How to Reveal Text on Click with PowerPoint Animation?

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Trish Dixon

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Have you ever wanted to reveal text gradually in a PowerPoint presentation, making your slides more engaging and interactive? By using PowerPoint’s built-in animation features, you can easily set up your slides to display text, images, or other elements one click at a time. In this tutorial, we will walk you through the step-by-step process of revealing text on click with PowerPoint animation.

Table of contents

Why Use PowerPoint Animation to Reveal Text?

Before diving into the how-to, let’s explore some reasons why you might want to use PowerPoint animation to progressively reveal text:

  1. Maintain audience focus: Revealing text bit by bit helps guide your audience’s attention to each point as you discuss it, rather than overwhelming them with all the information at once.
  2. Build suspense: Gradually revealing text can create anticipation and emphasize key points in your presentation.
  3. Control pacing: By deciding when to reveal each piece of text, you control the flow and rhythm of your presentation.
  4. Enhance visual appeal: Animated text adds a dynamic, polished look to your slides compared to static text.

Step-by-Step Guide to Revealing Text on Click in PowerPoint

Now that we understand the benefits, let’s go through the process of setting up text to appear on click using PowerPoint animation.

Step 1: Create Your Slide Content

First, create a new PowerPoint slide and add the text you want to reveal. You can do this by:

  1. Clicking on the “New Slide” button
  2. Selecting a slide layout that includes a text box, or
  3. Inserting a text box manually from the “Insert” tab

Type or paste your content into the text box. At this stage, don’t worry about animating the text.

Step 2: Break Up Your Text

Next, you’ll need to split your text into the chunks you want to appear one at a time. There are a few ways to do this:

  • Press “Enter” between each block of text to put them on separate lines
  • Create a new text box for each piece of text you want to animate separately
  • Use separate bullet points within the same text box

The key is to divide your text based on how you want to progressively reveal it during your presentation.

Step 3: Apply Entrance Animation

With your text divided, it’s time to add the animation!

  1. Select the first chunk of text you want to animate
  2. Navigate to the “Animations” tab in PowerPoint
  3. Choose an “Entrance” animation, such as “Appear,” “Fade In,” or “Fly In”
  4. Adjust any animation settings, like duration or delay, if desired

Repeat this process for each piece of text you want to animate in separately.

Step 4: Set Animation Timing

The last step is defining when each animated text block should appear. For click-based reveals:

  1. Select an animated text object
  2. Go to the “Animation Pane” (found on the Animations tab)
  3. Click the small dropdown arrow next to the animation
  4. Choose “Start On Click”

Do this for every animated text chunk. Now, each piece of text will appear one at a time as you click through the slide!

Advanced Tips & Tricks: Revealing Text on Click in PowerPoint

Want to take your PowerPoint text animations to the next level? Try out these advanced techniques:

Animating Individual Words or Letters

You can apply animations to single words or even letters for a unique effect:

  1. Select the word or letter
  2. Choose an animation from the Animations tab
  3. Adjust timing settings as needed

This works well for emphasizing certain words or creating visual interest.

Combining Multiple Animations

You can layer animations on the same object for more complex reveals:

  1. Select the text and apply an Entrance animation
  2. With the text still selected, apply an Emphasis or Exit animation
  3. Use the Animation Pane to reorder or adjust animation timings

For example, you could have a word fly in, then change color or grow in size for emphasis, and finally fade out.

Using Animation Paths & Motion Paths

PowerPoint also allows you to define custom paths for animated objects to follow using the “Motion Path” feature. This can create some interesting text reveals:

  1. Select your text box
  2. Go to the Animations tab
  3. Open the “Animation Pane” and select “Add Animation”
  4. Choose a Motion Path, like “Lines,” “Arcs,” “Turns,” or “Custom Path”
  5. Define the start and end points for the animation path

Your text will glide along the path you set as it appears. Animating text along a curve or around the slide perimeter can add some fun and energy to your presentation.

When to Use Animated Text Reveals in PowerPoint

So now you know how to progressively reveal text in PowerPoint, but when should you use this technique? Here are some great opportunities to apply animated text in your presentations:

  • Bullet point lists: Introducing one point at a time keeps audiences focused
  • Quotes or testimonials: Bringing in a powerful quote gradually adds dramatic flair
  • Quiz questions/answers: Reveal questions to engage the audience before disclosing answers
  • Agenda outlines: Animate in agenda items one by one to give an overview of your talk

In general, animated text reveals work well when you want to control the flow of information, highlight certain content, or add visual interest to text-heavy slides. However, use this technique carefully – animating every single line can distract from your message. Focus on animating the most important points.

Final Thoughts

Revealing text on click with PowerPoint animation is a powerful way to guide audience attention, control pacing, and enhance the visual appeal of your presentation. By breaking your text into chunks, applying Entrance animations, and setting “On Click” timing, you can progressively introduce content in an engaging way.

Experiment with advanced animation techniques like individual word effects, combining multiple animations, and using motion paths for even more creative text reveals. When used strategically for key points, animated text helps you communicate your message more effectively in PowerPoint.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the benefit of revealing text on click in PowerPoint?

Revealing text on click in PowerPoint helps maintain audience focus, build suspense, control pacing, and enhance the visual appeal of your presentation.

How do I split my text into chunks for click-based reveals?

To split your text for click-based reveals, press ‘Enter’ between each block of text, create a new text box for each piece of text, or use separate bullet points within the same text box.

Where can I find the animation options in PowerPoint?

You can find the animation options in the ‘Animations’ tab in PowerPoint.

How do I set the timing for each animated text block?

To set the timing for each animated text block, select the text object, go to the ‘Animation Pane,’ click the small dropdown arrow next to the animation, and choose ‘Start On Click.’

Can I apply animations to individual words or letters?

Yes, you can apply animations to individual words or letters. Select the word or letter, choose an animation from the Animations tab, and adjust timing settings as needed.

When should I use animated text reveals in my PowerPoint presentations?

Animated text reveals work well for bullet point lists, quotes or testimonials, quiz questions and answers, and agenda outlines. Use this technique when you want to control information flow, highlight content, or add visual interest to text-heavy slides.

Trish Dixon
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