All Things Visual: The University of Chicago Visual Resources Center

On a PC, it’s easy to load a folder of images directly into PowerPoint. With your presentation open, click on Insert in the menu bar, then click on Picture, then New Photo Album… This option lets you select an entire folder of images to add to your presentation. To learn more, download the VRC’s Powerpoint Manual for PC (pdf).

Macs do not have a built-in photo album option. You can, however, install a simple program to import a folder of images. For a free version of this program, please contact the VRC. Let us know what version of PowerPoint you are using (i.e. PowerPoint 2007, 2008, 2011) and what operating system you have (i.e., Mac OS 10.5).

Are you teaching or presenting with your iPad 2? Want to avoid e-mailing large PowerPoint or Keynote presentations to yourself? It’s easy to to sync presentations to iPad using iTunes and your Keynote app.

First, connect your iPad to your computer. iTunes should launch automatically (if not, open iTunes from your dock or Applications folder). On the left panel in iTunes, under Devices you should see your iPad. Click to highlight it.

Next, navigate to the menu tab for Apps.

Scroll down to see File Sharing options. On the left you will see any apps that allow file sharing between your computer and iPad.

To sync presentations, select Keynote. At right you will see the list of Keynote Documents that have been synced to your iPad. To start loading presentations (in either PowerPoint or Keynote format), click “Add…” then navigate to wherever you’ve saved the presentations on your computer. Then select Open. The presentation will be added to your list of documents.

After adding your presentations, click Sync at bottom right in iTunes. Your presentations will now be available in your Keynote app on iPad.

Please contact the VRC with any questions!

Tired of lugging your laptop from class to class? Try teaching and presenting with your iPad 2 instead! The iPad 2 can connect to a projector through a VGA adapter, just like your laptop. You can open PowerPoint and Keynote presentations in the Keynote app for iPad. Here’s what you’ll need:

• iPad 2
• Keynote app for iPad ($9.99)
• Apple VGA Adapter for iPad ($29.99)
• PowerPoint or Keynote presentation, emailed to yourself, loaded to Chalk or synced to your iPad using iTunes and Keynote

Once you’ve navigated to your presentation online (or in Keynote), click to open. If loading from the web, click again on “Open in Keynote.” Keep in mind that some formatting may be lost in translation from PowerPoint to Keynote, or from your laptop to your iPad. See this guide from Apple Support on best practices for creating a presentation on a Mac for use on an iPad. Some quick tips:

• The simpler your presentation, the more likely it will open properly on iPad.
• Swipe or tap iPad’s screen to switch slides.
• Presenter notes will show up on iPad, but you must select that option from the menu at upper right.
• Use simple fonts; unrecognizable fonts will automatically be replaced with Helvetica.
• Resize images before inserting them in your presentation; this allows for quicker download.
• Do not plan to transmit audio; currently projection from iPad 2 only works for video.
• The first generation iPad does not support projection or mirroring.

You may also use iPad 2 to present media groups or slide shows in LUNA. LUNA mirrors from iPad 2 seamlessly! Contact the VRC if you’d like a demonstration.

Unfortunately, iPad is not yet fully compatible with ARTstor but you can access some ARTstor functionality on iPad with their mobile app.

PLEASE NOTE: Your iPad displays all passwords character-by-character as you enter them. Right now there is no way to change this option. Wait until you have logged in to Chalk, email, LUNA, or other websites before connecting iPad 2 to the projector.

If you have any questions about teaching with iPad 2, or if you’d like to borrow an iPad 2 and adapter to try out the possibilities, please contact the VRC.

Have you upgraded to PowerPoint 2011 on your Mac, or are you thinking about upgrading? Microsoft Office for Mac has released some helpful tutorials, including general PowerPoint basics and more specific guides (like how to design your presentations using themes). A very useful PowerPoint 2008 to PowerPoint 2011 map also shows new locations of commands in the 2011 version.

If you have any questions about PowerPoint or would like to request a training appointment, please contact the VRC.

Do you use Powerpoint 2010 on a PC? If so, there’s a simple trick for turning your mouse cursor into a laser pointer. Following these instructions, from the Slide Show view you can hold down CTRL, click and hold the left mouse button, and use the pointer to illustrate your discussion. You can even change the color of the laser!

A similar function is available in Keynote for iPad (not in Keynote for Mac computers). To activate the pointer, touch and hold anywhere on your iPad screen after launching your presentation. A red and white pointer will appear and move along with your fingertips.

More information on teaching with the iPad is coming soon!

Here’s a quick way for PC users to add YouTube links to PowerPoint presentations:

• http://www.dontwasteyourtime.co.uk/elearning/powerpoint-embedding-youtube-video/

 
Mac users have to download videos before inserting into a PowerPoint or Keynote presentation. This is easier with free software like Tooble. Here’s how it works in Keynote:

• http://www.totalapps.net/tutorials/embedding-youtube-video-in-keynote-in-3-easy-steps/

Please note: to view these PowerPoint illustrations at a larger size, click on the images.

To create a simple Art History style PowerPoint 2008 theme, first open a new presentation. The Formatting Palette will appear on the right side; if it does not, click on the “Toolbox” icon from the menu bar. On the Formatting Palette, select Style 4, which is a black background with white text.

To ensure that any subsequent text added to the slide with a text box is formatted correctly (ie, in white font), create a “test” text box by selecting that icon from the menu bar.

Once you have created and tested the text box…

…you’re ready to save the slide theme. Select “Save Theme” from the Formatting Palette.

Select a name for your theme that will be recognizable to you later.

To apply your theme to any future presentation, select the “Slide Themes” tab.

Next, select the “Custom Themes” tab. You will then see your theme saved with the title you assigned. Click on its thumbnail and you’re set!

You can follow the above steps to save other types of Microsoft Office 2008 themes as well. If you have any questions, please contact the VRC.

Click on the image to learn how to download images from ARTstor and put them in PowerPoint for a classroom presentation.

Click here to view all ARTstor videos on Youtube.

. . . make a PowerPoint presentation?

. . . create a high-quality digital image?

. . . find works of art in the VRC Collection?

. . . export a detail from Luna Insight?

. . . share a group of images in ARTstor?

The VRC can help you with all things related to digital imaging. Contact us to set up an appointment.

The VRC recommends that you scan your images at about 1400 pixels on the longest edge of the digital image. Your computer will project up to 1400 (w) x 1050 (h) pixels on our projectors. Click here for a good explanation of Powerpoint-presentation image size from Microsoft.