay on track and avoid missing important points. Viewing your notes while presenting can also help you remember key details and ensure that you’re delivering the information in an organized and effective manner. This can be especially important if you’re presenting complex or technical information. By having access to your notes, you can make sure you’re covering all the necessary points and answering any questions that might come up.

Another benefit of viewing your notes while presenting is that it can help you feel more confident and prepared. Knowing that you have your notes to refer to can alleviate any anxiety or nervousness you may feel about presenting. It can also give you a sense of security, knowing that you have all the information you need at your fingertips. By feeling more confident and prepared, you’re more likely to deliver a successful presentation that engages your audience and effectively conveys your message.

Understanding the Need for One Monitor

Using Presenter View in PowerPoint allows you to view your notes on your laptop or primary monitor while the audience sees only the presentation on the projected screen, even if you only have one monitor. This feature is particularly useful when you don’t have a dual-monitor setup. Presenter View provides a separate interface for the presenter that includes the current slide, speaker notes, and upcoming slides, ensuring that you can deliver your presentation smoothly without revealing your notes to the audience.

How to Access Notes in PowerPoint

Accessing your notes in PowerPoint while presenting on a single monitor is straightforward with Presenter View. To use Presenter View, start your PowerPoint presentation and go to the “Slide Show” tab in the ribbon menu. Then, check the “Use Presenter View” box. When you start the slideshow, your presentation will appear on the projected screen, while your notes and controls appear on your primary monitor. This allows you to reference your notes discreetly during the presentation.

Step-by-Step Guide to Viewing Notes in PowerPoint

Here’s a step-by-step guide to viewing your notes in PowerPoint using Presenter View:

  • Open your PowerPoint presentation.
  • Navigate to the slide on which you wish to start presenting.
  • Select the “Slide Show” tab in the ribbon menu.
  • Check the “Use Presenter View” box.
  • Start your presentation by clicking on “From Beginning” or “From Current Slide.”
  • Your notes will appear on your primary monitor, while the audience will see only the slides on the presentation screen.

Remember, your audience will not see your notes, allowing you to discreetly reference them during your presentation.

Tips for Presenting With One Monitor

Here are some tips for presenting with one monitor:

  • Practice your presentation beforehand to make sure you’re comfortable with the software and know how to access Presenter View.
  • Use the Presenter View to keep track of key points and ensure that you’re covering all the necessary information.
  • Put your notes in bullet-point format to make them easy to follow and read while presenting.
  • Use concise language and avoid excessive text on your slides.
  • Maintain eye contact with your audience as much as possible, even when referencing your notes.

How to Customize Your Notes View in PowerPoint

PowerPoint allows you to customize your notes view to suit your preferences. To do so, enter Presenter View and hover over the notes section. You can then adjust the font size and formatting to make your notes easier to read. Additionally, you can rearrange the on-screen elements in Presenter View to suit your presenting style.

Shortcut Keys for Easy Navigation Through Notes

PowerPoint includes a number of keyboard shortcuts that can help you navigate through your presentation easily. Here are some of the most useful ones:

  • Use the “N” key or the right arrow to move forward one slide at a time.
  • Use the “P” key or the left arrow to move backward one slide at a time.
  • Press “Ctrl” + “S” to access the “All Slides” view, where you can select a specific slide to jump to.

Troubleshooting Common Issues When Viewing Notes

If you’re having trouble viewing your notes in PowerPoint using Presenter View, ensure that Presenter View is enabled in the “Slide Show” tab. If the notes are not appearing, try restarting PowerPoint or your computer to resolve any temporary glitches. Additionally, check that your screen resolution and display settings are correctly configured to support Presenter View.

Alternative Methods for Viewing Notes While Presenting

If you prefer not to use Presenter View or encounter difficulties, you can print out your notes and refer to them as needed. Another option is to split your screen, displaying the presentation in a window on one half and a document with your notes on the other half. This method requires you to manually scroll your notes, but it can be a useful alternative.

Best Practices for Using Notes During a Presentation

Here are some best practices for using notes during a presentation:

  • Don’t rely too heavily on your notes–practice your presentation beforehand and aim to deliver your message in a natural, conversational tone.
  • Use your notes as a guide rather than a script.
  • Keep your notes organized and easy to follow.
  • Make sure to address any questions or concerns that come up during the presentation.
  • Try to engage with your audience and create a rapport with them.

Benefits of Using One Monitor While Presenting

Using one monitor while presenting with Presenter View has several benefits. It allows you to reference your notes discreetly, helps you stay organized and on track, and enables you to maintain better eye contact with your audience. This setup can also simplify your presentation space and reduce the risk of technical issues.

Advanced Techniques for Managing Your Presentation and Notes on One Monitor

As you become more comfortable with Presenter View, you can explore additional features such as the thumbnail strip to preview upcoming slides, the timer to keep track of your speaking duration, and the ability to zoom into a particular slide detail during your presentation.

How to Switch Between Different Views During Presentation Mode

To switch between different views during presentation mode, you can use the following methods:

  • To access Presenter View, start your slideshow and press the “Alt” + “F5” keys.
  • To exit Presenter View and return to the normal view, press the “Esc” key.
  • To black out the screen during the presentation, press the “B” or period key.

How to Control Slides, Animations and Media During the Presentation with One Monitor

During your presentation, you can control slides, animations, and media with the following actions:

  • To advance to the next slide or animation, press the right arrow key or click the left mouse button.
  • To return to the previous slide or animation, press the left arrow key.
  • To play a video or audio file, click on it directly or use the media controls in Presenter View.
  • To pause or stop the media, use the media controls in Presenter View.

With these tips and techniques in mind, you should now be well-equipped to view your notes in PowerPoint while presenting with one monitor. Remember to practice beforehand and experiment with different techniques to find the ones that work best for you. With a little bit of preparation and practice, you can deliver a confident and effective presentation that engages and informs your audience.

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How to add notes to PowerPoint: including Speaker Notes, Handout Notes and Comments

  • February 16, 2021

Lee-Ann

Trying to work out how to add notes to PowerPoint? Speaker notes can be added for each slide in your presentation. Adding notes in PowerPoint allows you to add talking points or other notes to refer to when presenting your slides.

This guide provides a step by step guide for the each of the following:

What are speaker notes in PowerPoint?

  • How to add speaker notes?
  • How to view your speaker notes when presenting on Zoom?
  • How to print speaker notes with your PowerPoint presentation?

If you're actually trying to add notes onto your PowerPoint slides as sticky notes so viewers can see the notes (different to speaker notes but great for sending your deck to the team for review feedback or for review sessions with stakeholders), we've also included steps for this at the end.

PowerPoint Speaker notes are a great way to capture the key points you want to refer to on each slide as a reference you can use while presenting. You can select an option when presenting to display speaker notes on your monitor while you present, but PowerPoint speaker notes are not visible to your audience. Speaker notes will not appear when you print your PowerPoint presentation as slides, but you can choose to display them when printing by selecting the print with notes option (read on for information about how to print slides in PowerPoint with notes displaying).

How to add speaker notes in PowerPoint?

To add speaker notes to PowerPoint, while in Normal view, select the slide thumbnail you want to add PowerPoint notes to.

PowerPoint’s Add Notes field does not always display by default. Trying to work out how to display the view where you can add speaker notes for the slide?  

If you don't see the notes section beneath the active slide on the screen, click the Notes toggle on the status bar at the bottom of PowerPoint to reveal the notes pane. Refer to the image below, which shows an example of how to find the speaker notes panel.

Presenter notes PowerPoint: Screenshot shows How to add notes to powerpoint slide

To add your note, click where you see the words ‘ Click to add notes ’, then type in the notes you want to add regarding the PowerPoint slide currently displayed above the notes field.

PowerPoint’s speaker notes are linked to each slide, so you need to enter notes relevant to a slide while you have the particular slide displaying on your screen.  Simply navigate through your PowerPoint presentation, click on any slide you want to add notes to, type in the notes and then navigate to the next slide. 

To hide the PowerPoint notes pane, click the ‘Notes’ toggle from the status bar once again.

How to view PowerPoint with notes?

You can view PowerPoint speaker notes in ‘Normal’ View as well as’ Outline’ and ‘Notes Page’ view. To change the ‘View’ settings, go to the ‘View’ tab on the PowerPoint top ribbon and select either Normal, Outline or Notes Page.

Screenshot showing Presenter Notes powerpoint how to view notes in normal view

How to display the pane where you can add speaker notes for the slide?

Make sure you have the ‘Notes’ toggle on the View Tab of the top ribbon set to the on position, so you can view PowerPoint notes (refer to red boxes in the screenshot below to see the notes toggle).  When using the Outline view, speaker notes will appear only beneath the slide – they will not appear in the slide outline text on the left-hand side. Refer to the images below.

Screenshot showing powerpoint where to view notes in outline view - speaker notes powerpoint

How to view notes in PowerPoint while presenting a slide show?

To view speaker notes when presenting PowerPoint presentations, navigate to the ‘Slide Show’ tab and select ‘From Beginning’ located at the top left-hand side of the ‘Slide Show’ ribbon (refer to red box in the screenshot below).

Screenshot showing powerpoint how to view notes while presenting slide show

If you are connected to a projector, your slide show should automatically appear in presenter view.

Trying to work out how to turn on presenter view in PowerPoint? If you are not automatically taken to presenter view, click on the three dots in the circle at the bottom of the slide and select ‘Show Presenter View’.

Screenshot showing powerpoint presenter view

PowerPoint Presenter View appears on your computer's screen, while only the slides appear on the projector screen. In Presenter view PowerPoint displays your slide notes, as well as the next slide, as you present. Your audience will only see your slides when you are in presenter mode.

Screenshot showing presenter view powerpoint where to view speaker notes

PowerPoint speaker notes appear to the right of the slide you are presenting. As you move to the next slide in the presentation when in PowerPoint presenter mode, speaker notes for the corresponding slide will appear.

Using Presenter Notes in PowerPoint when Presenting via Zoom

There are several methods to present your slide show presentations using Zoom. However, If you wish to view your speaker notes while presenting your slide show without the audience seeing them, you will need to use dual monitors.

Dual monitors with slide show and presenter's views

If you have dual monitors, you can present your PowerPoint presentation on one monitor, while viewing the presenter notes on a second monitor.

To present on dual monitors, first open the PowerPoint file you want to present. Next - start or join a Zoom meeting. Then click Share Screen in the meeting controls.

Screenshot showing how to share powerpoint presentation via zoom share screen

Select your primary monitor then click Share . If you are not sure which monitor is your primary, select the one that PowerPoint opens in.

While sharing your screen, switch PowerPoint to slide show mode by clicking the Slide Show tab > From Beginning or From Current Slide.

Screenshot showing powerpoint how to start slide show from beginning or start presentation from current slide buttons

Your audience/ meeting participants will see the PowerPoint in slide show view. The green border indicates the screen you are currently sharing – i.e. what the zoom participants are viewing.

Screenshot showing example  powerpoint slide show viewed by zoom participants green border indicates screen shared

The presenter's view will appear on your secondary monitor. Use this to view your slide notes and control the PowerPoint presentation.

Screenshot showing how to view slide notes in powerpoint presenter view via zoom

What if I share the wrong screen when presenting on dual monitors with Zoom?

If you are not sharing the correct monitor/ screen, click ‘Display Settings’ at the top of your presenter view screen, then ‘Swap Presenter View and Slide Show’. PowerPoint will switch the monitor that is used for slide show view.

Screenshot showing powerpoint share screen via zoom how to swap presenter view and slide show options

Alternatively, you can click ‘New Share’ on your screen share controls and select the screen showing the PowerPoint in slide show view.

How to use a single monitor to share PowerPoint presentation via zoom ?

You can share your presentation via zoom either in full screen mode, or by using a window.

Using a Single monitor with slide show in full screen

Open the PowerPoint file you want to present, then start or join the Zoom meeting. Click ‘Share Screen’ in the meeting controls at the bottom of the Zoom screen.

Screenshot showing how to share powerpoint presentation share screen in zoom

Select your monitor/ screen then click ‘Share’.

Screenshot showing how to select powerpoint screen to share in Zoom

The green border around your screen indicates the screen you are currently sharing – i.e what your audience is viewing.

Screenshot showing example  powerpoint slide show viewed by zoom participants green border indicates screen shared

Using a single monitor to present PowerPoint slide show view in a window

You can use a single monitor to share your PowerPoint presentation in slide show view, but have it contained in a window (rather than in full screen mode). This allows you to access meeting features such as in-meeting chat or managing participants, or to view other documents/ web pages while sharing your PowerPoint presentation (without your audience seeing them).

To present your PowerPoint in slide-show view in a window, open the PowerPoint file you want to present.

Click the Slide Show tab then ‘Set Up Slide Show’.

Screenshot showing powerpoint set up slide show button

Under 'Show type', select 'Browsed by an individual (window)', then click OK.

Screenshot showing powerpoint set up slide show menu popup box

Switch PowerPoint to slide show mode by clicking the Slide Show tab, then 'From Beginning' or 'From Current Slide'.

Screenshot showing powerpoint how to start slide show from beginning or start presentation from current slide buttons

PowerPoint will display the presentation in slide show view but in a window.

In Zoom, start or join a meeting. Click ‘Share Screen’ in the meeting controls.

Screenshot showing how to share powerpoint presentation share screen in zoom

Select the PowerPoint window then click 'Share Screen'.

Screenshot showing how to select powerpoint screen to share in Zoom

The green border indicates what is being seen by my meeting participants/ audience. The rest of your screen would not be visible to anyone else in the Zoom meeting.

Screenshot showing example  powerpoint slide show viewed by zoom participants green border indicates screen shared presenter view

How to add sticky notes to slides in a PowerPoint Presentation

If you're trying to add notes to display on the slides (for example so you can review the notes in a meeting), then you'll love PPT Productivity's Sticky Notes feature . PPT Productivity is a timesaving plugin that adds more features to PowerPoint. Using PPT Productivity, you can add Sticky Notes to PowerPoint slides. The Sticky notes appear on slides in the top right corner by default (or you can choose to add sticky notes to the top left corner). The sticky notes let you easily annotate a slide with questions or tasks to complete so that you can keep track items to review before finalizing your presentation.

Read more about PPT Productivity's Sticky notes for PowerPoint feature.

Screenshot of a PowerPoint slide with PPT Productivity sticky notes feature displayed

Refer to our other blog post for how to print PowerPoint slides with notes .

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Byte Bite Bit

How to View Notes in PowerPoint While Presenting: A Step-by-Step Guide

Have you ever felt the jitters when presenting a PowerPoint to an eager audience? I certainly have. It can be nerve-wracking to keep eye contact and effortlessly present your ideas. Seeing your notes while presenting in PowerPoint can dramatically boost your confidence and ensure you don’t miss any important points. Here’s how you can ace this:

Presenter clicks

When I’m presenting, my secret weapon is Presenter View. It allows me to see my notes privately while my audience focuses solely on the slides. It feels like having a cheat sheet, yet totally professional! With just a few clicks, I can activate Presenter View in the Slide Show tab and choose to display my notes on my primary monitor. This setup helps me maintain eye contact with the audience without constantly looking down at my papers.

Imagine your audience being completely engaged because you’re glancing at them more, rather than your notes. This simple trick makes presentations smoother and helps build a stronger connection with your listeners. Embrace Presenter View and make your next presentation the best one yet!

  • 1.1 Using Keyboard Shortcuts
  • 1.2 Leveraging the Control Bar and Tools
  • 1.3 Managing the Slide Show Tab
  • 2.1 Customizing Display Settings
  • 2.2 Accessing Notes and Tools
  • 2.3 Using Advanced Features
  • 3.1 Engaging with Your Audience
  • 3.2 Utilizing Visuals and Animations
  • 4 Troubleshooting Common Issues

Navigating Slides Effectively

When presenting with PowerPoint, knowing how to efficiently navigate through your slides can greatly enhance your delivery and professionalism. Below are key strategies that help you move seamlessly between slides and utilize various tools at your disposal.

Using Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts are a lifesaver during presentations. They allow you to quickly switch slides without searching for the right button on your screen. For instance, using the arrow keys lets you move to the next or previous slide effortlessly.

If you need to jump to a specific slide, just type the slide number followed by the Enter key. Esc key is handy for exiting the full-screen mode instantly. These shortcuts save time and keep your flow uninterrupted.

Leveraging the Control Bar and Tools

The control bar at the bottom of PowerPoint’s presenter view offers several useful tools. Here, you can find the pen , highlighter , and laser pointer . These tools are excellent for emphasizing points and keeping the audience focused.

  • Pen and Highlighter : Use these for on-the-fly annotations.
  • Laser Pointer : Handy for pointing out specific elements.

Additionally, the See All Slides feature on the control bar allows you to quickly find and jump to any slide. This is particularly useful if you need to navigate back to previously discussed topics.

Managing the Slide Show Tab

The Slide Show tab on the ribbon menu holds various options to control your presentation. In this tab, you can find the Start Slide Show group, which lets you begin your presentation from the beginning or from the current slide .

Another essential feature is the Set Up Slide Show , where you can configure options such as using Presenter View on a single monitor. This ensures that you can see your notes while the audience views only the slides, making your delivery more polished and professional.

Optimizing Presenter’s View

When presenting with PowerPoint, the Presenter’s View can be a game-changer by enabling smooth delivery and effective audience engagement. From tweaking display settings to utilizing advanced tools, this feature offers comprehensive control over presentations.

Customizing Display Settings

First, open the Slide Show tab in PowerPoint. Here, you can access the essential tools needed for customizing your presentation. It’s crucial to start by checking the “Use Presenter View” box.

Depending on your setup, you might need to select which monitor to display the Presenter View on. Choosing the correct monitor ensures that your audience sees only the slides while you manage the presentation effectively.

For those using one monitor, there’s an option to view presenter mode without the audience seeing your notes.

Accessing Notes and Tools

In Presenter View, your speaker notes are displayed alongside the current and next slides. This allows for discreet glances at your notes without breaking the flow of your presentation.

The control bar, usually found at the bottom left, offers some useful features. These include pen and laser pointer tools for marking important parts of your slide, as well as options to black or unblack the slide show to refocus audience attention.

If you need to edit notes on the fly, you can easily do so within the Presenter View itself. This is especially handy during interactive sessions or Zoom meetings.

Using Advanced Features

Advanced features in Presenter View can further enhance your presentation. You can navigate efficiently with options to see all slides and select any slide to display instantly.

Engage your audience with interactive tools such as annotations and laser pointer to highlight key points dynamically. Additionally, use the zoom function to focus on specific content, making it clearer for your audience.

Finally, make sure to explore timer and progress controls, which help in keeping track of time and maintaining the flow of your presentation.

Remember, these features are designed to enhance your presenting experience, making sure that you stay in control and your audience remains engaged from start to finish.

Effective Presentation Techniques

Mastering effective presentation techniques can significantly boost your confidence and engagement levels. Improving your interaction with the audience and utilizing visuals strategically is key.

Engaging with Your Audience

Engaging with the audience is crucial. It’s essential to establish eye contact to build a connection. I always aim to make eye contact with different sections of the audience to ensure they feel involved. Asking questions can also help in gauging their feedback and interest.

Using anecdotes or humor can make the presentation relatable. I make a point to be mindful of body language. For instance, by avoiding closed-off postures and instead opting for open and welcoming gestures. Confidence is vital; speaking clearly and at a natural pace can make a difference.

Engagement can also come through interactive tools like polls or live Q&A sessions. Keeping things dynamic not only maintains attention but fosters a sense of participation.

Utilizing Visuals and Animations

Visuals are powerful tools in any presentation. Leveraging graphs, images, and videos can help convey complex information simply and effectively. I often use visuals to break the monotony of text and keep the audience visually engaged.

Animations, when used sparingly, can highlight significant points. For instance, I use subtle animations to bring in bullet points one at a time, preventing information overload. Avoid overuse, as it can be more distracting rather than beneficial.

Thumbnails of your slides can help keep track of where you are in your presentation. A vertical scroll bar, under slide navigation, can also be useful for quick access to particular slides. This helps maintain a smooth flow and ensures you don’t lose track of your content.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

If your presentation appears on the wrong screen, don’t panic. This happens more often than you’d think, especially if using a single monitor. Swapping the displays usually does the trick. On Windows or Mac, head to the PowerPoint Slide Show tab and ensure the “Use Presenter View” option is checked.

Facing problems with the size of the text in your presenter notes? Adjust the text size in PowerPoint settings. On a Windows laptop, go to the View tab, select Zoom , and choose your preferred size. Mac users can achieve similar results via the same method.

Text not displaying correctly or appearing cut-off usually means it’s a resolution issue. Adjust your display settings via the Control Panel (Windows) or System Preferences (Mac) for optimal performance.

PowerPoint notes not syncing with slides is another common hiccup. This might be due to software glitches or outdated software. Ensure PowerPoint is updated to the latest version. If problems persist, restarting the software can often help resolve temporary glitches.

Want to use a smartphone as a remote? Apps like Microsoft PowerPoint Remote for Android or iOS can transform your phone into a handy clicker. They can even display your notes. 😊

Dealing with subtitles and closed captions in your presentation? If they’re not showing, navigate to the Slide Show tab, select Always Use Subtitles , and configure the settings accordingly. This can enhance accessibility for your audience.

If your taskbar is obstructing your view, you can tweak settings to auto-hide it. On Windows, right-click the Taskbar , select Taskbar settings , and turn on Automatically hide the taskbar . For Mac, adjust the Dock preferences in System Preferences .

Presenting Important Slides

It’s frustrating when your camera’s placement isn’t ideal. Adjust your laptop or external camera so your face is visible without blocking the slides. A bit of camera tinkering can greatly improve your presentation’s clarity and engagement.

Related posts:

  • How to Embed a YouTube Video in PowerPoint: Step-by-Step Guide
  • How to Do a Voice Over on PowerPoint: Easy Steps for Professionals
  • How to Make an Org Chart in PowerPoint: A Step-by-Step Guide
  • How to Embed Excel into PowerPoint: Simplify Data Visualization
  • How Is a Chart from Microsoft Excel Added to a PowerPoint Presentation? Step-by-Step Guide
  • How to Present PowerPoint in Teams: A Step-by-Step Guide for Professionals
  • PowerPoint Cannot Insert a Video from the Selected File: Solutions and Workarounds
  • How to Make a Picture Black and White in PowerPoint: Quick Guide
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  • How to Star a Slide in PowerPoint: A Step-by-Step Guide
  • Start the Feature in PowerPoint That Will Let You Practice the Presentation and Save the Timings: A Step-by-Step Guide

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How to Make a “Good” Presentation “Great”

  • Guy Kawasaki

presenting ppt with notes

Remember: Less is more.

A strong presentation is so much more than information pasted onto a series of slides with fancy backgrounds. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others. Here are some unique elements that make a presentation stand out.

  • Fonts: Sans Serif fonts such as Helvetica or Arial are preferred for their clean lines, which make them easy to digest at various sizes and distances. Limit the number of font styles to two: one for headings and another for body text, to avoid visual confusion or distractions.
  • Colors: Colors can evoke emotions and highlight critical points, but their overuse can lead to a cluttered and confusing presentation. A limited palette of two to three main colors, complemented by a simple background, can help you draw attention to key elements without overwhelming the audience.
  • Pictures: Pictures can communicate complex ideas quickly and memorably but choosing the right images is key. Images or pictures should be big (perhaps 20-25% of the page), bold, and have a clear purpose that complements the slide’s text.
  • Layout: Don’t overcrowd your slides with too much information. When in doubt, adhere to the principle of simplicity, and aim for a clean and uncluttered layout with plenty of white space around text and images. Think phrases and bullets, not sentences.

As an intern or early career professional, chances are that you’ll be tasked with making or giving a presentation in the near future. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others.

presenting ppt with notes

  • Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist at Canva and was the former chief evangelist at Apple. Guy is the author of 16 books including Think Remarkable : 9 Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference.

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Microsoft 365 Life Hacks > Presentations > Six tips for recording a presentation

Six tips for recording a presentation

Your latest presentation is filled with crucial information and key concepts your colleagues need to remember. Record and archive it for easy reference and absorption.

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How to record your presentation

Whether you’re recording a presentation for work, a webinar or school, both you and your colleagues will greatly appreciate having it available to reference. You can absorb information at your pace, ensuring that you retain pertinent information, without having to rely solely on your notes. While the method of recording depends on the virtual meeting platform or whether its in person, here are some guidelines on how to record you presentation:

Tell your story with captivating presentations Banner

Tell your story with captivating presentations

Powerpoint empowers you to develop well-designed content across all your devices

1. Choose the right equipment

High-quality recording equipment is essential for producing professional-looking and sounding presentations. Laptops are equipped with microphone and a high-resolution webcam, but it’s always a good idea to consider investing in higher quality recording equipment.

2. Test Your equipment

Before starting your presentation, it’s crucial to test your recording equipment to ensure everything is working properly. Check the audio levels, video quality, and any additional accessories you may be using, such as lighting or a green screen. Conducting a test run will help identify any technical issues that need to be addressed. Review the virtual meeting platform you are using to ensure that the recording feature is enabled, so you won’t have to search for it when the presentation time rolls around.

3. Optimize your environment

Choose a quiet, well-lit environment for recording your presentation. Minimize background noise and distractions to ensure clear audio and video quality. Consider using a neutral background or a virtual background to maintain a professional appearance. Natural lighting is ideal, but if that’s not possible, invest in good quality lighting equipment to ensure your face is well-lit and visible.

4. Organize your presentation contents

Organize your presentation materials in a logical order to facilitate smooth delivery. Create an outline or script to guide your presentation, making sure to include key points, transitions, and visual aids. Practice your presentation multiple times to become familiar with the contents and ensure a confident delivery. If you have multiple presenters, solidify the speaking order and designate one person to facilitate the presentation.

5. Engage with Your Audience

Even though you’re recording your presentation, it’s essential to engage with your audience as if they were present in the room with you. Encourage interaction by asking questions, prompting viewers to think critically, and inviting them to share their thoughts or experiences in the comments section. Respond to comments and questions promptly to foster a sense of community and connection with your audience.

6. Monitor Your Time

Keep track of time during your presentation to ensure that you stay within the allotted timeframe. Plan your presentation carefully, allocating sufficient time to cover each topic or section. If you find yourself running out of time, prioritize the most critical points and consider saving less crucial information for a follow-up or supplementary material.

For more ways to improve presentation skills, like calming presentation anxiety and connecting with a virtual audience , learn more presentation tips .

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ACIP Presentation Slides: June 26-28, 2024 Meeting

Note: These files are not yet 508

Slides will be added as they become available.

June 26, 2024

Welcome & introductions.

  • Introduction Dr. K Talbot, Dr. M Wharton

Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccines – Adult

  • Introduction [10 pages] Dr. C Kotton
  • Abrysvo (Pfizer) safety and immunogenicity in non-pregnant adults aged 18-59 years [23 pages] Dr. I Munjal
  • Arexvy (GSK) immunogenicity with a 24-month revaccination interval [18 pages] Dr. S Gerber
  • mRNA-1345 (Moderna) Update on vaccine safety, efficacy and revaccination data [24 pages] Dr. R Das
  • Postmarketing safety updates: Vaccine Safety Datalink [28 pages] Dr. J Donahue
  • Evaluation of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) following RSV vaccination among adults 65 years and older [19 pages] Dr. P Lloyd
  • Observational RSV vaccine effectiveness [43 pages] Dr. D Surie
  • Economic analysis of adult RSV vaccination [40 pages] Dr. D Hutton
  • Update to benefits and risks discussion [29 pages] Dr. D Hutton
  • Comparison of economic analyses of adult RSV vaccination [20 pages] Dr. I Ortega-Sanchez
  • Evidence to Recommendations [102 pages] Dr. M Melgar, L Roper, Dr. A Britton
  • Clinical Considerations [13 pages] Dr. M Melgar

Combined Diphtheria and Tetanus Toxoids and Acellular Pertussis, Inactivated Poliovirus, Haemophilus influenzae Type B Conjugate, and Hepatitis B vaccine (Vaxelis®)

  • Introduction [6 pages] Dr. J Loehr
  • EtR and proposed recommendations: Use of Vaxelis among American Indian and Alaska Native Infants [53 pages] Dr. J Collins

Chikungunya Vaccine

  • Introduction [7 pages] Dr. W Chen
  • Update on chikungunya vaccines [3 pages] Dr. S Hills
  • Epidemiology of chikungunya in U.S. territories and states [31 pages] Dr. S Hills
  • Cost-effectiveness of use of live attenuated chikungunya vaccine among adults living in U.S. territories [32 pages] Dr. K Kilburn, Dr. E Staples
  • Next steps for Work Group [4 pages] Dr. S Hills

Dengue Vaccines

  • Dengvaxia discontinuation [4 pages] Dr. N Bergren
  • Dengue vaccine updates [22 pages] Dr. J Wong

June 27, 2024

Covid-19 vaccine.

  • Introduction [10 pages] Dr. M Daley
  • COVID-19-associated hospitalizations [24 pages] Dr. F Havers
  • COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness update [30 pages] Dr. R Link-Gelles
  • Vaccine safety update for 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine [41 pages] Dr. J Duffy
  • Economic analysis of COVID-19 vaccination [38 pages] Dr. L Prosser
  • EtR for use of the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine [131 pages] Dr. L Panagiotakopoulos
  • COVID-19 vaccine implementation [28 pages] Dr. S Stokley

Influenza Vaccines

  • Influenza A (H5N1) Update [16 pages] Dr. V Dugan
  • WG Considerations and Proposed Recommendations [50 pages] Dr. L Grohskopf

Pneumococcal Vaccines

  • Introduction [14 pages] Dr. J Loehr
  • Economic analysis and public health impact of PCV21 use in adults [45 pages] Mr. C Stoecker
  • Comparison of economic analysis on PCV21 use in adults [21 pages] Dr. A Leidner
  • Summary of WG Interpretation of EtR and policy options on PCV21 use in adults and clinical guidance for implementation [55 pages] Dr. M Kobayashi

June 28, 2024

Meningococcal vaccines.

  • Epidemiology Updates [51 pages] Ms. A Rubis
  • GSK Pentavalent Vaccine Immunogenicity and Safety [23 pages] Dr. W Sohn
  • WG Considerations Regarding MenABCWY Vaccine and Discussion of Potential Risk Groups for MenB Vaccination [32 pages] Dr. S Schillie

Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccines – Maternal/Pediatric

  • Introduction [9 pages] Dr. S Long
  • Implementation and uptake of nirsevimab and maternal RSV vaccine [18 pages] Dr. S Stokley
  • Maternal RSV vaccine safety surveillance [28 pages] Dr. P Moro
  • Summary of effectiveness of nirsevimab in infants [32 pages] Dr. A Payne
  • Work Group considerations [20 pages] Dr. J Jones, Dr. K Fleming-Dutra

Human papillomavirus Vaccines

  • Announcement of formation of an ACIP HPV vaccines work group [10 pages] Dr. O Brooks

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presenting ppt with notes

Present on multiple monitors (and view speaker notes privately)

You can present with two monitors: Using Presenter View is a great way to view your presentation with speaker notes on one monitor (your laptop, for example), while your audience views the notes-free presentation on a different monitor (like a larger screen you're projecting to).

Note:  Make sure the device you're using for your presentation supports the use of multiple monitors. Check with your manufacturer for up-to-date information about multiple monitor support.

To do this procedure and split the view between projectors in this way, you must be connected to the second screen.

Set up PowerPoint to use Presenter view with two monitors

On the Slide Show tab, in the Monitors group, select Use Presenter View .

Monitors group on the Slide Show tab

Windows Display Settings should open.

In the Display Settings dialog box, on the Monitor tab, select the monitor icon that you want to use to view your speaker notes, and then select the This is my main monitor check box.

If the This is my main monitor check box is selected and unavailable, the monitor is already designated as the primary monitor.

Select the monitor icon for the second monitor—the one the audience will watch, and then select the Extend my Windows Desktop onto this monitor check box.

Notes:  If the Windows Display Settings don't open, do the following:

Windows 10: Click Start > Settings > System > Display . At the top, under Customize your display , is a diagram of the screens connected to your computer, with each screen numbered. If you are connected to a project, typically it will be represented in the diagram as screen 2. Select screen 1 in the diagram, then scroll downward. Ensure that the check box named Make this my main display is selected. Above that check box, in the Multiple displays list, select Extend these displays .

Windows 8: Right-click the Windows Start button, click Control Panel > Display > Adjust resolution . In the Multiple displays list, click Extend these displays . Select the monitor on which you want to view your speaker notes, and click Make this my main display .

You can use PowerPoint on your smartphone as a remote control to run your presentation and view your speaker notes. See Using a laser pointer on your smartphone when presenting in PowerPoint for more information, including a brief video.

Deliver your presentation on two monitors

On the Slide Show tab, in the Set Up group, click Set Up Slide Show .

Set Up Slide Show button

In the Set Up Show dialog box, choose the options that you want, and then click OK . If you choose Automatic , PowerPoint will display speaker notes on the laptop monitor, if available. Otherwise, PowerPoint will display speaker notes on the main display identified in your Display settings ( Settings > Display ).

Monitor options in the Set Up Show dialog box

Extend vs. Duplicate: What happens after the slide show ends

PowerPoint does something behind the scenes to make the process of starting a slide show on a second monitor as smooth and quick as possible. When you enter Slide Show, PowerPoint automatically changes your display settings (also known as your display topology) to Extend .

What can be confusing is what happens after your slide show concludes:

In newer versions of PowerPoint , when your slide show ends,, PowerPoint reverts to your default setting, returning to Duplicate , if that's what you have chosen.

Video: Use Presenter view

View your speaker notes as you deliver your slide show

Video: Rehearse timings for a slide show

Zoom in to part of a slide in Slide Show view

Print your PowerPoint slides, handouts, and notes

Create a self-running presentation

Start the presentation and see your notes in Presenter view

PowerPoint videos not playing on secondary monitor

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IMAGES

  1. How to See Presentation Notes while presenting PowerPoint slides on Zoom

    presenting ppt with notes

  2. Start the presentation and see your notes in Presenter view

    presenting ppt with notes

  3. Powerpoint: How to Present with Notes in Microsoft Powerpoint

    presenting ppt with notes

  4. How to Add Notes to PowerPoint? 6 Easy Steps

    presenting ppt with notes

  5. How To Use Presenter Notes in PowerPoint?

    presenting ppt with notes

  6. PowerPoint Quick Tips: How to Add Notes to a PowerPoint Presentation

    presenting ppt with notes

VIDEO

  1. Student's of class 2 Presenting Ppt #sense organs #science #summercamp #motivation #school

  2. Just Chilling While Presenting PPT🤗🤣||JNTUH-UCEJ🔥||yt shorts

  3. How to Add Notes to PowerPoint Slides

  4. how to see notes in ppt while presenting in google meet using presenters view

  5. Add and View Speaker Notes while presenting: Present With Confidence!

  6. LIMIT FITS & TOLERANCE

COMMENTS

  1. Start the presentation and see your notes in Presenter view

    Start presenting. On the Slide Show tab, in the Start Slide Show group, select From Beginning. Now, if you are working with PowerPoint on a single monitor and you want to display Presenter view, in Slide Show view, on the control bar at the bottom left, select , and then Show Presenter View.

  2. How to Use Speaker Notes in PowerPoint

    Next, in the pane on left, select the slide where you'd like to add speaker notes. Next, click the "Notes" button at the bottom of the window. A small box reading "Tap to Add Notes" will appear beneath the slide. For Mac users, this will say "Click to Add Notes.". Now, simply type the speaker notes for that slide.

  3. Add speaker notes to your slides

    PowerPoint for the web lets you create speaker notes, but it doesn't have the ability to show you the notes while you're presenting your slide show.. Create speaker notes. On the View tab of the ribbon, in the Show group, select Notes.. The pane appears across the bottom portion of the PowerPoint window, with the cursor blinking, ready for you to begin typing.

  4. Use Presenter View in PowerPoint

    Select the Use Presenter View checkbox. Select which monitor to display Presenter View on. Select From Beginning or press F5. In Presenter View, you can: See your current slide, next slide, and speaker notes. Select the arrows next to the slide number to go between slides. Select the pause button or reset button to pause or reset the slide ...

  5. How to Add Notes to PowerPoint Presentations: A Comprehensive Guide

    Start by clicking on the Notes button located beneath each slide. If you don't see it, click on the View tab at the top of the screen and then click on Notes Page. Begin typing your notes for that slide, providing additional details, reminders, or cues to guide your presentation. Repeat the process for each slide you want to add notes to.

  6. How to add Speaker Notes in PowerPoint

    Here's how to add notes in PowerPoint: Select a slide you want to add notes to. View the Notes pane located beneath each slide. If it's not visible, you can make it appear by clicking Notes on the bottom taskbar. You will see a blank space with the prompt "Click to add notes."

  7. Everything you need to know about using speaker notes in PowerPoint

    Method One: Directly edit in slide editing mode (aka Normal View). Click the notes section of the window and begin typing. If the notes are hidden, click the Notes button found in options on the bottom right of the PowerPoint screen. Method Two: Edit your notes in Notes View. Click on the View tab in the ribbon and click Notes Page.

  8. How to add notes to your Microsoft PowerPoint slides

    Click the Notes button in the Status Bar at the bottom. Move your cursor to the bottom of the window. When you see the two-sided arrow, drag up until the panel displays. Step 3: When the panel is ...

  9. How to add speaker notes in PowerPoint

    When you're creating a presentation in PowerPoint, you can add speaker notes to refer to later while delivering the slide show in front of an audience. Learn...

  10. How to Add Speaker Notes in PowerPoint? A Quick Guide with ...

    On the View tab of the ribbon, in the Show group, select Notes. The pane appears across the bottom portion of the PowerPoint window, with the cursor blinking, ready for you to begin typing. Also, you can add speaker notes in PowerPoint by clicking the Notes option at the bottom of the slide to open the notes pane.

  11. Edit your notes in Presenter view in PowerPoint

    To open Presenter view in PowerPoint, click the Slide Show tab and select the Use Presenter View check box. 2. Start your slide show. 3. Click the Notes pane in the lower right corner of the PowerPoint window, then start typing. NOTE: You can also press the F6 key to select the Notes pane in Presenter view. When a white outline appears around ...

  12. How to Use Speaker Notes in PowerPoint

    In PowerPoint Online, toggle the notes pane on and off by selecting View > Notes . In the Slide pane, select the thumbnail of the slide you want to add a note. Place the cursor in the Notes pane. The text in the Notes pane reads, Click to add notes . If you don't see the Notes pane, go to View and select Notes.

  13. How to view Notes in in PowerPoint with Presenter view

    Launch PowerPoint. Look for Slide Show tab. When found, click it and select From Beginning visible under Start Slide Show group. If you are working with PowerPoint on a single monitor and still ...

  14. Everything You Need to know About Notes in PowerPoint

    Microsoft made adding notes to PowerPoint extremely easy. All you have to do is go down to the bottom of the screen where it says "Click to add notes". Once you click there, you can add in your notes for the presentation. By default, the notes section is at the bottom of the slide editor.

  15. How to view your notes in the presentation mode

    On the right side: On the top, the next slide is shown (see how to create your own slide show ), On the bottom, the notes of the current slide. You can reorganize the Presenter view by moving the divider lines to see more notes, or make the slide bigger: The text should wrap automatically, and a vertical scroll bar appears if necessary.

  16. Add speaker notes in PowerPoint

    You can see your notes on your computer, but your audience only sees your slides. Add speaker notes. Select Notes below the slide. Type your notes. Select Notes if you want to hide your speaker notes. Use Notes while you present. In Presenter View, your Notes for each slide appear under the Next slide. Scroll to view all of them if necessary.

  17. How to See Your Notes When Presenting in PowerPoint

    If you want to customize your Presenter View experience, follow these steps: On the 'Slide Show' tab, click 'Set Up Slide Show.'. Under 'Multiple Monitors,' select the 'Use Presenter View' checkbox. If you're using a single monitor, select the 'Display slide show on' option and choose your primary monitor.

  18. How to View Notes in PowerPoint While Presenting With One Monitor

    Navigate to the slide on which you wish to start presenting. Select the "Slide Show" tab in the ribbon menu. Check the "Use Presenter View" box. Start your presentation by clicking on "From Beginning" or "From Current Slide.". Your notes will appear on your primary monitor, while the audience will see only the slides on the ...

  19. Seeing your Speaking Notes in PowerPoint while presenting slides in a

    If you don't want to use Presenter View, you can still see your speaking notes while presenting your PowerPoint slides in a Zoom meeting using these four methods. Method 1: Print your notes. PowerPoint allows you to print Notes Pages in the print dialog.

  20. How to add notes to PowerPoint: including Speaker Notes, Handout Notes

    To add your note, click where you see the words ' Click to add notes ', then type in the notes you want to add regarding the PowerPoint slide currently displayed above the notes field. PowerPoint's speaker notes are linked to each slide, so you need to enter notes relevant to a slide while you have the particular slide displaying on your ...

  21. How to View Notes in PowerPoint While Presenting: A Step-by-Step Guide

    Customizing Display Settings. First, open the Slide Show tab in PowerPoint. Here, you can access the essential tools needed for customizing your presentation. It's crucial to start by checking the "Use Presenter View" box. Depending on your setup, you might need to select which monitor to display the Presenter View on.

  22. How to Make a "Good" Presentation "Great"

    Summary. A strong presentation is so much more than information pasted onto a series of slides with fancy backgrounds. Whether you're pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing ...

  23. Six tips for recording a presentation- Microsoft 365

    Create an outline or script to guide your presentation, making sure to include key points, transitions, and visual aids. Practice your presentation multiple times to become familiar with the contents and ensure a confident delivery. If you have multiple presenters, solidify the speaking order and designate one person to facilitate the ...

  24. ACIP Presentation Slides: June 26-28, 2024 Meeting

    Slides will be added as they become available. June 26, 2024 Welcome & Introductions. Introduction Dr. K Talbot, Dr. M Wharton; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccines - Adult. Introduction [10 pages] Dr. C Kotton; Abrysvo (Pfizer) safety and immunogenicity in non-pregnant adults aged 18-59 years [23 pages] Dr. I Munjal

  25. Seeing your Speaking Notes in PowerPoint while presenting slides in

    If you don't want to use Presenter View, you can still see your speaking notes while presenting your PowerPoint slides in a Teams meeting using these four methods. Method 1: Print your notes. PowerPoint allows you to print Notes Pages in the print dialog.

  26. Present on multiple monitors (and view speaker notes privately)

    Deliver your presentation on two monitors. On the Slide Show tab, in the Set Up group, click Set Up Slide Show. In the Set Up Show dialog box, choose the options that you want, and then click OK. If you choose Automatic, PowerPoint will display speaker notes on the laptop monitor, if available. Otherwise, PowerPoint will display speaker notes ...

  27. Figma's new Slides app focuses on design, fun, and (oh, yeah!) AI

    Today, at its Config conference in San Francisco, Figma is unveiling a real presentation product. Logically named Figma Slides, it joins the company's design tool and FigJam whiteboard to form a ...