Footers and slide master

[Melba's Jammin']

I am posting this latest question on behalf of my Usenet-innocent
husband; he has just switched from Windows to Macintosh: "In using MS
Office 2008 for Mac Power Point in the Slide Master view, when I type
anything into the footer, date and/or page number and go back to the
normal view, they do not show. With my previous windows version, they
behaved as a template should ­ they are visible in the normal view but
not actionable.

However, with the Office 2008 for Mac version, I can go through
contortions to make them show, but they are textboxes that can be moved
or deleted. This does not make sense to me and I¹m wondering what I am
doing wrong."

TIA

 

[Jim Gordon Mac MVP]

I am posting this latest question on behalf of my Usenet-innocent
husband; he has just switched from Windows to Macintosh: "In using MS
Office 2008 for Mac Power Point in the Slide Master view, when I type
anything into the footer, date and/or page number and go back to the
normal view, they do not show. With my previous windows version, they
behaved as a template should ­ they are visible in the normal view but
not actionable.

However, with the Office 2008 for Mac version, I can go through
contortions to make them show, but they are textboxes that can be moved
or deleted. This does not make sense to me and I¹m wondering what I am
doing wrong."

TIA

Hi,

On Mac PowerPoint you have complete control over the formatting and
positioning of the footer, date and page number. When you are in View >
Master > Slide Master you can use View > Header and footer to turn each
element on or off. Select each of the slide elements and if you want to
format, use the Formatting Palette or right-click or control-click on
the selection border of the object and choose Format from the pop-up menu.

The big slide master at the top of the left panel is the main slide
master. Format that one first. Then, you can format any individual slide
layouts underneath if you so choose. Again, you can format each layout
to be independent of the Slide Master, unless you go back and reformat
the slide master.

Notice that when you are in Slide Master view, you get a new toolbar
that lets add and format even more slide masters and layouts.

-Jim

 

[Melba's Jammin']

Hi,

On Mac PowerPoint you have complete control over the formatting and
positioning of the footer, date and page number. When you are in View >
Master > Slide Master you can use View > Header and footer to turn each
element on or off. Select each of the slide elements and if you want to
format, use the Formatting Palette or right-click or control-click on
the selection border of the object and choose Format from the pop-up menu.

The big slide master at the top of the left panel is the main slide
master. Format that one first. Then, you can format any individual slide
layouts underneath if you so choose. Again, you can format each layout
to be independent of the Slide Master, unless you go back and reformat
the slide master.

Notice that when you are in Slide Master view, you get a new toolbar
that lets add and format even more slide masters and layouts.

-Jim

Thanks, Jim; I am forwarding this to him.

 

[Melba's Jammin']

Hi,

On Mac PowerPoint you have complete control over the formatting and
positioning of the footer, date and page number. When you are in View >
Master > Slide Master you can use View > Header and footer to turn each
element on or off. Select each of the slide elements and if you want to
format, use the Formatting Palette or right-click or control-click on
the selection border of the object and choose Format from the pop-up menu.

The big slide master at the top of the left panel is the main slide
master. Format that one first. Then, you can format any individual slide
layouts underneath if you so choose. Again, you can format each layout
to be independent of the Slide Master, unless you go back and reformat
the slide master.

Notice that when you are in Slide Master view, you get a new toolbar
that lets add and format even more slide masters and layouts.

-Jim

Thanks, Jim. That's not what he wanted to hear. He wants the Footer to
act like it did on his Windows version and as it does on my Office for
Mac 2004 (I think) version; i.e., the Footer is the Footer and stays put
and can't be edited except in the Slide Master. :-(

That's the first of at least three differences in what he is familiar
with, Windows version of Power Point. He's bummed.

 

[Jim Gordon Mac MVP]

Thanks, Jim. That's not what he wanted to hear. He wants the Footer to
act like it did on his Windows version and as it does on my Office for
Mac 2004 (I think) version; i.e., the Footer is the Footer and stays put
and can't be edited except in the Slide Master. :-(

That's the first of at least three differences in what he is familiar
with, Windows version of Power Point. He's bummed.

Office 2004 (Mac) has the older behavior your husband is used to.
However, the graphics engine was redone in Office 2007 (Windows) and
2008 (Mac), and the full support for Slide Masters and Slide Layouts was
added to 2008 (Mac) to match the behavior of 2007 (Windows).

The behavior change is not due to Mac vs PC, but older vs newer. I am
not sure why he's bummed, though. If you don't want to move the
placeholders, you don't have to. And even in 2004 you can move, resize,
and format (to a lesser degree0 the footer place holders on the Master
Slide.

-Jim

 

[CyberTaz]

Hi Jim;

PMFJI, but...

I am
not sure why he's bummed, though.

I understand it...

If you don't want to move the
placeholders, you don't have to.

No, you don't. But it can easily be done accidentally & in a collaborative
project anyone can intentionally/inadvertently do so... And do so
differently on each slide. Makes for a lovely effect if not caught before
the show is delivered & a potential rat's nest to untangle even if it is.

And even in 2004 you can move, resize,
and format (to a lesser degree0 the footer place holders on the Master
Slide.

But you have to go to the Master to do so -- that's the point. In any
document H/F are supposed to remain consistent & fixed throughout unless
specifically created to be otherwise (such as inside/outside on facing
pages). Throwing them up on the slides as regular, editable, removable text
boxes defeats the very point of having them in the first place.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Jim Gordon Mac MVP]

Hi Jim;

PMFJI, but...




I understand it...


No, you don't. But it can easily be done accidentally& in a collaborative
project anyone can intentionally/inadvertently do so... And do so
differently on each slide. Makes for a lovely effect if not caught before
the show is delivered& a potential rat's nest to untangle even if it is.


But you have to go to the Master to do so -- that's the point. In any
document H/F are supposed to remain consistent& fixed throughout unless
specifically created to be otherwise (such as inside/outside on facing
pages). Throwing them up on the slides as regular, editable, removable text
boxes defeats the very point of having them in the first place.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

Point taken.

If you're collaborating rather than dictating the placement decisions
are made together among the collaborators, not independently.

On the other hand, those who expect to dictate such things are losing a
tool they are used to having, so I can seen the consternation.

-Jim

 

[Melba's Jammin']

Office 2004 (Mac) has the older behavior your husband is used to.
However, the graphics engine was redone in Office 2007 (Windows) and
2008 (Mac), and the full support for Slide Masters and Slide Layouts was
added to 2008 (Mac) to match the behavior of 2007 (Windows).

The behavior change is not due to Mac vs PC, but older vs newer. I am
not sure why he's bummed, though. If you don't want to move the
placeholders, you don't have to. And even in 2004 you can move, resize,
and format (to a lesser degree0 the footer place holders on the Master
Slide.

-Jim

Thanks. I suspected as much (old vs newer) and I think the old dog and
new tricks thing comes into play. What's got him torqued is that he,
apparently, does a lot of "Select All" moves. With an editable footer,
as it is in Office 2008 for Mac, the footer gets selected, too; if he
forgets to deselect it, I guess that's when the grumbling starts. :-/

 

[Melba's Jammin']

Hi Jim;

PMFJI, but...




I understand it...

No, you don't. But it can easily be done accidentally

Exactly; those are DH's experiences. For whatever reason, he frequently
does a "select all" and that grabs the footer, too. If he forgets to
deselect it, I think that's when the grumbling starts.

& in a collaborative project anyone can intentionally/inadvertently
do so... And do so differently on each slide. Makes for a lovely
effect if not caught before the show is delivered & a potential rat's
nest to untangle even if it is.

But you have to go to the Master to do so -- that's the point. In any
document H/F are supposed to remain consistent & fixed throughout unless
specifically created to be otherwise (such as inside/outside on facing
pages). Throwing them up on the slides as regular, editable, removable text
boxes defeats the very point of having them in the first place.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

Bingo! I reported your reply, Bob, to my husband and he appreciates
that you understand his dissatisfaction with it; me, too--I understand a
footer to be a fixed component of a page.

He's figured out some kind of workaround for it and the engineer in him
(he teaches project management) cringes every time he has to use it, I'm
sure.

Thanks for the enlightening comments from both you and Jim.

 

[Melba's Jammin']

Point taken.

If you're collaborating rather than dictating the placement decisions
are made together among the collaborators, not independently.

On the other hand, those who expect to dictate such things are losing a
tool they are used to having, so I can seen the consternation.

-Jim

Thanks, Jim. That's exactly what it is for him: logical behavior (a
footer should be fixed) that was and now is not.

We appreciate your comments (and patience).

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

He's figured out some kind of workaround for it and the engineer in him
(he teaches project management) cringes every time he has to use it, I'm
sure.

Not sure if this is what he's worked out or not but one relatively quick fix
would be to:

Go to sorter view
Select all
Turn headers/footers off and click Apply to All

Work on the presentation.

Before turning it loose on the world, go back to sorter view, select all, turn
on the headers/footers he wants, Apply to All again.

 

[Jim Gordon Mac MVP]

Thanks. I suspected as much (old vs newer) and I think the old dog and
new tricks thing comes into play. What's got him torqued is that he,
apparently, does a lot of "Select All" moves. With an editable footer,
as it is in Office 2008 for Mac, the footer gets selected, too; if he
forgets to deselect it, I guess that's when the grumbling starts. :-/

Ah! That's the rub!

Now it all fits into place. This would be good feedback to tell
Microsoft. Not just that the new behavior is bad, but why, too.

Use the Help menu in PowerPoint and choose the Send Feedback option.
That message gets sent directly to the PowerPoint product manager.

-Jim

 

[Melba's Jammin']

Melba's Jammin' wrote:

Ah! That's the rub!

Now it all fits into place. This would be good feedback to tell
Microsoft. Not just that the new behavior is bad, but why, too.

Use the Help menu in PowerPoint and choose the Send Feedback option.
That message gets sent directly to the PowerPoint product manager.

-Jim

Thanks, Jim. He did it yesterday. I appreciate your help with all this
‹ all who replied.