How to Add Animations in PowerPoint 2016

Edited 4 months ago by ExtremeHow Editorial Team

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Microsoft PowerPoint 2016 is a tool that many people use to create presentations. One way to make your presentation more exciting is to add animations. Animations can help grab the audience's attention or make your point more clear. They make your slides more dynamic and help convey your message better. In this guide, we will learn how to add animations to your slides in PowerPoint 2016. We will walk you through the process step by step and explain everything in detail.

Understanding animation

Before we learn how to add animations, let's understand what animations are in PowerPoint. Animations are visual effects applied to objects on your slides. These objects can be text, shapes, images, charts, and more. Animations are used to enhance your presentation by adding motion to these objects. It can emphasize your points or add a professional touch to your slides.

Types of animation

In PowerPoint 2016, there are four main types of animations that you can apply to objects:

• Entrance effects: These animations control how an object appears on a slide. You can fade text out, make images fade in from the edge, and so on.
• Emphasis effects: These animations make an object stand out even if it's already on the slide. For example, you can change the color of text or rotate a shape.
• Exit effects: These animations control how an object exits the slide. Text can exit, images can fade out, and more.
• Motion paths: These effects can move objects on the slide following a path you define, such as a circle or a zigzag.

How to add animation

To add animation to PowerPoint 2016, follow these simple steps:

1. Select the object: First, you need to select the object you want to animate. It can be anything like a text box, shape, image, etc. Click on the object to highlight it.
2. Go to the Animation tab: At the top of PowerPoint, you will see a menu with different tabs. Click on the 'Animations' tab. This will show you all the tools you need to add animation.
3. Select an animation: In the Animations tab, you will see the 'Add Animation' button. Click this button to see a drop-down menu with several different animations to choose from. Hovering over each one will give you a preview of what the animation will look like. Select the animation you want by clicking on it.
4. Customize the animation: Once you add the animation, you can customize it to suit your needs. You can do this by using the 'Effect Options' button next to 'Add Animation'. Here you can change the direction of the animation, its duration, and more.

Using the Animation Pane

The Animation Pane is a useful tool that helps you manage your animations effectively. Here's how you can use it:

1. Open the Animation pane: In the Animation tab, you will find a button called 'Animation Pane'. Click on it to open the pane. It will appear on the right side of the screen.
2. View your animations: Once the Animations pane opens, you can see a list of all the animations added to the current slide. You can select any animation by clicking on it.
3. Reorder animations: You can change the order in which animations play. Just click an animation and drag it up or down in the list.
4. Modify animation settings: In the Animations pane, if you right-click an animation, a context menu will appear. You can use this to change settings, such as start timing, speed, and more.

Setting the animation time

Timing your animations correctly can have a significant impact on how smooth and professional your presentation will look. Here's how you can adjust these settings:

• Start options: From the Timing group in the Animation pane or the Animation tab, you can choose when the animation starts.
  • On Click: The animation will start when you click the mouse.
  • With Previous: The animation will start at the same time as the previous one.
  • After Previous: The animation will start immediately after the previous animation ends.
• Duration: Duration allows you to set how long the animation will take. You can adjust this by typing the duration in seconds.
• Delay: If you want the animation to start a little late, you can add a delay. Enter the number of seconds you want to delay before the animation starts.

Advanced animation techniques

Once you're familiar with basic animations, you can consider advanced options to add more impact to your slides:

• Trigger animations: Triggers allow your animation to start only when a specific condition is met, such as clicking on a specific shape.
  • To set up a trigger, select the animation from the Animation pane, then click 'Trigger' in the Advanced Animation group and select the object that will trigger the animation.
• Combining animations: You can apply more than one animation to a single object. In the Animations pane, you can manage all the applied animations, ensuring they play in the desired order.
• Using motion paths: You can create a custom motion path by selecting the object, clicking 'Add Animation', and choosing 'Motion Path.' Here, you can create a unique path for the object.

Tips for effective animations

Here are some helpful tips for making the best use of animation in your presentation:

• Keep it simple: Don't use too much animation. Too much movement can distract from your message.
• Be consistent: Use a similar set of animations throughout your presentation to maintain a consistent look.
• Match the tone: Tailor your animation to the tone of your presentation. For a formal presentation, subtle animations work best.
• Practice your timing: Make sure your animations are timed correctly with your spoken speech for maximum effect.

Conclusion

Animations in PowerPoint 2016 are a powerful tool that can greatly enhance your presentation. By carefully choosing and timing your animations, you can clarify complex concepts and keep your audience engaged. Whether you're presenting a business report, lesson plan, or project proposal, animations can help highlight your key points and add a dynamic touch to your slides.

We hope this guide has been helpful in teaching you how to add animations to your PowerPoint presentations and use them effectively. By following these steps, you can create engaging presentations that convey your message in a clear and entertaining way.

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