Are you looking to add visual interest and emphasis to your PowerPoint slides using grow and shrink animation effects? Growing and shrinking objects is an easy way to draw your audience’s attention to key points, display changes over time, or simply liven up your presentation.
In this article, we’ll walk through step-by-step how to apply grow/shrink animations in PowerPoint, best practices for using them effectively, and creative examples to inspire your own presentations.
What is Grow/Shrink Animation in PowerPoint?
Grow/shrink animation is a type of entrance or exit effect in PowerPoint that makes an object appear to grow larger or shrink smaller on the slide. You can control the size change amount, whether the object grows/shrinks horizontally and/or vertically, the timing and duration, and other settings.
Some common uses of grow/shrink animations include:
- Emphasizing important text or images by making them grow larger
- Showing an increase or decrease in something over time by growing/shrinking a shape
- Creating an engaging transition between slides or slide elements
- Focusing attention on one part of the slide
Step-by-Step: How to Add Grow/Shrink Animation in PowerPoint
Follow these simple steps to apply a grow or shrink animation to an object in PowerPoint:
- Select the object you want to animate on the slide (text box, shape, image, etc.)
- Go to the Animations tab on the PowerPoint ribbon
- In the Animation gallery, click the More arrow in the bottom right corner
- In the Entrance or Exit section, select Grow/Shrink
- An animation preview will play – double-click the animation in the Animation Pane to access more options
- In the Grow/Shrink dialog box, customize:
- Effect Options: Size change amount and horizontal/vertical settings
- Timing: Start, Duration, Delay, Repeat, Triggers
- Click OK to apply your settings
- Preview the animation to check it looks how you want
Entrance and Exit Effects
You can make an object grow or shrink as an entrance or exit effect, either to introduce the object or to transition it off the slide:
- For an entrance effect, the object will start small and grow to full size, or start large and shrink down to actual size
- For an exit effect, the object will start at actual size and shrink down and disappear, or grow very large and disappear
Choose the most appropriate entrance or exit effect based on the context and how you want to draw attention to the object.
Customizing Grow/Shrink Amount and Direction
In the Effect Options section of the Grow/Shrink dialog box, you can customize:
- Size: Percent you want the object to grow or shrink (e.g. 150% = grow to 1.5x size, 50% = shrink to half size)
- Horizontal/Vertical: Whether the object grows/shrinks both horizontally and vertically, or just in one dimension
For example, you could shrink a tall, thin shape down to 25% vertically to create a “sliding down” effect.
Setting Animation Timing
In the Timing section, you can customize when and how long the grow/shrink animation plays:
| Timing Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Start | On Click (default), With Previous, After Previous |
| Duration | How long the animation takes to complete (in seconds) |
| Delay | Time between the previous animation and this one (in seconds) |
| Repeat | Loop the animation a certain number of times or until end of slide |
| Triggers | Set the animation to be triggered by clicking a specific object |
Spend some time testing different timing settings to get the pacing of your animations just right. In general, aim for grow/shrink animations that take 0.5-1 seconds so they don’t drag on too long.
Best Practices for Using Grow/Shrink Animations
While grow/shrink effects can be engaging when used well, they can also be distracting if overused. Follow these tips for making the most of grow/shrink animations in your presentations:
1. Use animations purposefully
Don’t just add a grow or shrink animation because you can – make sure it serves a purpose in enhancing your message or guiding your audience. Gratuitous or gimmicky animations will only distract from your content.
2. Keep it subtle
In most cases, a 25-50% size change is plenty to create visual interest without being jarring. Avoid extreme size changes unless you want an intentionally in-your-face effect.
3. Use appropriate timing
Aim for animations that take less than 1 second in most cases – viewers will get impatient waiting for long, dragged out grow effects. Make sure the pacing feels natural with the flow of your content.
4. Be consistent
Try to use similar animation styles and timings throughout your presentation for a polished, professional look. Mixing lots of different effects can feel cluttered and disjointed.
5. Don’t overdo it
Limit grow/shrink animations to a few important moments per presentation. Using them too frequently dilutes their impact and makes your presentation feel childish.
6. Combine with other techniques
Pair growing/shrinking with other animation and slide design techniques like highlighting, visual metaphors, iconography, and thoughtful layout to amplify your message. A simple grow effect can work well with these other elements without competing for attention.
Creative Examples of Grow/Shrink Animation
Need some inspiration for using grow and shrink animations in your own PowerPoint presentations? Here are a few creative examples to get you started:
Displaying Stats
Use grow animations to display increases in numbers, percentages, or other metrics, or shrink animations to show decreases. The size change visually reinforces the stats.
For example, if you’re presenting on your company’s annual revenue growth, you could show a bar chart where each bar quickly grows in height to the new revenue amount, emphasizing the upward trend.
Timeline Transitions
Create a sleek timeline slide with icons or images representing each event. As you transition from one event to the next, shrink the previous icon and grow the new one to focus attention and move the story forward.
Zoom and Pan
Combine a grow animation with a motion path to create an engaging zoom and pan effect, as if you’re flying in closer to one part of an image or diagram. This is a dynamic way to hone in on an important detail without being too flashy.
Text Emphasis
Make key words or phrases “pop” off the slide by applying a quick grow animation to them. This puts the emphasis on the most important part of the text without interrupting the flow too much.
Progressive Reveal
Build suspense or walk through a process step-by-step by using grow animations to progressively reveal parts of a diagram, image or text while shrinking the previous parts. This keeps the focus on each new element being introduced.
Final Thoughts
Used purposefully and judiciously, PowerPoint’s grow and shrink animations can be an effective way to add polish, visual interest, and emphasis to your slides. Stick to subtle size changes and appropriate timing and combine grow/shrink effects with other design techniques for maximum impact. With a little creativity, these simple animations can help enhance your message and create more engaging, memorable presentations.
FAQs
What’s the quickest way to apply a grow or shrink animation to an object?
The fastest way to apply a grow or shrink animation is to select the object, go to the Animations tab, click the More arrow in the Animation gallery, and choose Grow/Shrink from the Entrance or Exit section.
How can I make an object grow or shrink in only one dimension (horizontally or vertically)?
In the Grow/Shrink effect options, you can select “Horizontal” or “Vertical” under the Size section to make the object grow or shrink in only one dimension.
What’s a good size change percentage to use for a subtle grow or shrink effect?
For a subtle grow or shrink effect, a size change of 25% to 50% is usually sufficient. This creates a noticeable but not overpowering animation.
Can I apply multiple grow/shrink animations to the same object?
Yes, you can apply multiple grow/shrink animations to a single object. This allows you to create a sequence of size changes, such as growing and then shrinking back to the original size.
How can I use grow/shrink animations to create a “zoom” effect on an image?
To create a zoom effect, apply a large grow animation (e.g., 200% or more) to the image, combined with a motion path animation that moves the enlarged image in the desired direction. This gives the appearance of zooming in on a specific part of the image.
How can I use a grow/shrink animation to reveal bullet points one at a time?
To reveal bullet points one at a time using grow animations, apply the animation to each bullet point or text box individually. Set the “Start” timing option to “On Click” or “After Previous” so each bullet grows into view one by one as you advance the slide.
Is there a way to make an object grow or shrink continuously on loop?
Yes, to make an object grow or shrink continuously, apply the animation and then set the “Repeat” timing option to either a specific number of times or “Until End of Slide.” The object will then grow and shrink in a continuous loop.
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