Inserting Headers and Footers

Headers and footers provide a convenient method to place text that will be repeated at the top or bottom of each slide, handout, and/or notes page. You can add the date and time, slide number or page number, or any other desired information such as your name, your business/school name, and/or the title of your presentation.

The PowerPoint Slide and Title masters include three header/footer placeholders

• date area for date and time information
• number area for slide/page number
• footer area can be used to display any text that you want to see on each slide

By default these placeholders appear at the bottom of the slide in the Slide and Title Masters. You can, if you wish, move them to the top by switching to the Slide or Title Master view and then dragging the placeholder(s) to the top.

The PowerPoint Handout and Notes Masters also include a fourth placeholder, the header area, which offers another area for text that you want to appear on each handout and/or notes page.

Adding a date, number, or footer to slides

• choose ViewHeader and Footer …
• the Header and Footer dialog box appears, click on the “Slide” tab as shown (there is no difference between PowerPoint 97/98 and 2000/2001)

• if you want date and time information on one or more slides …
  • check the [Date and Time] box
    • click the radio button [Update automatically:] to insert a code to always use the current date and time when the presentation is opened
      • choose the desired date/time format from the drop-down list
    • or click the radio button [Fixed] and enter the date/time information desired
• if you want the slide number on one or more slides …
  • check the [Slide Number] box
• if you want to include text of your own as a footer …
  • check the [Footer] box
  • enter the desired text (company name, school name, presentation title, etc.) in the box

• if you want this to appear on all slides, then click thebutton
• if you want this to appear on all slides except for the title slide, then click thebutton and also check the [Don't show on title slide] box
• if you want this to appear on only the current slide, then click thebutton
• if you want this to appear on all slides except a few, then
  • create the footer
  • if necessary, check the [Don't show on title slide] box
  • click thebutton
  • now move to the slide from which you do not want the footer information
  • choose ViewHeader and Footer …
  • uncheck the item(s) from the Header and Footer dialog box
  • click thebutton
    • the footer information is removed from the current slide only
  • repeat, if necessary, for other slides

When you open the Header and Footer dialog box, you will note that there are three items on the Slide tab of that box that can contain information: Date & Time, Slide Number, and Footer. The Date & Time and the Footer each allow you to enter information of your choice. By default, all three of these items are located in a set position on the slide. However, since each is an object, any one of them can be moved to a different position.

Adding a date, number, or footer to notes or handout pages

• choose ViewHeader and Footer …
• the Header and Footer dialog box appears, click on the “Notes and Handouts” tab as shown (there is no difference between PowerPoint 97/98 and 2000)

The choices and options as explained above are the same here except

• the [Update automatic] option for dates also includes a choice for language and calendar type
• there is a [Header] and [Footer] box to enter text of your choosing
• there is a [Page number] option instead of a [Slide number] option
• there is nobutton

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Copyright © 2003
last updated August 12, 2003