Tools in Powerpoint 2007

• In PowerPoint 2007, the tools are accessed through the Ribbon. Charlie Schuck/Photodisc/Getty Images

  PowerPoint 2007 replaced the toolbars and menus of previous versions of the software with what is termed the Ribbon. The tools used to create and format slides are now incorporated within the tabs of the Ribbon. Microsoft integrated this change to make the most commonly used tools more accessible to its users.

The Ribbon

• The Ribbon is located at the top of the window, where you will find the tools you need to create and format PowerPoint 2007 documents. The tools are located in a series of tabs at the top the Ribbon, which defaults to an expanded view. You can minimize the view by right-clicking one of the tabs and left-clicking "Minimize the Ribbon."

The Tabs

• The Ribbon uses two different types of tabs: main and contextual. Tabs are divided by function and the functions divided into groups. The main tabs include Home, Insert, Design, Animations, Slide Show, Review and View, with contextual tabs only appearing when an item is selected. For example, select a text box or a shape and the Format tab will appear. The other contextual tab is a function-specific Design tab that appears when Smart Art or Charts are selected. Each tab has groups with specific tools. For example, the Home tab is divided into groups that include Font, Paragraph and Drawing. Within each group you will find a limited number of tools. To access more tools, click the arrow in the bottom right corner of the group. In many cases, the arrow won't function unless an object is selected.

The Quick Access Toolbar

• The Quick Access Toolbar is located in the top left corner of the window next to the Office button. The purpose of this toolbar is to give you quick access to certain tools and commands in the form of buttons. The default buttons are Save, Undo and Repeat Clear. To add more tools to the Quick Access Toolbar, click on the arrow in the toolbar. A pull-down menu will give you a limited number of options or you can click on "More Commands." You can then choose which commands or tools you want to add to the toolbar.

The Microsoft Office Button

• The Microsoft Office Button replaces the File menu. It is located at the top left corner of the window. Clicking on it will give you access to a pull-down menu with frequently used commands such as Open, New, Print and Save. At the bottom of the menu is the PowerPoint Options tab, which will give you access to more functions, such Advanced Options. Selecting "Customize" will take you to the menu, where you can customize the Quick Access Toolbar.